ZKD Vol III: Lost Paradise
by Kamen Rider Chrome
Summary: Everything that has happened is about to end. The Zodiac War is nearing its climax. Who will be The One and what wish will be made? We can only wait for until the FINAL DOOR Opens. A massive crossover series that has elements of Kamen Rider! HENSHIN!
1. PT001: One Bad Day

Part 1: One Bad Day

The room is dark and lightning flashes, revealing a face. It is Ryuki's. A voice speaks, it is also Ryuki's.

"I was told once that there is evil everywhere…"

A flash of lightning shows his eyes glowing red.

"Not just out there in the world, but here inside us…."

Another flash and Ryuki is revealed wearing a black bodysuit.

"Evil is in our minds, our hearts, even our souls…"

Another flash and Ryuki grits his teeth.

"It is how we handle that evil that separates us from the monsters that lurk…"

There is another flash and Ryuki is clutching his head.

"It just takes one BAD day to turn a man into a monster…"

There is a loud roar.

"Unfortunately for me, that day was today…"

The final flash of lightning and a savage beast roars and lunges forwards.

* * *

It was an average day in the Tower, at least in my opinion. Oh hi. Sorry if I forgot to introduce myself. By the way, my name is Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, codenamed Draco, but my friends call me Leo. Only a few people can call me by my first name, mostly family and other significant people who are closer to me than just friends. 

Who are my friends? I'll give you a hint: they live in a giant "T". Give up? Well, when there's trouble, you know who to call…

Anyways…I was the first to wake up on a bright Saturday morning. It was sometime in October and it was a few weeks after we kicked Trigon's butt. Actually, Raven did most of the kicking, but you get what I mean.

These past few days, to be honest, I've been feeling really strange. Let me list it out for you.

Last Monday, I went to put out a fire by using my newly acquired ice abilities. The Titans asked how I knew about it and I told them that I smelt it. Of course, this was not strange since I've always had a strong sense of smell. The strange part was that I smelt it from over 100 miles away.

Tuesday, the alarm went off as usual. Well, normally this wouldn't bother me. However, today was different. My ears felt like they were gonna explode from the loud noise. I mean, I was hearing ringing over the ringing. I went on the mission anyway and went to get my ears checked. Takada and Cyborg said it was probably stress, but I wasn't too sure.

Wednesday, during combat practice (my favorite time thanks!) I went through the obstacle course like it was a breeze. I mean, I knew that I had 5 Zodiac Powers now, but my agility, speed, reflexes and strength felt like…I just couldn't describe it. I knew I was fast, but today I broke my own record, in half the time! Can you believe that?

The breakfast on Thursday, for some reason, I was craving meat. Well, Cyborg craved meat 24/7, but today I was craving RAW meat! I didn't mean rare, I meant freshly killed raw! The Titans, Beast Boy especially, looked at me weird. I don't know about them, but bloody raw steaks taste really good with a lot of blood.

And yesterday…well yesterday…Friday, I even beat Cyborg at weightlifting. I could get as much as him when I used the Ox Power, but I didn't even use an ounce of it to lift twice as much as Cyborg…with one hand! I even beat Starfire and Blackfire's records too!

I was stronger, faster, and had sharper senses. I felt like a whole new person. I mean, how bad could it be?

I wished I never asked that question in the first place.

* * *

It was a routine day. Dr. Light and Adonis had struck on the same day at two different locations. So, the Team had to be split in two. 

Team 1 (Against Dr. Light): Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Terra and Raven

Team 2 (Against Adonis): Shadowcobra (Shadow), Pluto, Draco (Me), Blackfire and Jinx

Adonis was causing trouble. He was at Star Labs and was, well, stealing some of the new tech there. He was probably trying to upgrade himself again. That robotic car suit he wore was now a different color scheme; it was green.

Shadow burst trough the front door with us behind him. "Okay, Adonis. Why don't you drop whatever it is you're doing, and we might just go easy on you?" he demanded.

"No way!" Adonis lifted up several computers and hurled them at us. Shadow erected a shadow shield that deflected them. Shadow sighed.

"Why must they make it harder for themselves?" Shadow shook his head before shouting, "TITANS! CHARGE!"

We went on the attack. Well, we didn't expect for Adonis to fall for the same trick (the EMP bomb) so we decided to switch tactics.

Jinx hexed several hanging lights on the ceiling so they would fall on Adonis, distracting him. Blackfire and Pluto took to the air, firing Starbolts and lightning bolts at the mechanical menace. Adonis seemed more annoyed than hurt, but I guess the suit was insulated.

"Let's see if I can heat things up!" I shouted, rubbing my hands together. My hands went up in flames as I flew at Adonis, my feet shooting fire like rockets as I jetted towards the behemoth. He didn't see me coming as I rammed right into him. I wondered if the resulting headache was worth it as my head made a dent in his suit. I was gonna need a lot of aspirin after this.

Shadow was using his shadow blasts on Adonis, who dodged a last one and picked up a steel beam. He used it to swat Shadow away and into several barrels. My friend the Vampangel was none too pleased.

Then, Adonis made the biggest mistake he could ever make in his criminal carrier: He hurt Jinx. He grabbed my girlfriend roughly by the collar of her dress and hauled her up to his face. She hissed and thrashed and he growled.

"Rowr…I like em feisty." He then licked Jinx's face and tore the front of her dress open. She screamed.

I roared.

"LET HER GO!" I roared as a blue aura surrounded me. I fired an ice blast that froze Adonis' robotic arms solid before jumping up and pulling Jinx away from the brute. I looked into her eyes and I didn't like what I was seeing. After Rancid had tried to rape her, this was the look she had when she woke up from her nightmares. My eyes narrowed.

"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!" Adonis bellowed as he shattered the ice off his arms. The other Titans tried to stop him but his massive form stampeded through them. He wanted me…Well, ask and you shall receive.

When he got close, I jumped up and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him crashing. I was then immediately upon him. I tore off the mechanical legs and then the arms. Adonis was screaming in fear, but I wasn't listening. Strangely, I could hear his heart thundering loudly and fast. He was scared and I was enjoying his fear…I could almost smell and taste it. I tore open his suit and pulled the wimp out. He raised his hands.

"I give! I give! Please don't hurt me!" he begged. One word: Pathetic.

"You should've though of that before you attacked MY girlfriend!" My free hand was engulfed in fire. I raised it up, "For that, I'm gonna burn that ugly mug right off your-"

"Draco!" I heard Shadow shout, "Put him down! It's over!"

"No," I growled, "It isn't." my flaming claw was inching closer and closer towards Adonis' face…until I was knocked out by an electrical bolt. Everything went black soon after.

* * *

I woke up in the infirmary and I was alone. Jinx was not here. Good. That would mean that she was okay. As I was getting up…I heard voices. 

They were the voices of the other Titans. Where were they coming from and how far were they? I decided to listen in anyway.

Shadow: Draco's been acting really strange these past few days.

Cyborg: You think? I mean, I know he liked meat, but he's been eating them raw!

Beast Boy: Gross!

Terra: Gar…

Beast Boy: Sorry…

Robin: So, he just tore into Adonis?

Pluto: Leo was like a wild animal. He didn't seem to hear us when he was doing it. I had to knock him out before he killed the guy.

Raven: So, he's out of control?

Blackfire: He didn't seem to be in control to me.

Robin: Then, he's a dangerous liability.

Starfire: What should we do then?

Shadow: Keep our eyes on him. We can't trust him while he's acting so-

I had heard enough. So, the others no longer trusted me, is that it? Well…who needs them? I could be a superhero on my own; no more Titans to hold me back! I looked over to my side and found a note. It was in Jinx's handwriting. I picked it up and read it.

_Dear Ryuki-Baby,_

_Thanks for saving me from that pervert. I went out to the mall to go get something special for us…don't bother asking, it's a surprise._

_Love: Jinxy-chan_

I smiled. At least there was still one good thing in my life. I got off the small bed and went over to the sink. I splashed some of the water into my face and looked at the mirror. Staring back at me was a monster's face. I fell back on my butt in surprise. I then stood back up to check the mirror. I sighed, relieved. I was seeing things. I then heard ringing. It was my DRA-Phone. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the text message. It was an SOS from Jinx! I was about to go ask the Titans for help when I stopped.

Why should I ask them for help? I was a 'dangerous liability'. I looked at the text message. Whatever it was, I could handle it…all on my own with no help from my so called friends.

I didn't know that I was walking into a trap.

* * *

The SOS led me to an abandoned building. It gave me the creeps, but I had to rescue Jinx. With my enhanced sight, the darkness didn't even bother me. I listened in to find Jinx and even used my nose. There were so many smells, but I could definitely smell the perfume that Jinx usually wore. I followed my nose. 

Score!

There was Jinx, tied up and gagged in a chair with a power inhibitor collar around her neck. I ran over to her, "Jinx!" I cried. "Are you okay?" I asked. Something was wrong here. If she was tied up, how could she send me that text message? She looked at me and frantically shook her head. Her eyes were wide and were staring at something…behind me. I turned and the last thing I saw was red.

* * *

I woke up, feeling groggy. That was the second time I was knocked out. Seems like a habit for me, huh? 

"I'm glad you're awake," said a sinister male voice. I looked up and saw a man in robes with red cybernetic enhancements that looked like Cyborg's. I have been reading some of the major files on the villains, so I knew who this was.

"Blood…" I growled. Ever since I found out what he had done to Jinx, I've hated him with a passion.

"That's Brother Blood to you, boy!" he snapped, before regaining his calm composure. He was riding on a floating platform. I lunged forward, but with a bong, I was sent bouncing back. Blood laughed. Kami-sama, I hated that laugh.

"It's no use, Draco," he said to me, "The chamber you are in is shatter proof. No matter how strong you are, you can't get out of it."

"Oh yeah?' I smirked. I accessed my Ox power, but couldn't unleash it at full force. I realized that my deck must be gone and then I touched my neck and groaned. I was wearing a power inhibitor too.

"Well, you might want to know why I've trapped you here," the madman said to me.

"Well, might as well," I crossed my arms.

"Have you noticed anything strange about yourself? You have become stronger and faster, your senses are sharper and that you have become more ferocious…doesn't it feel strange?"

"Not really, no," I shrugged. Unknown to Blood, there was a homing beacon in my suit, which was activated by a pressing a button on my SB-Watch. I just sent an SOS to the Titans. I know I'm gonna get ribbed for going off alone, but right now I had to keep Blood talking.

"You don't get it, do you?" he smirked, "You're not who you think you are anymore…you're not even human."

"You're nuts!"

"Am I…Orphenoch?"

Orphenoch. That word was the start of it all. That word had opened a Pandora's Box that could not be closed…no matter how hard I tried.

"Orphe-What?" I exclaimed.

"Orphenoch! That is what you are!" he pressed a button on the pedestal of his platform, "And I want that power!"

The chamber began to fill up with a greenish liquid. I cringed. Jinx may have helped with my fear, but I still hated water. The liquid filled up quickly and soon I was trapped within a watery prison. You know I said how much I hated being knocked out? Well, I got knocked out again as I slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

Man, three times.

* * *

Normal POV: 

"At last, the powers of the Orphenoch will be mine!" Blood exclaimed. Suddenly, a pink hex blast hit his platform, blowing up the engines. "What is the meaning of this?" he exclaimed as he lost control of his vehicle. He looked down and Jinx had untied herself and removed the inhibitor. How could she have done that?

Jinx threw a hex at the glass chamber, shattering it and spilling out the green liquid that kept Draco in stasis. Blood looked on in shock. No! The Orphenoch was his and his alone!

Draco's limp body fell out and Jinx grabbed onto him, smiling. The smile then turned to an expression of shock. There was a blank look in his open eyes.

"Ryuki?" she asked. She asked again, "Ryuki? Are you okay?" no response. She began tearing up, shouting in hysterics, "RYUKI! WAKE UP! COME ON!" tears fell from her eyes as she sobbed, "Don't…don't do this to me…" she sniffled, "You promise you'd always be there for me…" she hugged his body to herself.

Blood glared, his cybernetic eye glowing. He pointed a finger to Jinx, "Goodbye, Jinx," and sent out a beam. Jinx saw the beam and covered Draco's body with her own. The beam struck her and she let out a scream, a loud and pain filled scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Draco's eyes slammed open upon hearing the shrieks of his precious witch. He saw Jinx falling…he grabbed her and did a flip, landing on the ground.

"Jinx?" he asked. She wasn't moving…

"That's one way to take care of a traitor," Blood said snidely, "Now then, as for you…"

"You hurt Jinx…"

Blood heard the words again and his attention was drawn to the red haired young man who was cradling Jinx in his arms, kneeling. The words came lout again, in a growl.

"You hurt Jinx…" a black and blue aura surrounded Draco and Blood felt it.

It was horrifying.

Draco's face then snapped up and his eyes glared at Blood hatefully, glowing red. He then let out a roar, "YOU HURT JINX!"

His body then began changing as grey and white armor covered his whole body. It was organic in appearance. His head changed to look like a lion's, complete with a flowing white mane and with an addition of horns on his head. White fur came out through the gaps of the armor. His toes turned into sharp claws and his fingernails became sharp black claws. Three spikes extended from each of his forearms and a single spike from each shoulder.

His eyes were glowing with anger and feral fury.

No longer was he Draco…now…he was the Ifrit Orphenoch.

The Ifrit Orphenoch put Jinx down gently on the ground and stroked her face. She was alive…barely. He then turned his gaze to Blood and growled hatefully. He crouched down before rushing towards Blood with every intent of killing him and roaring savagely. His legs turned double jointed, like that of a beast's, allowing him to pick up more speed. Blood was going down and going down hard.

Blood fired energy blast after energy blast at the raging beast, but it only made the Ifrit Orphenoch angrier. With a roar, he bit on Blood's shoulder and tore out several wires and circuits. Blood howled in pain before bringing up a fist to punch the Orphenoch in the chest. That was a big mistake on his part as his fist became encased in ice that quickly spread over his arm. Blood withdrew his arm to look at the frozen appendage before he felt a sudden rush of heat. The Ifrit Orphenoch breathed out a blaze of searing hot blue flames that hit Blood in the face, blinding him, including damaging the mechanical and electronics in his head and melting some of the skin. Blood, barely able to see, cocked his head up as he felt the Ifrit Orphenoch grab him by the arms, before ripping them off. Blood howled in pain and anguish as he kneeled with his arms now reduced to stumps. The Ifrit Orphenoch placed his right clawed hand on Blood's head and lifted the megalomaniac up.

"**Good bye**," he growled, before stabbing Blood right in the heart with the claws of his left hand. Blood felt the most intense pain anyone could ever feel. His insides felt like they were burning as his body disintegrated into ashes, leaving behind the cybernetic enhancements.

Brother Blood was no more as the ashes that were once his body now littered the floor. The Ifrit Orphenoch then kneeled down, panting and wheezing heavily before collapsing. The Orphenoch then changed back to Ryuki.

It was at that moment that Robin and the other Titans barged in, only to freeze at the sight before them.

It was quite easy to draw a conclusion to what had transpired several minutes ago. Of course, if Draco did know, would it be a good idea to tell him?

* * *

Draco's POV: 

Remember when I said that it took one BAD day to turn a man into a monster? Well, the day was not over yet.

This was only the beginning…the beginning to a nightmare.

To Be Continued…

ZK Chromedragozoid: What will happen to Draco now…stay tune readers!


	2. PT002: Doubts

Part 2: Doubts

Ryuki woke up in the infirmary. He had a splitting headache and a bad taste in his mouth. "Ow…" he groaned. He then noticed that Jinx was in a bed next to him, and was not in good shape. Suddenly, the memories came back to him. "Oh, Kami-sama…" he stared at his hands, "What have I done?' he looked back and forth at Jinx and his hands. He had caused this, it was all his fault. What would happen if he stayed? The Titans were right, he was a dangerous liability.

He decided…he had to leave.

* * *

"Friend Draco!" Starfire said pleasantly as she wheeled in a tray of food, mostly meaty stuff prepared by Cyborg. When she entered the infirmary, she gasped. Alarmed, she took out her communicator. Robin answered and panicked when he saw the shocked look on the Tamaranean princess' face.

"Starfire? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Friend Draco…he is gone…"

* * *

"He's not in his room," Cyborg stated.

"And he packed up most of his stuff," Beast Boy added.

"He also left this note," Pluto held out the aforementioned item. Shadow and Robin read it.

_To the Titans:_

_Guys, I'm sorry. I know what happened. I lost control and I did something I shouldn't have. I killed Brother Blood. Oh dear Kami-sama, what have I become? I don't want anyone else getting hurt, so I have decided to leave. Don't come looking for me and don't try to talk me into coming back. I have to leave…I repeat, don't look for me._

_From: Ryuki Leonard Hasuma_

_PS: Cyborg, I left that chili recipe under my bed. Use it well my friend._

Shadow crumpled the paper in his hand, "He's running away again…"

"Again?" Robin asked, "He's done this before?"

"You'd be surprised…" Pluto started, "If I had a buck every time Draco felt sorry for himself and nearly gave up…"

"Regardless, we must find him!" Starfire spoke up.

"But he doesn't want to be found. Heck, if I felt like him, I wouldn't want to be found either," Terra said sympathetically.

"I think a lot of us now how he feels," Raven frowned. After they brought Draco and Jinx back to the Tower, they ran several tests. The results were shocking. Draco wasn't human anymore…he was something else. They suspected that the tests were wrong, but Shadow confirmed it with the results of a blood test that Prof. Murata ran back in Tokyo. Whatever he had become, it killed Blood.

"I'm looking for him," Shadow took out his deck, "This time I'm going to talk some sense into him."

* * *

Ryuki looked back at the Tower. He could still see it even when he was in the city. It was still an impressive sight. He let out a sad sigh. "Goodbye, Titans Tower. Goodbye guys…Goodbye, Jinxy-chan."

"Giving up so soon?" said a hissing voice. Ryuki turned to see Shadowcobra, fully armored, sitting on a lamppost.

"I killed someone," Ryuki answered.

"A villain," Shadow added.

"Yes, but I still killed him."

Shadow sighed, "Such is the life of a Knight. You must fight and kill in order to survive," he continued, "However, what you did was not your fault. You weren't in control."

"It doesn't change a thing! I'm a monster!" Ryuki yelled back, angered at his former teammate. "I killed him, Shadow! I killed Brother Blood! His blood is on my hands!"

"Only because you thought he killed Jinx."

"That doesn't justify it!"

"So, you're just going to give it all up? Give up being a Titan, even more, a Knight?"

"Yes," Ryuki answered without a second thought.

"So be it," Shadow jumped off the lamppost and landed in front of Ryuki. "If you're not with us…" he drew a card and inserted it into his cobra staff, summoning his sword, "Then you're against us!" Shadow swung his weapon at Ryuki. Ryuki dodged.

"Hey! What was that for?" Ryuki yelled at the Snake Knight

"Defend yourself." Shadow swung his spiral sword again. Ryuki rolled out of the way and the sword cut the lamppost in half with its jagged edge.

"I won't!" Ryuki said defiantly.

"Coward!" Shadow swung again, but was met with a barrier of fire.

"Don't make me angry, Shadow…I'm warning you…You won't like it when I'm angry…" Ryuki growled dangerously.

"I should be warning you," Shadow huffed as he summoned a shadow hand from behind Ryuki. The hand grabbed Ryuki and threw him onto the street. "You're weak," Shadow said as he walked towards him. The words were painful and Ryuki winced. "After just killing one man, you're ready to throw in the towel." He stood over Ryuki and grabbed him by the collar of the shirt before he hauled him up and looked at him face to face. Shadow's faceplate slid into his helmet to reveal his red eyes and his gritted teeth. "I'm ashamed to even call you my friend." He slammed Ryuki hard against the street. "You don't even deserve to live!"

"Just…Kill me," Ryuki said, teeth gritted, anger rising in him.

"Oh…I'm so tempted now. But…no," he let go of Ryuki. "I want you to remember why you became a Knight first," he walked away from Ryuki. "A truck is coming, better get off the road."

Ryuki was still lying on the ground. As he was getting up, he heard something. A kitten meowing. The truck was close and it was about to be run over!

Without hesitating, Ryuki got back to his feet and ran towards the kitten. Shadow watched as Ryuki grabbed the kitten and rolled over to the other side of the road. The truck drove by, not realizing anything had happened.

Ryuki had rolled into some trashcans and was now covered in garbage. But he didn't care as the kitten was safe. The kitten looked up to its savior and began licking his face.

"Hey! Cut that out, that tickles!" Ryuki said, laughing.

Shadow smirked. He walked towards his friend and offered him his hand. Ryuki hesitantly grabbed it since he didn't feel a murderous vibe coming from him anymore.

"Do you see? You're not a murderer. You can still protect," Shadow commented.

"But," Ryuki sighed, "I'm so tired of all the fighting…"

"We all are, even me, but we can't stop simply because of one bad mistake."

"There comes a time when a warrior can no longer fight," Ryuki started.

"But there also comes a time when a warrior must stand again and fight," Shadow finished.

Ryuki smiled at his friend, still holding the kitten, which was purring in his arms. "Fine, I'll come back to the Tower, but not yet. I'm…not ready yet…"

"Up to you," Shadow turned, "Just get yourself cleaned up first, alright?" He teleported away.

Ryuki looked at the kitten in his arms then smiled.

He was going back to Titans Tower…

When he walked passed a window, he froze. He turned his head to his reflection, he gasped.

He was looking straight at the Ifrit Orphenoch himself.

"_What do you think you're doing?_" he asked.

"I'm going back to my friends," Ryuki answered. The Ifrit Orphenoch laughed.

"_Do you think they'll accept you, knowing fully well what you are and what you are capable of_?"

"Yes, I killed, but I can't just run forever."

"_Oh, but you have run once, after Tazuka's death…and again, now, after you killed Blood_."

"Shut up…" Draco growled.

"_You shouldn't have found out…but you did find out anyway, didn't you_?"

"Shut up…"

"_You do know what I am, don't you?_"

"Shut up…"

"_No matter how hard you try to deny it, I'll always be a part of you. That is what I am, the embodiment of your rage_."

"SHUT UP!" Draco roared and punched his hand through the glass.

The kitten licked Ryuki's chin, calming him down. Ryuki looked down at the kitten. The kitten was black all over, save for the feet and the lower half of its face. Ryuki smiled as the kitten purred and rubbed its head against Ryuki chest.

* * *

(Titans Tower)

"You drew a sword on him?" Robin yelled accusingly at the de-armored Shadow.

"It was necessary," Shadow answered simply, arms crossed.

"You were supposed to bring him back, not kill him!" Pluto pointed out.

"He's not dead if that is what you two are implying," Shadow answered coldly to the two.

"Then where is he?" Robin asked.

"If it was up to him, he doesn't want to be found. He'll come back when he's ready."

"I really wish that friend Ryuki would return soon," sighed Starfire sadly as she walked into the common room with Cyborg and Raven. They were in the medical wing before, taking care of Jinx.

"How is she?" Robin asked Raven.

"Jinx, unfortunately, is still in a coma. Her condition is stable, which is a good thing," Raven answered.

"It was a miracle that she's not dead. She caught Blood's attack head on!" Cyborg added.

"She did it to save Ryuki," Shadow said. "I guess that's partly the reason he's in depression. He's in guilt."

"He's lost the will to fight," Pluto added. "Unless Jinx wakes up, he'll never pull through." Pluto then walked to the elevator. "I think I'll find Ryuki and have a chat with him." The elevator doors closed.

* * *

Ryuki was leaning against the railing overlooking the harbor. He gave out a breathless sigh as he began thinking about what Shadow had told him. Was he right?

Suddenly, Ryuki heard the ringing again and Dragblacker shot out of a nearby building's window. As it was about to attack Ryuki, a familiar bat monster deflected it. The dragon roared in annoyance, but returned to the Mirror Dimension.

"I knew I'd find you here." Darkwing flew behind the owner of the voice and attached itself to his back, becoming a cape.

"You too?" Ryuki asked. It was Pluto. "Come to have a chat or something?"

"Something like that," Pluto said, smiling under his helmet.

"I'm not fighting anymore, Pluto," Ryuki said.

"I'm not trying to make you. After all, it's your choice."

Minx purred and snuggled up in Ryuki's arms.

"Nice cat," Pluto commented.

"Thanks. But I'm not going back to the Tower yet. I'm not ready. Besides, I don't think the Titans need a murderer on the team," Ryuki said, eyes looking to the ground.

"And for the last time, it wasn't your fault," Pluto told him.

"Doesn't change a thing," Ryuki answered.

Pluto sighed and placed his hand to his forehead. "Listen Ryuki, the Titans miss you. You know, you're friends? Everyone wants you back."

"I doubt it," Ryuki said.

This totally pissed Pluto off. He grabbed Ryuki by the collar. Luckily, Minx did not wake up. Pluto's visor slid up and his faceplate slid into his helmet to reveal his face.

"Are you listening to yourself? Didn't you hear a thing I said? Damn it, Ryuki! Have you any idea what the team's going through?" Pluto screamed.

"Have you any idea what I'm going through? Any of you?" Ryuki countered. "You have no idea what it feels like to have the blood of another human being on your hands, understand?"

"You're right, I don't. But I've been close, remember?" Pluto said as he leaned against the wall.

"I remember," Ryuki answered. "You were trying to save your mother, and you were also willing to fight, sacrificing yourself in the process."

"I almost killed you and a bunch of other Knights as well," Pluto told him. "If Eri hadn't stopped me…"

"But that's just it! Besides the monsters, this is the first time I've ever taken a life. You almost killed, but never did! But, I. Did. Kill," Ryuki said the last words with a large amount of self-loathing.

"You only did it because Jinx got hurt."

Ryuki looked to the ground sadly. "That doesn't make it right. They say revenge is sweet, but I think it also has a bitter aftertaste."

"Don't we all."

"Could you give me a little time, Pluto? I need time to think."

"Very well." Pluto reached behind his back and took out something that he threw at Ryuki. Ryuki caught it. "You might need it." It was Ryuki's Zodiac Deck.

Ryuki gazed at the Deck for a few seconds and sighed. "Thanks, Takada."

"Don't mention it, kid," Pluto smiled, "Now, I'll be going to the Tower and tell everyone you're okay, kay?" Pluto's cape spread out into bat wings before he took flight.

Ryuki looked at the deck and sighed. The little kitten rubbed against his leg. He smiled. He then felt another presence, "Not you…I don't have time for this…"

Kat sneered, "What's the matter, scared?" Kat continued, "Why are you out here all on your own?"

"I don't want any of them to be involved in our little family squabble," replied Ryuki.

"Wow…how noble!" Kat said mockingly. She then reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out her Cat deck. She shook it a bit in her hand. "Let's fight, now."

Ryuki shook his head and then he took out his own deck. "Just give me your word that you won't hurt the other Titans."

Kat's eyes narrowed and then she grinned, "Very well."

Walking towards a window, they both transformed.

"Zodiac Force!"

"Dragon!"

"Cat!"

A flash of light later and they were now encased in their armors. Then, they jumped into the window.

* * *

They raced through the tunnel, their Knightriders speeding up to reach their destination. Their vehicles jumped out of the window and they skidded to a stop and then exited their vehicles. They both stood in front of each other.

"Draw," they both said in unison.

They reached for their decks and drew their cards and inserted them into their readers.

"Sword Vent!" Draco held onto his saber.

"Strike Vent!" Copycat's clawed gauntlets appeared on her arms.

"Ready brother?" Copycat asked, getting into a ready stance.

"Ladies first," said Draco as he held his saber in front of him.

With a yell, Copycat ran forward and brought her claws down on Draco. Draco parried with his saber and delivered a powerful kick to her side, sending her tumbling. Copycat rolled out of the way when he brought his sword down on her. She then flipped back to her feet. "Eat this!"

* * *

(30 minutes later…)

The two Knights came tumbling out of the Mirror Dimension through one of the exit portals before their armors shattered away. Ryuki got up first and leaned against one of the railings overlooking the docks. Kat got up too and glared.

"Okay," Kat began, "What's wrong? You weren't fighting like you usually do just now."

"Like you care," Ryuki scoffed. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious, my twin brother," she said and repeated her question, "What's wrong with you?"

"A lot of things. Do you want a list?' he said snidely.

She raised an eyebrow. She never knew her brother to be so…cynical. Chipper and happy, yes. Bad temper, also yes. But like this? Depressed. This just wasn't like him. Though he was her rival…he was still family.

No matter how much she loathed him.

She leaned against the railing and said, "Okay. I don't know why I care, but seeing you like this makes me worry. I mean, I came here looking for a fight, and you just weren't yourself. You're usually trying to make conversation while fighting me, but you were clumsy just now. So, I'm a bit curious. So, tell me what's wrong?"

"I killed someone," he said.

She responded, "So?"

"So?" he turned to her, "SO? I killed someone! I took a life! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Strangely…no," she said, nonchalantly. "Sides, this wasn't the first time. Forgot about Scorpios?"

"I wish I could," he said to her.

"Well, I would say get over it. But, you were the most sensitive of either of us. Unlike me, you actually value human life," she said.

"So, you calling it a weakness?" he said to her.

"No. It's your strength. Me, on the other hand, besides the people I love, the people I kill are just faceless," she replied. "But, for you, you had every reason to do what you had to do; killing Scorpios I mean."

"Doesn't make it right; killing in self defense was one thing, but what I did to Blood…It made me think. Have I become a monster or something?" he asked.

"Because of the whole Orphenoch thing?' she asked. He gasped.

"How…how did…?" he stammered.

"How do I know? I pay attention," she tucked her hair behind her ear. "And I think Shadow's right. I mean, he's a Vampangel, something that should have never existed. Raven's a half demon. They, in every right, should be considered monsters, abominations, but what makes a monster is not what you are..." he placed a finger to his heart, "It's who you are and what you do…"

"Huh?' he raised an eyebrow.

"Good," she sighed, "At least you're back to your usual dense self." She elaborated, "What I mean is, a person only becomes a monster once he, or she, forsakes their humanity. You haven't. You still have a conscience."

"What's the difference? I killed Blood. Not only that, I wanted to kill Blood. Doesn't change the fact that I did what I did," he told her. She rolled her eyes.

"You were doing it because he hurt Jinx, a lot. Hell, if he did any of those things to Rose, I'd be pissed too. If you didn't do it, I most certainly would have. He deserved it, for all I care."

"No surprising," he smiled, "It's your style, anyway."

She placed her hand n her hips, "What is THAT supposed to mean?"

"Never mind…" he shook his head, chuckling. "Y'know…thanks Kat."

"For what?" she spoke, "For giving you a pep talk?" she waved it off, "It never happened."

"Huh? But it did hap-" he stopped when he caught the leery look she was giving him. "Oh…OK, gotcha."

"If you must know…" she took a deep breath and admitted, "The reason I did all this was because…because I want to see you in top form when we fight."

"That's it?" he asked in disbelief.

"Contrary to popular belief, I believe in a fair fight," she told him, glaring at him.

"Since when?" he protested, "The first time we fought here, you used Jinx to get to me. What is fair about that?"

"I'm evil, remember," she reminded. "I follow a different code of honor."

"There's an evil code of honor?" he questioned.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, "Dear Kami-sama you're dumb! You think the good guys are the only ones who have a code of honor? That's so typical!" she fumed. "I'm a Zodiac Knight! A former Black Knight! I DO follow the Code! I mean, that's why I left the BKG!"

"I thought you were kicked out coz you were n…unstable," Ryuki was about to say 'nuts', but decided against it. They were talking on civil ground now and he did not want it to turn into a fight to the death.

"Okay…you know that much. Anyway, the only reason I want to fight you at top form is because of my pride," she informed him.

"Your pride?" he asked.

"My pride," she repeated. "Think about it: If I beat you, right now, at your lowest, people are going to say I only won because of a handicap! A HANDICAP! Do you know how humiliating that is? Do you? Even those super villain rejects will say that the only reason I beat you coz you were depressed and couldn't focus! That's not what I want! When you're at your best, I'm at my best! And, if I beat you, at your best, I'll be rejoiced! I'd finally prove that I am the better one. The better one!" she grabbed his arms, "Do you understand?"

"Um Kat…" Ryuki said, hesitantly, "You're hurting me…and invading my personal space." She let go.

"Sorry," she apologized. "So you should either get out of your funk, or stay depressed. Your choice." She turned, "I'll be seeing you in school. Hope you're in tip top condition when I challenge you to a Duel. Bye!" she teleported, leaving him alone to collect his thoughts.

"Thanks, Kat," he smiled.

* * *

(Slade's Mansion, Rose's room)

"So how was your talk with him?" Rose asked as she lay on her bed, on her front.

"Pretty good," Kat said, removing her bow and winked, "Thanks for giving me the head's up on that vision you had."

"I had to tell you. No matter what, he is your brother," Rose said, running her hand through her snow white hair.

"I wish I could forget that," Kat groaned.

"And, I know you wouldn't want him killing himself," Rose continued. "After all, YOU want to be the one to end his hero carrier. Him killing himself would've put a dent into your plans."

"Exactly. I want to beat him. If he commits suicide, what other purpose do I have?" Kat took out her Zodiac Deck and stared at the cat emblem that was staring back at her, "If he dies now, how would I prove that I was better. I don't want him to die…not like this."

"You're only human," Rose told her.

"I guess. Damn conscience. I'm better off without it. At least, when it concerns him," she scolded herself.

Rose rolled her eyes.

* * *

"So, this is how you act when you take the life of another individual," came a voice from behind Ryuki.

He growled as he turned around to face Ekelo, "Believe it or not, I don't have the time to deal with you."

"Well, you had better make time Dragon, because I didn't come searching for you just to be turned away so easily."

That had shocked Ryuki; he wondered how many people knew of what had happened? Ekelo traveled all over the world, yet the news of his Orphenoch transformation seemed to have spread quicker than the plague.

Ekelo leaned back on a wall as he spoke, "You know, you sure as hell didn't have any trouble with taking Scorpios' life. "

"That was different."

Ekelo just smirked, "Is that so, huh? I know you wanted to get revenge on Scorpios, despite the fact that you wanted to save your friends in the process, you still wanted it. You shouldn't try to deny the things that we are made of Ryuki. Revenge, anger, the will to kill, it's all within us, even the will to survive by any means necessary is a part of who we are. We are only human."

"That doesn't change the fact of what I did!" yelled Ryuki. He couldn't believe how heartless Ekelo seemed to be. Didn't he understand how important human life was to him? "Besides, we're different you and I. You don't value human life like I do."

Ekelo just narrowed his eyes into a glare, which made Ryuki gulp a bit. While he wasn't afraid of Ekelo, his glares seem to make up for the fear though. It was something about people with pure white eyes glaring at him that made him feel uneasy.

He walked up to Ryuki and spoke, "Look Dragon, while you may not believe this, I value human life more than you will ever know. It's the very reason why I'm trying to escape my destiny."

Ryuki raised his eyebrow at this and asked, "Destiny?"

Ekelo sighed, he might as well recite the prophecy:

"_The time of the unholy war was thus as Lucifer's forces were turned to dust._

_Scattered to the winds of time and sealed in a realm of fiery despair._

_From within the centuries to come mankind will come to an end by the hands of the Devil's first creation; the King of Shadows shall rise, and with him hell shall follow._

_The King of Shadows shall enter through the hands of his son and through him Lucifer shall rise as the king of kings._

_Darkness shall fall over the mortal realm as all traitors shall be burned and those of the evilest souls shall be saved to add to Lucifer's ranks._

_It is then that the war shall be won, through fiery and blackened despair._

_The world will burn, good will become no more and evil shall be supreme as destined to be._"

Ryuki was shocked at this. He never knew anything about Ekelo except that he was a half demon.

"That is why I travel, to escape my destiny. I never want any part of it, but I am a part of it. I'm not a portal like Raven, only my power is. I'm supposed to give into my demonic side in order for the prophecy to come forth."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"I'm getting there Ryuki. Try and learn some patience or better yet look it up in the dictionary," said Ekelo in an annoyed tone. "I'm supposed to end the world, that's my destiny. Many people within in The Order view me as menace that should be exterminated. However, what do you see when you look at me?"

Ryuki decided answer the question than question the method of it, "An asshole, maybe a bit mean, but not evil."

Ekelo just glared at him for a second before he let up on his gaze, "Good, now take it from someone like me who has both seen and fought a lot of evil beings on this planet. I've fought satanic cultists, rapists, murderers, psychos, demons; boy have I fought demons and monsters. I've seen the most evil of mankind and even beyond that. But when I look at you, do you know what I see?"

Ryuki shook his head as he replied, "No, what?"

"I don't see a monster, I see a man, a confused one at that; who is torn between deciding whether he is good or evil. The Ifrit Orphenoch is right though, he is a part of you, but that doesn't mean you have to give in to him. Humans and all beings alike, whether they are aliens, demons or humans, have the capacity to be either good or evil. It's a part of who we are and we can't escape it. Anyone who says you don't have evil inside of you is an obvious liar. However, while we have evil within us, we can choose the greater path. Whether for evil or good depends on the choices we make. And besides, killing a psychopath isn't an evil, if anything you just stopped Blood from targeting those that meant the most to you."

"What do you mean?" asked Ryuki apparently not understanding where Ekelo was going with that statement.

Ekelo just sighed in irritation, "Does everything have to be spelled out for you? I'm saying if you had just arrested Blood, there was always the chance that he would escape and go after someone else. Like your mother for instance and your other friends. He might even go after Pluto's sister. By killing the life of one, you saved the lives of many. It's a part of life, whether it extends to humans or animals, we all need to kill to survive."

"But it's different for human lives!"

"Really? Is that so? Then tell me, why is it that people Like the G.U.I.L.D. kill terrorists to prevent a war from raging that would claim thousands of lives before the end? Why is it that people like M.E.T.R.I.D. have had to sometimes kill a metahuman in order to stop him or her? People kill others. Sometimes and act of evil in the eyes of others are sometimes the acts of a greater good in reality. Besides, the road of the hero is fraught with many perils and sacrifices, especially those of the innocent."

"Huh?"

Ekelo just slapped his forehead and groaned. If this guy was trained to be a warrior he sure didn't understand the principles of being a hero much less the code and sacrifices a warrior has to take.

"You would have taken the life another out of either hatred or to protect someone. It's an inevitable part of the lives superheroes lead. Sometimes when an enemy, psychopath, or someone else causes so much destruction, the only way to stop them is to kill them. Everyone is faced with that choice sooner or latter, because they have to face the facts that they can't just throw them in prison and they'll be good citizens afterwards. The world doesn't work like that. When people like Joker and Two Face go too far, the only way to stop them is to kill them; it's a choice that every superhero has to make in their lifetime."

"But you've been killing demons, not humans."

"That's where you're wrong there. Even I have to deal with the occasional psychopath every now and then. I even have to kill cultists who want to bring in the existence of a dark god or perhaps create one of their own. We have to kill to survive; it's a way of life and a way that we cannot escape. Animals don't try and fight it or reason with it. Does a lion try and reason with another when its cubs are in danger? Does a predator of others try and live without the prey that has been coexisting with the predator's own species in order to survive? These are the thing that make humans no different from animals as we even kill each other to survive. Sometimes it's not just for survival either. Other times it's because of revenge or perhaps out of pure pleasure. We humans, even half humans are nothing but animals; slightly evolved maybe but animals nonetheless."

Ekelo stopped leaning on the wall as he walked passed Ryuki before stopping with his back turned to him, "And Ryuki, remember this and keep it to heart: You are who you make yourself to be, not what others label you as."

Ryuki thought upon that and he was right. There were many people who were considered idiots even though they weren't. Albert Einstein was considered a crackpot and an insane old kook, even though his theories and other scientific discoveries were correct. But now, people were seeing Einstein as the genius that he was, because even in today's world there are people taking classes that were created out of his work. And there were those that were shunned upon as outcasts and abominations. Children who had birth defects were considered to be demons and other people that were labeled with far worst titles were now considered heroes. Even Batman was labeled as a vigilante and was constantly hunted by the police until they saw him as an ally. Even Commissioner Gordon had made allies with Batman even though it was considered by law that a vigilante was to be arrested. Now they seemed to be bending those rules for superheroes. Ryuki also knew that what he said was right; that humans did need to kill to survive, whether it be animals or other humans. After all, the process of survival through the life of another had been active since as long way back as the Dinosaurs, and such a process could not be stopped even by a pure hearted being; which Ryuki knew that there was no such being in existence.

Ryuki turned around as he was going to thank Ekelo for what he said, only to discover he had just disappeared, "Figures." It was always a case with Ekelo. He always was able to appear and disappear without being seen or noticed. It was possibly the biggest trait he had and suited him perfectly. After all, the name Ekelo in its original tongue meant _Shadow Weaver,_ which was probably why he was named that in the first place. After all, he was the son of The King of Shadows otherwise known as The King of Demons in Hell…Lord Terrorsan

However, no matter what Ryuki thought, he was never a monster, even if he didn't believe it himself.

To Be Continued…

Well…Draco got a lot of people talking to him. If you have noticed, I'm trying to make this story a little more on the psychological side. However, as Draco's tries to figure things out...Can't spoil it! Read the next chap.


	3. PT003: Corruption

Part 3: Corruption

Ryuki continued to walk aimlessly, thinking of what everyone had said. Were they all right? He needed to think.

Of course, as fate would have it, his life wasn't screwed up enough yet.

"Hello…Ryuki…"

It was Yoshido, the God of Warriors and Shadow's former master. Ryuki's blood ran cold as he froze at the presence of this…this…Words could not describe who this person was…he was pure evil, even more so than Slade, which was saying a lot on its own. Ryuki couldn't fight him; he didn't want to fight him. So, he decided on the next best course of action:

He ran.

* * *

Back in the Tower's infirmary, Jinx's eyes slowly began to flutter open. Starfire gasped as she saw this.

"Friend Jinx!" Starfire yelled out happily, "You are awake!" she motioned to hug her, but Jinx stopped her.

"Where am I?" Jinx asked still feeling slightly disoriented.

"You are in the infirmary, friend. You were badly injured so both friend Raven and Shadow healed you," Starfire replied.

Suddenly, everything came back to Jinx; about Blood kidnapping her and using her to lure Ryuki out, about him ranting about the powers of the Orphenoch, about Ryuki getting captured, her saving him and then…blank. She remembered being blasted, then nothing. She then asked, sitting up quickly, "Where's Ryuki?"

Starfire bowed her head, "We…we do not know."

Jinx placed her hands on Starfire's shoulders, "Please! Is he…Is he okay?"

"He is," Shadow answered as he entered the infirmary, "At least physically…psychologically is a whole different matter."

"What do you mean? Where is he?" Jinx demanded, nearly hysterical.

"First, remember when Ryuki 'died' while pursuing Scorpios?" he asked. Jinx remembered like it was yesterday. His heart had stopped beating and he was not breathing. Suddenly…he just came back to life. It had been a miracle! She nodded. "It was no miracle that he came back to life. When he died, something triggered in him…The Orphenoch Gene."

Orphenoch Gene? What did that mean? Blood had been ranting about it when he had captured Ryuki. "So…Ryuki has this gene?" Jinx asked. Shadow nodded, "So what's so special about it? What's an Orphenoch anyway?"

"An Orphenoch is the next step in human evolution. It's like the X-Gene, but extremely rare. Anyway…what it does is bring the one who has it back to life. The person becomes stronger, faster and has heightened senses…but at a cost," he paused, "The person becomes a creature known as an Orphenoch. They are powerful, but have a limited lifespan. Also…New Orphenochs cannot control themselves and can lose control quite easily, destroying and killing everything in sight…which was what happened to Ryuki…"

Jinx put all the pieces together, "Ryuki…Ryuki is…"

"An Orphenoch…and he killed Brother Blood."

Ryuki? Kill? But that wasn't like him at all! "No! Ryuki would never do that!"

"He thought Blood had killed you! His rage took over and the Black Dragon's bond to him made him lose control! He transformed and literally tore Blood apart piece by piece!"

"So…where is he?" Jinx asked.

"Like Starfire said, he left."

Jinx jumped out of bed, "I gotta find him!"

"We should," Shadow nodded, "Let's go." They ran towards the door.

* * *

Ryuki had tried running away from Yoshido, but to no avail. Yoshido held Ryuki's throat tightly as he pinned the young Knight to the brick wall of the alley. Ryuki was scared, absolutely and positively scared.

"You are a brave one, Knight of Combustion," Yoshido said. He then placed his free hand on Ryuki's chest. "But foolish!" Ryuki screamed as a surge of energy coursed through his body. He howled as Yoshido continued to torture him. Yoshido smirked as the black lightning continued to course from his hand through Ryuki's body. Ryuki continued to scream and howl in pain. "I see…I can feel it. You're an Orphenoch, aren't you?" Suddenly, Yoshido was thrown back by a blast of pink energy

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Jinx shouted. Her eyes and hands were glowing with pink energy. She fired another hex wave at Yoshido, who dodged the blast with ease.

"Jinx," he said calmly, "What a pleasant surprise."

"You stay away from him!" Jinx shouted with anger. "DON'T TOUCH HIM!" she yelled defiantly, standing between the maniac and her love. She recognized Yoshido from a description and picture by Shadow…knowing fully well what this evil god was capable of. But she didn't care…Ryuki's safety was her top priority.

"The dragon Knight? Very well, I've already had my fun," Yoshido then leapt into the air and flew out of the alley.

Ryuki was unconscious and had slumped onto the ground. His head low. Jinx quickly kneeled down in front of him. "Ryuki? Baby? Speak to me!" she pleaded, tears almost escaping her eyes. Ryuki wasn't responding and she feared the worst. She took out her T-Com and called Shadow.

"Shadow!" she yelled. "I'm in an alley somewhere with Ryuki. Yoshido got to him, he's hurt!"

"I'll be right there!" Shadow answered.

"Get here quick!" she answered back. She turned to Ryuki, worried. Minx slowly walked out of her hiding place and licked Ryuki's face. Jinx smiled and picked the little kitten up.

* * *

Ryuki had been taken back to Titans Tower and placed in the infirmary. The Dragon Knight laid in bed, sweating bullets, a pain stricken expression was etched on his face. This had been going on for some time. Jinx was holding onto Ryuki's limp hand while Shadow probed his mind.

"Is…is Ryuki gonna be okay?" Jinx asked, worried.

Shadow removed his fingers from Ryuki's temple. He shook his head. "It's not good. Yoshido was trying to corrupt him. He was trying to bring out the Orphenoch in him. Right now Ryuki's fighting for control, but I don't know how long before the dark power completely takes over."

Jinx whimpered, "No…"

"When he wakes up, he may not be the same Ryuki we knew. We may have to fight him," Shadow added, placing the last of the restraints on Ryuki. Jinx wanted to object, but she knew it had to be done. She stroked Ryuki's pain stricken face and his hair.

"Isn't there anyway to undo what Yoshido did to him?" Jinx asked.

Shadow shook his head. "I don't know. Yoshido has the power to bring out the worst evil in people. Fortunately, Ryuki doesn't have any evil inside him. However, that does not mean that Yoshido hasn't done something similar to him, since Ryuki is also an Orphenoch. Now, it's all up to Ryuki," Shadow said sympathetically.

"Ryuki…" Jinx stroked Ryuki's face.

Shadow walked out of the infirmary to leave Ryuki and Jinx alone. He met Raven and Starfire who were waiting outside.

"How is he?" asked Starfire worriedly. With her was Raven. The others were all asleep since it was late. Shadow shook his head.

"Not good, huh?' Raven questioned. Shadow explained and the two listened with shock.

"He has done _what_ to Ryuki?" Starfire asked with shock.

"Yoshido corrupted Ryuki. Now Ryuki's fighting for control," Shadow explained.

"That is the most horrible thing I have ever heard," Starfire added, "It is like the Yoshido has poisoned his soul. How is Jinx?"

"She's scared. She wants Ryuki to wake up and smile at her. She also wants his pain to go away," Shadow responded.

"It won't be easy. Ryuki has to do this on his own. Worst case scenario is that Ryuki ends up giving in to his Orphenoch side and he becomes our enemy. We can only help anyway we can, but in finality, it will be all up to Ryuki," Raven sighed.

Starfire asked, "Are we going to have to kill him?"

Shadow shrugged, "That is a strong possibility. We can only free him from his pain if what Yoshido did is irreversible."

"I won't accept that!" Jinx screeched, running at Shadow and slapping him across the face. Shadow didn't retaliate. "Even if Ryuki becomes an evil Orphenoch, I won't let anyone lay a finger on him. I'd rather die than let that happen!"

"Do you think we enjoy this?" Shadow snapped, "Ryuki's our friend, of course we don't accept it either. However, it is a strong possibility and we have to prepare ourselves," Shadow added, "Sooner or later the Knights will have to fight each other. That is our destiny. We cannot fight it."

Jinx clenched her fists. Tears streaked from her eyes that were shut tight. It was unfair! Ryuki didn't deserve this! He didn't deserve to have this kind of pain. "It's just…" she whimpered, "He's just so sweet and kind…he doesn't deserve this," she cried, "First becoming an Orphenoch and now this?" She placed her face in her hands. "It's so unfair!"

"I know Jinx," Shadow placed his hands onto Jinx's shoulders, in an attempt to comfort her.

Suddenly, their silence was interrupted by a feral roar. The 4 Titans turned their attention to the direction.

"It's Ryuki!" Shadow exclaimed. They all rushed into the infirmary to see Ryuki struggling against his bonds. Ryuki's eyes were glowing red like fire and a fiery red aura surrounded him.

"Hold him down!" Shadow exclaimed.

"I do not wish to hurt him, but I must do so before he hurts himself!" Starfire shot back as she and the snake Knight forced Ryuki's body down onto the bed.

"Jinx!" Raven yelled, "Calm him down while I get the tranquilizer!"

Jinx approached the Dragon Knight. His body was surrounded with an evil red aura. His eyes no longer shone with the same loving kindness but evil hatred at everything. She was afraid, but this was still the boy she loved.

"Ryuki…Ryuki…Baby," she pleaded, voice soft and calm. "Please…calm down."

Ryuki continued to roar and the aura grew stronger. He started to shift into his Orphenoch form, the Ifrit Orphenoch. He blasted them away telekinetically, slamming them against the walls.

Starfire got up and groaned, rubbing her head. Jinx got up slowly, still in pain. Shadow and Raven were in a…compromising position with him on top of her. He quickly got off her and helped her up. They both blushed and fixed their cloaks.

Ryuki continued to struggle against his bonds, roaring like a wild animal.

"Ryuki!" Shadow shouted, "Fight it!"

"Please!" Jinx begged, "Don't give up!"

Ryuki heard their voices and his eyes slowly slid close. The aura dissipated and he slowly shifted back to human form. The 4 Titans sighed. It was over.

But for how long?

* * *

Ryuki's sleep was restless. He was strapped to one of the infirmary beds, but he was starting to sweat all over. His eyes were moving rapidly under his closed eyelids. He was either dreaming…or having a nightmare.

* * *

Nightmare…

Ryuki was in a dark area of nothingness. "Guys…hello? Anybody there?" he called out, but his voice echoed. "Just where am I?" he then heard another voice.

"_Monster…_"

"What, who said that?" he called out, whirling his head around. He saw the Titans, "Hey guys, I'm glad to see you…guys?"

"_Monster…Animal…Murderer…" _The other Titans began to chant, "_Monster…Animal…Murderer…"_ Ryuki did not like this.

"Guys? Come on, you're scaring me," he said nervously, but they continued their chanting.

"_Monster…Animal…Murderer…_" The Titans pointed to something behind him. Ryuki reluctantly turned around…and screamed.

* * *

Beast Boy yawned. He had gone to make himself a midnight snack, a tofu sandwich with pickles. Anyway, as he passed by the infirmary, he began hearing some strange sounds, mostly comprised of banging, scratching and roaring. Beast Boy put his ear against the door. He jerked away as a dent appeared on the door, and then another dent. Ryuki was trying to get out!

"Dude!" Beast Boy exclaimed as he reached for the alarm, but he was too late. The infirmary door was knocked over and Beast Boy screamed like a girl as the Ifrit Orphenoch walked over it, snarling and growling at Beast Boy. Beast Boy, unable to stay calm, passed out right there on the floor. The Ifrit Orphenoch went over to the changeling and sniffed him. He jerked his head back when he smelt an unpleasant odor…tofu. He growled and then he looked left and right to the empty hallways. He wanted to get out, and get out now.

* * *

The Ifrit Orphenoch ran through the city. He did not know what he was looking for, but he was trying to find it and fast. He soon grew tired and yawned. Walking into an alley, he soon reverted to his human form, Ryuki.

At the same time, three rednecks wearing FOH armbands walked by. They were drunk and looking for a fight. One of them, named Bob, motioned to his two pals, Earl and Bert.

"Hey guys, check it out," he pointed to a sleeping Ryuki. "Mutie trash."

"You sure it's a mutie, Bob?" Earl asked in a drunken tone.

"Who cares? I wanna beat up something," Bert belched.

The three red-necked idiots did not know who or what they were messing with. Bob nudged Ryuki with a foot. "Hey freak, wake up!"

Ryuki's eyes fluttered open, "What…? Where am I?"

"You're on our turf, freak!" Earl yelled out.

"That's right, mutie! We don't like your kind here!" Bert yelled out.

"What…mutie? Freak?" Ryuki got up. "There has to be a mistake."

"No mistake," Bob squinted, "Hey, you're one of them Titan freaks, aren't ya?"

Ryuki's eyes narrowed. These three had said 'freak' one too many times,

"Don't call the Titans freaks!" Ryuki growled.

"What ya gonna do, huh?" Earl pushed at Ryuki's chest.

"Don't touch me…" Ryuki growled.

"Don't tell us what to do freak!" Bert shouted.

These morons did not know what they were in for as they had said the word "freak" one too many times. Ryuki's eyes flared up. These men had to pay.

Ryuki let out a roar and changed into the Ifrit Orphenoch. The three FOH members, though drunk, now were shocked, but that shock turned to anger.

"Come here you freak!" Bob smashed a piece of plywood upon the Orphenoch's back, but his makeshift weapon shattered to splinters. The Ifrit Orphenoch turned and grabbed the drunken idiot by the throat, and stabbing him in the heart with his claws before snapping his neck. The Ifrit Orphenoch let the dead man fall out of his grasp before turning around to the other two. One of them had picked up a pipe and swung it down on the Ifrit Orphenoch. The pipe hit the Orphenoch's armor and did no damage whatsoever. The Ifrit Orphenoch opened his mouth and let loose a torrent of hot blue flames that burnt Earl to a crisp. Bert watched in horror and pissed in his pants. He turned to run but slipped on a piece of trash. He turned and watched as the Ifrit Orphenoch towered over him. Bert took out his gun and shot, but the bullets bounced off the Orphenoch's hide. The Ifrit Orphenoch growled and picked Bert up by the shoulders and then pinned him to the wall before biting his throat and stabbing him in the heart. Blood spilled out from the fatal wounds as the Ifrit Orphenoch's claws tore into the unfortunate man's heart. He let the body drop to the cold ground.

It was at that moment that Ryuki shifted back to his human form. "No…"he shuddered, "No…not again…" he had lost control again and was horrified. There was blood everywhere, on his hands and in his mouth. He threw up on the ground. He had truly become...a monster.

"Very impressive…" said a cool and smooth voice from the shadows. Ryuki looked up and saw the figure of a man, clad all in black with silver armor plating here and there. His half black and half orange mask both hid and revealed his identity. He was known as Deathstroke the Terminator, but to the Titans he was simply known as…

"Slade…" Ryuki growled.

Slade's single eye scanned the area as he stepped over Bob's dead body as it disintegrated to ashes. Bert's body also slowly disintegrated to ashes, leaving his clothes behind. Slade's gaze turned to Ryuki, "I never thought you had it in you, Knight of Dragons, but it seems that I've underestimated you my boy."

"I'm not here to impress you," Ryuki growled. He reached for his DRA-Phone, but he forgot that he left it at the Tower. He stared up at the criminal mastermind, "What do you want?"

"Simple really, Ryuki, can I call you Ryuki?"

"No."

"Well then, I'm here to look for…" Slade paused, "An apprentice."

Ryuki's eyes widened before he regained his composure, "I thought you already have one; my sister Kat."

"Yes, and she has been a wonderful apprentice if I do say so myself. However, a man like myself has needs for more…resources. Why settle for one when you can have both?" Slade eyed Ryuki, "Leo, my boy, I want you to become my newest apprentice."

Ryuki gasped, "NO!"

"Why not, don't you want to be with your sister again?" Slade asked.

"But…but the Titans?" I looked at my hands.

"Do you think they will accept you now, knowing what you have become…knowing what you did?" Slade spread his arms out, "Look at what you have done; you killed three men in your anger. How do you think the Titans will react? They will no doubt try to subdue you and if they see you as a threat…kill you."

"You don't know what you're talking about…Shut up! Shut up!" Ryuki shouted, putting his hands on his ears.

"Deep down…you know it's true," Slade walked closer, "Deep down, you're a monster."

"I said shut up!" Ryuki shot out an ice blast, but Slade dodged it easily by jumping onto a fire escape. Ryuki looked up and shot out a fireball and Slade effortlessly avoided from being hit.

"You lack focus, my boy," Slade produced his Bo-staff and hit Ryuki's shoulder with it. Ryuki clutched his shoulder in pain, growling. He looked up and stepped back as Slade backed him up against a graffiti covered wall. Ryuki's eyes were wide with fear.

"Let me teach you, guide you in controlling your inner beast," Slade offered, "I can give you the control you crave and all you need to do…" Slade extended his hand, "Is to take my hand."

Ryuki stared at Slade's hand and then his own blood stained one. As he was about to take the madman's hand, he heard a familiar laugh…accompanied by the roars of a motorbike. However, that laugh…that voice was unmistakable.

It was Johnny Rancid.

"Rancid…" Ryuki growled as he began to change into his Orphenoch form. He remembered what Rancid nearly did to Jinx…and he wanted Johnny to pay.

"Go, do what you must. I will be waiting for you," Slade said to him.

Ryuki nodded and ran out the alley.

* * *

Johnny Rancid laughed and howled as he raced through the streets, causing mayhem as he shot at several parked cars and building with his guns, "Run! Run away! Here's Johnny and he's back in town."

"Not for long…Johnny…" said Ryuki as he stepped out in front of Johnny's path. Johnny grinned.

"So, a stupid little kid wants to play," Johnny grinned. He revved up his engine and accelerated, "LET'S PLAY!" Johnny wanted to run over Ryuki. Of all the stupid things Johnny could've done, this was by far the dumbest.

Ryuki let out a feral roar and transformed into the Ifrit Orphenoch. Johnny in his shock was unable to stop as the Ifrit Orphenoch leapt up and landed on the bike, in front of Johnny. He grabbed the confused and dumbfounded biker by the throat and leapt up with him in his clawed hand.

The Ifrit Orphenoch landed on a roof and glared at Johnny hatefully. Johnny was so scared that he even pissed in his pants. The Ifrit Orphenoch growled and bared his fangs. He lengthened his claws and struck Rancid in the chest. The biker let out a cry of pain as the claws dug into his heart and caused the organ to go aflame. The Ifrit Orphenoch dropped Johhny and watched as the biker was reduced to ashes. The Ifrit Orphenoch, satisfied with his work, changed back into Ryuki. He heard clapping and turned to see Slade, applauding.

"Very impressive my boy…very impressive," Slade then continued, "Now, for my offer, what do you say?" he extended his hand. Ryuki approached him and took his hand.

"I no longer have anything to lose," Ryuki said coldly. It seemed that the Ifrit Orphenoch had taken over him completely. "And by the way, call me Ifrit now."

To Be Continued…

ZK Chromedragozoid: Oh no! Ryuki, I mean Draco, I mean Ifrit has joined Slade! What will this mean for the Titans? Has their friend totally been turned bad or is this just all a bad dream? Stay tune for the answer next chapter as 'Lost Paradise' Continues.


	4. PT004: Confusion

Part 4: Confusion

3 long agonizing weeks had passed since Ryuki disappeared. The Titans found out about his disappearance when they found the infirmary door knocked over and Beast Boy lying unconscious.

Ryuki had gone missing.

Jinx had gone hysterical, demanding that Ryuki be found. The Titans tried everything to track him, even using the chip that Pluto had implanted in Ryuki's neck. However, they had no such luck in finding him as he had left his communicator and the chip had either been removed, destroyed or had its signal blocked.

The worse part was not knowing. Could Ryuki be alive? Could Ryuki be dead? Jinx hoped it was the latter…she just hoped he was alright after what Shadow had told them.

It would seem that all Orphenochs suffered from a side effect of their transformation. The evolution was still quite unstable and continuous shifting between human and Orphenoch forms would slowly kill them, reducing them to ashes, which was how they found the remains of Johnny Rancid; ashes.

Also, about 3 weeks ago, the same time Ryuki went missing, the ashen remains of three men were found in an alley. The Titans instinctively knew who had done it, though Jinx wanted to deny it.

That was 3 weeks ago…and this was today. The Titans still had no clue of Ryuki's whereabouts.

* * *

Jinx was in her room, lying facedown on her bed. She had been sobbing, clearly evident from her running make up. She reached for her bedside table and picked up a framed photograph. It was a group photo of the Titans that had been taken back on Gaijo. Ryuki was standing next to her, and his eyes were on her, not the camera. She smiled at the memory as he had stolen a kiss that day. The boy she loved…the boy that had given her a choice in life, a better one…the boy who had saved her life.

"Ryuki…? Where are you?" she sniffled, rubbing the tears away. Ryuki would usually sense that she was saddened and come and comfort her. However, it would seem that he wasn't coming in through the door anytime soon. She wished that the one knocking on her door would be Ryuki. Unfortunately, it had been one of the other Titans. Don't get her wrong; the Titans were her friends, but she wanted…needed Ryuki. She placed the picture back on the bedside table and cried again.

* * *

Shadowcobra was on the roof with Raven, meditating together, or at least they tried. The past 3 weeks had taken its toll on the two hybrids. Shadow was worried about his (best) friend and despite showing no emotion, Raven was getting worried too. They knew that Ryuki's psychological state was unstable since his change and they were afraid, if they did find him, of what they would find in his place.

Shadow lowered the collar of his cloak. He had a worried expression on his face. Raven pulled down her hood, her expression matching his.

"Raven, what if we don't find him?" Shadow said fearfully.

"We will, Shadow," Raven assured him, "Trust me."

"That's what I'm afraid of, luv," he paused, "What if instead of our friend, we find a raging and evil beast?"

"Ryuki? Evil?" Raven question, "Doesn't seem like his style."

"But he has tasted evil, and he still has a dark side," he continued, "And remember those three murdered men we found three weeks ago? It was the same way we found Blood, or what was left of him anyway."

"Those three were members of the FOH, an anti-mutant group. I heard that Graydon Creed had a field day, protesting the existence of mutants. Now, he's adding metahumans and aliens to the list. After his FOH men got killed, he kept insisting that the city get rid of the Titans."

Shadow rubbed his temples, "Human prejudice…sometimes I'm glad I'm not human. To Creed, a freak is a freak, no matter if they're good or evil." Shadow sighed, "Thankfully, there was a city wide protest against him, and an even bigger one after his 'FOH Pride March'." Shadow hissed. "I hated acting as security for a bigot like that."

"We all did, believe me," Raven placed a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "And we'll find Ryuki…"

Shadow smiled, but thought in doubt, '_Let's_ _just hope when we find him, he's still Ryuki.'_

* * *

Robin was in his office, going over whatever clues they had on Ryuki's whereabouts. It seemed impossible, but it seemed that the Knight of Combustion had disappeared from the face of the Earth. Rabin hated this, since he had the same experience before…When he was younger, he had foolishly gotten tricked by Harley and was knocked out. He was then taken to the Joker and tortured, both physically and mentally…when Batman and Batgirl came…he shuddered at the memory. The therapy sessions helped, and Batman had insisted that Robin hang up his cape. However, the Boy…Teen Wonder was defiant and went out on his own, moving out and away from Gotham and ending up here in Jump, starting the Titans in the process.

The door slid open. "Robin?" a gentle voice spoke. It was Koriand'r, Starfire. She walked over to him, "What troubles you?"

"Hey Kori," he smiled at her, "Nothing…nothing really…" he lied.

"Forgive me for not believing you, Timothy," she leaned her head on his shoulder as she hugged him from behind. "You can confess that you are deeply worried for our friend, Ryuki's, safety."

"I know…but not knowing what happened to him is the worse," he shuddered, "What if…what if he ends up…"

"Do not speak like that, Timothy!" she said sternly, "We will find him and we will bring him back." She moved from her place behind him and to his side. She tilted his head so he was facing her and she leaned down, pressing her lips to his. Robin's eyes closed as he kissed back, savoring the taste of his princess.

* * *

Beast Boy was in the kitchen with Terra, making them both tofu sandwiches. Terra had a worried look on her face.

"Do you think Draco's OK?" Terra asked her boyfriend.

"Yeah," Beast Boy assured her, "He can take care of himself."

"I know, but he's vulnerable right now," she said worriedly.

"I don't think that' vulnerable' would be the word I use to describe him," Beast Boy replied. The scene where those FOH guys got killed gave him nightmares. It was almost like something that could've happened if he ever lost control of 'the Beast Within', except for the victims turning to ashes. "I mean, he's an Orphenoch and by the looks of it, he can take care of himself." He recalled what they found of Blood and Rancid…Ryuki's doing

"I know, but what if he runs into," She shivered, "Slade?"

"I don't think Ryuki will join him, Ter."

"But, what if he does? His sister did."

Beast Boy had no answer for that. No matter how much he disagreed, there was still a possibility that Ryuki would join…he shook his head. He was not gonna let THAT happen, not again, not ever…

* * *

Pluto, Blackfire and Cyborg were in the garage. Cyborg was waxing his T-Car while Pluto was working on the ZX-Riders and Z-Riders. The Dog Knight's eyes rested on Draco's vehicles and he sighed heavily.

Draco's Jet Slinger and Dragchaser…the color and power reminded him of his young friend.

"Something wrong, Puppy?" Blackfire asked, as she helped him with his work, giving him the tools he required.

"Yeah…Ryuki," he admitted, "I mean, this is just like when he ran away the first time."

"You found him, didn't you?"

"We did, but without any clues, we don't even know where to start!"

"Relax dawg," Cyborg coaxed his friend, "We'll find him."

"I hope so, Vic," Pluto sighed, "I really, really, hope so."

* * *

(Night, Jump City Museum.)

It was night and the museum was closed. Standing in front of the museum was figure dressed completely in black, the darkness and shadows hiding his face. The outer security cameras had been frozen by ice, making them useless. The figure then turned his body into sand, slipping in through the cracks of the door.

Once inside, he reached into his belt and pulled out a gas bomb. He detonated it and smoke filled out all over the room. There was a red laser grid inside and tripping the beams would set off the alarms. The figure tilted his head to the side and then, amazingly, his body turned into sand again. The sand flew around on its own accord, avoiding the beams effortlessly, before ending up on the other side of the room and reforming into the figure. He walked over to one of the display cases and looked it over.

Within the case was a necklace with a green gem embedded in the centre, a golden chain extending from the stone. He flicked his wrist and 5 claws came out of his fingertips. He cautiously cut the glass and pulled out the circular piece. He then reached inside and pulled out the necklace.

The alarm went off…Crap.

* * *

(Titans Tower)

"Titans! Trouble!" Robin called out to the assembled teens. The location of the trouble: Jump City Museum.

* * *

(Back at the Museum)

The figure's head whirled about, trying to find a way out. Security guards armed with stun guns filled the room. The figure cocked his head.

One of the security guard shouted, "Freeze!"

The figure stepped forward, revealing a teenager with messy red hair, pulled into a ponytail and wearing a black suit with red gloves and boots. On his chest was Slade's emblem inside a metal hexagon and extending from the 4 corners of the hexagon were metal cables that met in the centre of his back. On his face was a half black and half red mask. The black half was frowning while the red half was smiling. He was wearing a utility belt with Slade's emblem on the buckle.

In an ironic twist, the figure just waved his hand and the security guard was encased in ice, frozen. The others began shooting, but they all met the same fate as the figure shot ice beams that froze the guards solid. As he was about to leave, a bola flew out of nowhere and wrapped around the figure. He looked up and saw…_them_

"Sorry, but the museum's closed," said Robin. The thief snapped the bola off him and made a run for it.

"Titans! Go!" Robin ordered and all 10 Titans went on the attack. Robin took out his Bo-staff and swung it out at the thief. However, the thief leapt over the boy wonder. Beast Boy lunged as a lion, but the figure disappeared out of his sight. Beast Boy then reverted to human form, crashing on top of Robin.

Starfire, Blacfire and Cyborg fired their attacks, but the figure was able to dodge them effortlessly. The brief flash illuminated the figures masked face. The figure fired out ice beams that hit both Starfire and Cyborg, freezing them solid in blocks of ice. Blackfire got knocked down and out by a roundhouse kick.

"You ain't getting pass me!" Pluto said defiantly, drawing out his sword. Pluto swung down, but the thief put up an ice shield, blocking the slashes. He then, with effortless manipulation, turned the shield into spikes that flew at Pluto. Pluto blocked and sliced the spikes with his sword. "You still ain't going pass me!" However, the thief did get pass him and Pluto ended up stuck to the floor, courtesy of a thick layer of ice.

His next obstacles were Raven and Shadow, floating in the air. They blasted him with dark energy, but he dodged. He attacked them, knocking Raven out with a drop kick to her head and then punching Shadow in the face. He then sent out a telekinetic blast that sent both Raven and Shadow crashing into another display case.

Shadow got up and threw several shadow shurikens, but the figure generated a psychic shield that stopped them in mid-flight. Hissing, Shadow produced a solidified shadow staff and ran at his opponent.

The thief held out his hand and solidified a fire staff. The staffs made contact, crashing into each other, sending sparks flying. The thief then jabbed Shadow in the chest before jumping out a kicking at the Vampangel's back, and then following up with a flip kick that knocked Shadow over.

The figure was almost at the exit, but was stopped by Jinx and Terra. He didn't move; he stopped.

"Drop the necklace and nobody gets hurt!" Jinx said, eyes glowing pink. Terra's eyes glowed yellow as she gripped her fists, several rocks floating around her. The figure nodded and the ground began to shake, causing both girls to fall. He leapt over them, but Jinx grabbed his foot, causing him to fall. His mask fell off as well.

"Not so fast!" she hissed, bringing up a hex ball when she froze. The thief had turned to look at her and she gasped, shocked.

"Ryuki…?"

Staring back at her was Ryuki, _her_ Ryuki!

Jinx did not know what to do…so she let go of his leg. Ryuki picked up his mask and turned to face them.

"Guys, I think we have a problem," Jinx said fearfully.

Ryuki immediately shifted into the Ifrit Orphenoch and went on the attack, claws out and ready to reduce the Titans to ashes.

"Not this time," Shadow took out his Zodiac Deck as Pluto did the same. They transformed in unison.

"ZODIAC FORCE OF THE SNAKE/DOG!"

Both Zodiac Knights of the Snake and Dog ran at their former friend and drew out their weapons. Shadow swung down with his staff but the Ifrit Orphencoch ducked before ramming Shadow in the chest with a head butt. Pluto tried his luck with his sword, but the Ifrit's Orphenoch hide was too thick and then the Orphenoch slashed Pluto away with a swipe of his claws. Robin was about to order the others to attack, until Shadow shouted, "Don't! He's an Orphenoch now and what he did to his other victims, he may do to you!"

Robin was about to retort but then stopped. Would Ryuki do that? There was no definite answer.

The Ifrit Orphenoch roared and fired blue flames and ice at the two Zodiac Knights. Pluto and Shadow rolled out of the way. Pluto shouted, "Ryuki! Why are you doing this? We're your friends!" However, the Ifrit Orphenoch didn't answer, but instead changed into his hybrid form, his legs becoming double jointed and he leapt forward and tackled Pluto to the ground. Pluto threw his opponent off with a jolt of electricity and then started throwing the Ifrit Orphenoch around with his levitation powers. The Ifrit Orphenoch was dropped to the floor before Pluto changed his arms into missile launchers. Shadow drew out his SNK-Phone and flipped it into blaster mode. Both Knights aimed their weapons and prepared to shoot.

Jinx shouted, "No!"

Pluto froze and so did Shadow. The Ifrit Orphenoch froze and stared at her before turning back to his human form, Ryuki, and then teleporting away with his loot.

Beast Boy asked, "What just happened?" No one had an answer to that.

It took awhile for the feeling to sink in. They were not just defeated by anyone, it was Ryuki…They had him outnumbered and he still beat them. That wasn't the worst part as it would seem Ryuki had joined Slade…

Robin muttered, "This isn't good."

No, ya think?

* * *

(Slade's lair…not mansion. Don't get the two confused)

Ryuki reappeared in front of Slade, who was sitting in one of his makeshift thrones.

"Was your mission a success?" Slade asked. Ryuki walked towards Slade and handed him the necklace. "Excellent…were there any complications?" Ryuki nodded. "The Titans?" Ryuki nodded again, "And…did you…deal with them?' When Slade meant 'deal with them' he meant if Ryuki had killed them. Slade sighed when he received a shake. "I see…pity." Slade placed the necklace down, "Ifrit, when I decided to take you in as my apprentice and train you, I was hoping that you'd be able to take care of the Titans for me. What happened?"

Ryuki…Ifrit removed his mask, a lethargic expression on his face, "I just…couldn't do it," he answered.

"You must remember, my boy, that the Titans are no longer your friends. Remember, they even acted as security for that Creed fellow…that anti-mutant bigot," Slade reminded, "He even condemned metahumans and aliens…would you be friends with people who associated with that kind of person?"

"…" Ifrit answered, "No."

Slade leaned over, "Remember, my apprentice, that you've chosen a new life, a life where you don't have to hide or deny what or who you are…" Slade leaned back in his throne." He continued, "Having second thoughts?" Ifrit put his mask back on and shook his head. "Good, now rest, you have a big day tomorrow." Ifrit bowed and teleported away.

"Are you sure this is wise, Slade-sama?" said Kat as she stepped out from behind his throne. She had heard everything.

"I thought you of all people would be glad that your brother has come over to our side," Slade replied, "Are _you_ having second thoughts?"

"No…maybe…a little," she stuttered, "…" She continued, "I mean, by nature, my brother has a hero complex, plus he still cares for his friends. Getting him to eliminate the Titans may not be so easy…"

"Oh, I think it will," he said sinisterly, "Trust me, it will."

* * *

Ryuki lay in bed in his quarters. He took off his mask and sighed heavily. He had gone against his friend and, no matter how much he disliked it, a small part of him…enjoyed the thrill. He tried to contact his spirit guardian, but only got silence…

Since he had taken Slade's offer, he no longer heard Yaminekoryu's voice. The only other voice was…

"_Something wrong?_"

The Ifrit Orphenoch's. Ryuki looked up and stared at the full view mirror and staring back at him was the Ifrit Orphenoch. Ryuki answered, "Yes…"

"_Isn't this what you want_?" the Ifrit Orphenoch asked, "_Power…freedom_?"

"But hurting my friends…"

"_You don't need them_," the Ifrit Orphenoch interrupted, "_You're better off without them_; _they'll never understand_…"

"But…"

"_You killed 5 men…and fought against your friends. No matter what, you're a murderer and a traitor…_"

Ryuki turned away. No matter what he said, the Ifrit Orphenoch was right. He then said, "What about Jinx…?"

"_You want her? Take her…Do it now!_"

"How?"

"_By any means necessary…_" The Ifrit Orohenoch growled, before disappearing from the reflection.

"By any means…necessary?" Ryuki questioned and then he had a headache before everything went black.

To Be Continued…


	5. PT005: Duality

Part 5: Duality

( Titans Tower)

"Tell me that didn't just happen," Beast Boy begged, limping while Terra supported him, "Tell me that didn't just happen." He was in denial.

"It did happen," Terra answered, "Ryuki…he's gone over to the other side."

"No, I mean one guy did not just beat all 10 of us," he clarified. "It was 10 to one! What happened?"

"What happened?" Cyborg repeated, "I'll tell you what happened!" he yelled, "Ryuki betrayed us and he beat us because he knew each of our weaknesses!"

"But, that cannot be!" Starfire exclaimed, still shivering after being melted out of the ice. Her hair and clothes were soaked.

"Oh, please Kori!" Blackfire snapped, "You and I both know that he's gone evil!" she added, "We all saw it!"

"That wasn't Ryuki," Shadow muttered. This got the other Titans attention.

"Excuse me?" Robin asked.

"That wasn't Ryuki," Raven repeated her boyfriend's answer, "Whoever we fought, wasn't him."

"It was," Jinx said sadly, "It was him, I know it."

"But why would he betray us? I mean, if it was him!" Pluto questioned.

"It was him…yet not him," Shadow said cryptically.

"Huh?" Beast Boy scratched his head.

"I scanned his mind while we fought and all I found was a feral beast trying to take control…the Ifrit Orphenoch."

"Wait," Beast Boy held up his hands, "I thought Ryuki IS the Ifrit Orphenoch!"

"He is…and his Orphenoch side is taking over his mind," Shadow clarified.

"Say what?" Beast Boy questioned. Shadow groaned.

"Beast Boy, let me explain so you, and everyone here, can understand. Ryuki right now has what psychologists call a 'split personality', with one personality being dominant while the other one being recessive." He got a blank look from Beast Boy. "He's gone schizo!"

"Oh!" Beast Boy finally understood.

"So, his Orphenoch side is taking over?' Robin asked.

Before Shadow could answer, all the glass windows shattered, sending glass flying everywhere. Shadow and Raven erected shields to protect everyone from the flying shards.

"Not is," said a voice, "Has!" stepping into the Tower was none other than Draco clad in his black dragon armor. "Oh, and for the record, my name is Ifrit now."

Shadow and Raven dropped their shields. Shadow looked his friend up and down, "Ryuki?…Your armor?…What happened?"

"I was thinking…makeover!" Ifrit said dramatically, "Oh and forget about your friend," Ifrit tapped his head with his index finger, "He's right in here and not coming out."

"Why you…" Pluto growled, "Let him out!"

"Sorry, no can do!" Ifrit laughed.

"Ryuki…" Jinx pleaded, stepping towards Ifrit, "I know you're in there…"

"J…Jinx…?" He then started screaming, clutching his head, "NO! STOP IT! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" his armor flickered back to its red and silver color, the eyepieces flashing between red and green. Draco was trying to fight Ifrit's control.

"YOU CAN'T STOP ME!" Ifrit roared as the armor changed back to black and blue.

"I WON'T FIGHT MY FRIENDS!" Draco screamed as the armor turned back to red and silver.

"YOU DON'T NEED FRIENDS! JUST TAKE THE GIRL AND DESTROY THEM!" Ifrit shouted.

"NO I WON'T!!!" Draco roared.

The Titans watched as Draco had a mental battle with himself…with Ifrit, trying to regain control over himself and his Orphenoch side. Jinx shouted, "Baby! Come on! You can fight him!" The Titans watched, cheering him on, as the Dragon Knight's armor flickered between black and blue to red and silver, his eyes flashing between red and green.

"I won't let you hurt them…" His red eyepieces faded to green and his armor became red and silver. He let go of his head. The Titans sighed in relief, thinking that Draco had won…

They were wrong.

The green eyepieces snapped back to red as his armor turned black and blue. "Sorry Titans, but Ifrit's in control now!" He laughed. Jinx backed away, "What? Something wrong?" Ifrit asked in mock innocence.

"You're not Ryuki…" Jinx said in a quivering voice.

"I know…I'm better!"

"Well, then we're the best!" Robin shouted, "TITANS! GO!" The Titans had no choice but to attack.

"ZODIAC FORCE OF THE DOG!"

"ZODIAC FORCE OF THE SNAKE!"

The Titans charged.

Ifrit sighed, exasperated, "And so it begins, huh?"

"Actually, it ends for you…" said a new voice. Ifrit's eyes widened and he turned around.

"YOU!"

"ME!" It was Zodiac Knight Tiger and he had his axe raised up high! "SPLITTING YIN YANG SLASH!" he swiped the weapon down and the axe sliced Ifrit right in half. Ifrit screamed in pain as if his soul was being split in half, which was not farther than the truth. There was a bright flash of red and black, forcing the Titans to shield their eyes. Then, one scream turned into two.

When the light faded, Ifrit got back up, feeling groggy. He looked at his hands and grinned, laughing, "Is that all you got?"

"No…but I think he has something to say," said Tiger, pointing to another end of the room.

"Ugh…" groaned a figure in red and silver armor, "What happened…?" he looked at the stunned Titans, "Guys? What? What are you staring at?" he noticed the black armored Ifrit, "And who's he and why is he dressed like me?"

"Ryuki, meet your dark side," Tiger explained.

"Wait…It's all coming back to me." Draco groaned. "Great, another evil twin…" Draco stood up, "You and I have some business to take care of, buddy!"

"Bring it on bitch!" Ifrit challenged.

"Considered it brought!"

The Titans, except Pluto and Shadow were confused.

"Um…I'm either crazy or I'm seeing double," Beast Boy looked back and forth between Draco and Ifrit.

"If you're crazy, then it's contagious," Cyborg checked his visual scanners to see if he was seeing right.

"What's going on?" Robin asked Shadow.

"Tiger's special ability, his Zodiac Power; he can split a person to their Yin and Yang halves," the Snake Knight answered.

Beast Boy quipped, "What kind of lame power is that?" In his opinion, being able to split a guy in half, spiritually and mentally and physically, was kinda lame.

"The kind of 'lame power' that keeps the Chinese Zodiac balanced, Beast Boy," Shadow hissed, glaring at the green teen. "Without the Tiger, the powers would be chaotic!"

"But, how did he know to come?" Pluto asked. Everyone shrugged.

* * *

"There's room for only ONE apprentice in this town," scowled Kat, sliding her cell phone close before walking away into the night.

* * *

Draco and Ifrit stared each other down. The other Titans watched as the Zodiac Knight of Combustion faced his dark doppelganger. This would be a deciding match; the winner would have full reign over Draco's body and the loser would cease to exist. In other words, if Ifrit won, the Draco they knew…would disappear…and become just a memory.

"I won't let you win," Draco gripped his hands into fists. For some reason, Ifrit reminded Draco a lot of Scorpios. Could this really be the evil that lurked inside him? His dark side?

"I don't think you'll have much of a choice, little one," Ifrit said, clad in his black and blue Dragon armor. "Once you're out of the picture, I'll take over the very life you love and your friends will be all mine."

"I won't let that happen!" Draco ran forward and Ifrit ran at his opponent as well. Both fists made contact, but Draco got thrown back by the force of Ifrit's punch and slammed into a wall before falling to the floor. He looked up and saw Ifrit. Ifrit's red eyepieces glowed red. Draco got back up and aimed a punch at the doppelganger's face, but the dark Dragon Knight grabbed the fist and then spun Draco around, pinning his arm to his back. He whispered into Draco's ear.

"You don't get it, do you?" Ifrit smirked, "I am you! Like it or not, what I say will happen. You try to hide it, but we both know you're evil…deep down, that's the truth."

"No…it…ISN'T!" Draco threw the evil Draco off himself with a blast of telekinesis and then shot out a fireball. The doppelganger crossed his arms in front of himself and blocked the blast.

"You call that a fireball?" Ifrit sneered, creating a blue fireball, "THIS is a fireball!" he threw the fireball at Draco and the Knight of Combustion leapt out of the way. The fireball exploded and shattered several of the glass windows.

"Nice aim," Draco said sarcastically.

"What do you think of this then?" Ifrit flung several more fireballs at his lighter half but Draco was able to dodge each and every one of them, "Stand still!" Ifrit was growing angry, perfect. Ifrit then changed tactics and fired an ice blast that froze Draco's feet in place. Draco melted the ice and drew a card before he slid it into his gauntlet.

"Sword Vent," the Dragon Flame Sabre materialized and Draco leapt up and slashed down on his evil twin. The doppelganger looked up and the sword made contact with his helmet. Sparks flew as the edge sliced down on his headpiece. Ifrit, humiliated and angry, sent Draco flying back with a blast of telekinesis.

"You'll pay for that!" Ifrit growled.

"Cash or credit?" Draco joked. Ifrit roared and charged at Draco, creating a pair of ice blades within his hands. Their weapons clashed and sent sparks flying. They leapt away from each other and Ifrit fired an ice ray, freezing Draco in a block of ice. Draco shattered the ice off himself as a fiery aura surrounded him. Draco dropped his sword.

"I'm ready to put you on ice!" Ifrit grinned

"Bring it!" Draco pressed a button on his SB-Watch. "Axel Start Up!" he had just activated the Axel System and was increasing his speed. The red lines on his Excel Suit began to glow and turned to silver. His eyepieces then changed to red. Ifrit saw this and activated the Axel System too.

"Axel Start Up!"

The two Knights ran at each other at an accelerated and blinding speed. They began to exchange blows. They were so fast that their movements were like blurs. The Titans failed to keep track on the two combatants as they ran and fought all over the place. They fought on the ceiling, the walls and the hallways, moving at blinding speed. The Titans decided to follow them towards the roof.

Draco moved behind Ifrit and grabbed onto the Black Dragon Knight in a full nelson. Draco then flared up his feet, flying high into the air. He then did a spin in the air and flew back down towards the Tower, taking Ifrit down with him. The Titans arrived just in time to see the two Dragon Knights crash through the roof, creating a large hole. Draco and Ifrit kept going and going, crashing down, right through the Tower, creating hole after hole that led straight into the lower levels. The Tower shook as if an earthquake hit. The Titans looked into the hole and Cyborg groaned, "Aw man…it'll take forever to fix all those holes." Then a red and black blur flew back up and knocked Cyborg back. Draco and Ifrit smashed each other off one another and landed back on opposite ends of the roof.

The two Knights faced each other. There were numerous dents and scratches on each others' armors, but they still stood firm. The watches began counting down.

"3…2…1…Time Over…"

The glow of the Excel Suits died down and their suits turned back to normal.

The two then drew out their Final Vent cards. This was the deciding factor.

"FINAL VENT!"

Both Dragblacker and Dragonzer were summoned and swirled around their respective Knights. Draco and Ifrit both ran at each other, followed by their dragons, before jumping into the air. Dragblacker propelled its Knight via deep blue frost while Dragonzer propelled its Knight through red hot flames. Red fire energy surrounded Draco while blue frost energy surrounded Ifrit. They then executed their attacks.

"DRAGON COMBUSTION KICK!"

"DRAGON FREEZING KICK!"

The flaming and freezing flying kicks rammed into one another. There was a explosion of red and blue energy as ice and fire spewed in every general direction. The Titans had to shield their eyes from the explosion.

The explosion subsided and both Draco and Ifrit stood with their armors slightly smoking and with ice forming on them, surrounded by a circle of ice and fire.

Ifrit roared and ran at Draco with an ice blade.

Jinx shouted out, "Baby! Use this!" she threw the DRA-Blaster to Draco. Draco caught the weapon and looked up at the charging Ifrit. He drew out the DRA-Key from his belt and attached it to his Blaster. The barrels extended.

"DIE!" Ifrit shouted as he slashed out with his sword.

Draco quickly whispered, "Kick" into his weapon. The DRA-Blaster activated (Excel Charge) and he fired a red energy drill that pinned and immobilized Ifrit. Draco then leapt up to deliver a flying kick, shouting, "CRIMSON CRASH!" as he flew into the drill, kicking his leg out and going THROUGH Ifrit, plowing into the Black Dragon Knight via the crimson energy drill and landing just behind him.

The Orphenoch felt the sudden surge of heat going through his body, bluish flames appearing all over himself, as he knew what was coming…he had been defeated.

Ifrit fell on his back, his armor shattered away to reveal his Orphenoch form. The Ifrit Orphenoch began to disintegrate, but he wore a smile on his face.

"You are the better one," the Ifrit Orphenoch admitted as the blue flames intensified on his body.

"The original often is," Draco deactivated his armor. He turned to Tiger, "Do you mind putting him and me back together?" the Titans gasped.

"You can't be serious!" Robin shouted out, "He's evil and you want him back inside you?"

"He's a part of me, I can't change that Robin," Draco smiled as he stood over the Ifrit Orphenoch. He sighed, "I'm ready."

"This might sting a bit," Tiger produced his axe. "UNITING YIN YANG SLASH!" he slashed down and the energy from his axe swept over both Draco and the Ifrit Orphenoch. Both of them joined together and became one again. Draco looked at his hands.

"I'm whole again…"

"Good to have you back, Draco," Takada smiled.

"It's good to be back, Takada…" Draco admitted. He paused, "Guys…I'm really sorry that all this happened. I should be locked up…I mean, I joined Slade and…" Robin raised his hand to halt Draco.

"It's okay…you were confused and that was all that happened," Robin assured the Dragon Knight.

"But I…I mean I turned on you guys, betrayed you, I wanted to kill you…" he pleaded his case, "I deserve nothing more than to leave and be locked up."

"I know the feeling," Terra nodded. "And we don't blame you."

"So I'm forgiven?" Draco asked. He didn't sound too thrilled.

"Yep!" Beast Boy grinned.

"You are our friend, Draco," Starfire smiled.

"What she said," Blackfire smirked.

"But…you still have to help fix the Tower," Cyborg said firmly.

Draco groaned. There was a lot to fix in the Tower…most of it his fault.

"And, I think it'll be idea good if you went for therapy," Shadow suggested.

Jinx was just happy to have him back to his old self, so she kissed him.

Robin then asked, "Why did you join Slade?"

Draco sighed, depressingly, "He offered to help me with my control…help me tame my Orphenoch side. I only followed him because I was afraid and he told me that you'd all turn your backs on me for what I did…and for what I've become." Draco gripped his fists and his head was low, "I mean, I killed 5 people already and I was just really confused and…"

Robin halted him. "It's okay…we understand."

And the first time in three weeks, Draco genuinely smiled.

* * *

(A week later…)

Draco was on the roof of the Tower. His red goggles were worn over his eyes and his hair flew, unbound, being blown by the evening wind. He wasn't wearing his usual SB uniform. Instead, he was clad in a red gi and black sandals. His arms and body swayed in a slow gentle motion. He breathed calmly as he swayed his body to the beat of his heart. It was peaceful silences like in the early morning; evening or late at nigh that he was able to do his own brand of meditation. Sitting in a lotus position, in one place, unmoving, easily bored him. He remembered once that he even fell asleep while meditating with Raven. Like Shadowcobra (Who enjoys gardening), Draco had his own brand of meditation. Draco was a free spirit and as such, needed to move freely. Hours of sitting tended to cause the body to go numb and Draco hated feeling numb. He needed to move. His body and mind needed stimulation, slow and gentle stimulation.

That was why he was dong Tai Chi. His arms swayed around him as his legs moved in slow gentle steps. No sounds, no obstructions. He followed only the beating of his heart.

There was in fact another reason why he needed to do Tai Chi.

His anger.

His temper.

His rage.

His inner beast. (The Orphenoch inside)

All needed to be kept at a manageable level, now more than ever. He could not afford to lose control of his anger. His powers were fueled by his emotions, and anger was the strongest emotion he had. However, anger was now secondary in his heart. It seemed that there was another emotion stronger than anger.

Love.

After all, there were many kinds of love. There was the love you held for family and there was the love you held for friends. Draco was thinking about a different kind of love. Love for your soul mate.

He had fought Yoshido's attempt to corrupt him as well as the beast within his soul. He had won and received a great gift in return. With the new power he had fully taken control of Dragblacker as well as his Orphenoch side.

Tiger had left the same night he came over, but not before Robin handed him a T-Com for his help. The Tiger Knight of Yin Yang explained that he had gotten a call from an anonymous informant about Draco's situation. Who it was, they'll never know, but were grateful nonetheless.

They had gone to the lair where Slade had trained Ryuki. When they got there, they found no trace of Slade ever being there. Draco did find a small note written by his sister that said, "You owe me." Draco smiled, apparently figuring out that his sister had helped him to end his apprenticeship with Slade. Obviously, his sister didn't want him to hog all the fun for himself. He chuckled to himself and burnt the note.

* * *

(Later that night…)

Jinx knocked on the door and Draco's voice answered, "Come in." It sounded almost like a feral purr. Shrugging, Jinx entered the room after the door slid open.

Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind while a hand covered her mouth. She struggled as she was dragged to the bed and thrown onto it. She propped herself up only to see Draco staring down at her, smirking. He then crawled onto the bed and got on top of her. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, purring.

Jinx rolled her eyes, "Draco…" she moaned, feeling his tongue on her neck. Gone was the shy Draco but a more assertive and mature Draco.

"I'm more feral now, you know what that means?" he growled.

Jinx smirked. "I think I do." She moaned as he begun to kiss her bare shoulders. He wanted her in every sense of the word. He then kissed her lips. He was still as gentle as before. She remembered what Shadowcobra had told her.

_"Being more feral means that he has become more feline-like.__ He will be dangerous when angered, but he still will be quite affectionate towards you. Possibly even more." _

Shadowcobra was right, Draco was more affectionate now. He wasn't nervous or shy anymore. Draco then kissed Jinx with more fervor as he rolled them over. Now she was on top of him. His hand trailed down her waist and then he smacked her lightly on her bottom

"HEY!" Jinx jumped slightly. Of course, Draco was now more daring than ever.

Draco chuckled and then narrowed his eyes with his lips curled into a smirk. "Sorry." Of course, he didn't really mean it as his smirk turned into a toothy grin.

"Not yet, you're not!" she then began kissing him more and more. She slowly pulled off his goggles and looked into his emerald colored eyes. Draco didn't seem to be complaining. His hands traveled all over her body. The material of her nightgown was quite thin and see through, allowing him to see her bra and panties. He smirked. They would be gone very, very soon. "Wanna play…?" he purred.

* * *

The view shifts to the front of Draco's room. No one dares to enter but only listen to the sound of contented moaning as the Feral Dragon made love to his Beautiful Hex Mistress. The girl let out a contented gasp and screamed out his name before passing out from the euphoria.

* * *

Jinx murmured contently as she rested her head on her lover's chest. Draco looked down at her and smiled, stroking her hair. Both their clothes were now in a pile at the foot of the bed where they would remain until morning came.

Usually, Yaminekoryu would have something to say…but this time someone else did the talking.

((Draco)) said the Orphenoch in his mind. ((You can have any woman you want now. Your animal magnetism has increased after your transformation. Why do you continue to be with this girl?)) Ifrit asked.

Draco answered back ((She…completes me. I love her and I will continue to love her.))

((Peh!)) the Orphenoch scoffed. ((You humans and your ideas of love. I do not see what is so special about her, except that she is a wild one in the bedroom!)) he snickered.

Draco's narrowed his eyes. ((Don't talk about her like that!))

The Orphenoch became silent and Draco sighed. He pulled the pink haired girl's nude body closer to his and nuzzled her hair. She smelled…like catnip. _Okasan gave it to her_ he remembered. She would always know what could always make him go in heat and he loved her for it. _Mother knows best. _He mused. He couldn't wait for her to wake up, to take her again. He would hunger for her in the morning and he knew she wouldn't disappoint him. _Do not think of her as a bed warmer,_ he chided himself, _And__ do not think like a chauvinistic male bastard. _

He stroked Jinx's back gently. He lightly kissed and nuzzled her neck. She was small and soft. Jinx often asked why he never looked at another girl like he looked at her and why none of the other "attractive" or "popular" girls sparked his interest. He chuckled at the memory and explained that all Hasuma males will be devoted fully to their mates, the ones they have chosen. Jinx blushed when he mentioned the word 'mate' but smiled, knowing that he would always be faithful. Draco was monogamous, all Hasuma men were. There was no room for promiscuity. Well, there was an odd ancestor here and there, but he didn't want to think about it. A harem, peh!

Jinx had been Draco's confidant. Every time the Knight of Dragons hated himself for being what he was, an Orphenoch, she'd be there to console him. Human or not, Draco needed her love now more than ever. It was painful for the witch to see the one she loved in so much pain. She stroked the back of his hand and her fingers rested on the back palm.

Draco didn't have much time to live. It was unknown if he had years or mere months of his life left. All the other Titans knew that just one more transformation might just kill him. Beast Boy had jokingly said they'd save money on cremation costs, but the others didn't find it humorous at all.

Draco still hated the fact that he was no longer human. However, neither were Raven and Shadow. Starfire and Blackfire weren't human either. Possibly the only one who knew how Draco felt was Cyborg; they would talk about their experiences about waking up a 'freak'.

At least he could gloat about ONE thing. He beat the Titans all on his own. It may have been the Ifrit Orphenoch in control at the time, but it was still the same. He still apologized, but the truth was he wasn't going to let the Titans forget about how he kicked their asses.

To Be Continued…

ZK Chromedragozoid: It would seem that Draco finally learnt that his friends would never judge him for being an Orphenoch. I doubt Slade is happy about all this and if he finds out that Kat had a hand in it…Oh, and this isn't the end of the whole Orphenoch thing…not by a long shot! There's much more…much, much more coming your way. A new OC is about to make his debut in the next chap and he's gonna have some issues with our young Knight of Combustion. Just stay tune for more as ZKD VOL 3: Lost Paradise continues…

Well, if you haven't noticed, this fic is focused on Draco, as it was meant to be.

Credits to Masked Rider 555 for the Orphenoch idea…


	6. PT006: Mortuary

Part 6: Mortuary

Within a caged fighting ring inside an abandoned warehouse, stood two figures, one being a very large biker with tribal tattoos covering his bald scalp and the other figure was that of a teenager with long black hair, blue eyes, a toned body, and scars covering his torso. His blue jeans and black gloves were covered with the blood of his earlier opponents.

"Come on kid; just give up before you hurt yourself," said the biker in a very cocky tone.

"If you haven't noticed I've beaten down every opponent before you and I still have energy to spare." The teen smirked. "So I should be saying that to you."

"Fine, it's your funeral."

Seconds after the bell rang and the fight started, without any hesitation the biker ran towards his young opponent. The teen quickly ran towards the cage and climbed with lighting fast speed, he then leaped off of the cage landing behind the biker and giving him a quick elbow to the back which caused the biker to fall flat on his face. The biker quickly got back up grabbed his opponent and gave him a fierce head butt and afterwards throwing the young contender over his shoulder. The teen was left on the floor of the ring with many small streams of blood running down his forehead. The crowd roared at the sight of this.

"All hail Ox!" shouted the biker as he raised his arms in the air.

Unknown to Ox, his young opponent was slowly getting back on his feet. The crowd went silent as they saw the young man standing straight and staring at Ox with hate filled eyes.

Ox turned around and gave one look at his opponent and just crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Boy, there's no way in Hell you're gonna beat me so just go home," Ox said insultingly.

"I'll go home when you're in an ambulance," the teen retorted.

With that Ox ran towards his target and attempted to land a punch, but before he could he noticed the fist that found its way to his gut. He was stunned at how fast this "kid" punched him. Then with no delay the young fighter started pulverizing Ox with lighting fast punches and kicks.

Ox staggered back in a complete daze from what just happened. In a desperate attempt to win, Ox decided to get his opponent in a hand grapple in hopes of breaking the young man's arms. What ended up happening was the opposite as Ox's arms were broken with his bones shredding out though out his entire arm. Ox let out a roar of pain and then went out cold.

The crowd's cheers became deafening at the sight they just beheld.

"Tonight's winner and champion is MORTUARY!" The announcer screamed into the microphone.

Mortuary then walked out of the ring and started to gather his belongings. He was ready to claim his prize money until…..

"Titans go!" shouted Robin as he and the other Titans burst through the warehouse doors.

Most of the spectators made a break for it, but there were others that decided to take the Titans on. Little did the thugs know that they were going to be fighting a losing battle.

Mortuary decided to get out because getting arrested would only mess up his plan. As Mortuary got near one of the doors he noticed two Titans in particular. One of the Titans was clad in black and red. Mortuary heard of this Titan, he was the only reason for Mortuary coming to Jump City in the first place. The other Titan was one of his closest friends, a friend he fought the forces of evil with many times, a friend that was like a sister to him for the longest time, a friend named Tara Markov. Mortuary then decided to leave the warehouse and wait till the Titans were done fighting to be able to go on with his plan.

Mortuary was walking the back streets of town pondering on how he was going to get into Titans Tower and eliminate his target. Mortuary was thinking more about Draco and how he slaughtered his men. The thought of Draco filled him with rage as did the thought of every other beast like him. He was also thinking about Terra. How could Terra side with a monster like that? Maybe she didn't know or maybe she felt sympathy for the creature. Either way, he wanted to shoot first and ask questions later.

"I'll get you for what you did, even if it kills me," Mortuary said in a hate filled tone.

Back in the warehouse, the Titans won their fight against the thugs and shortly afterwards the cops came to clean up the mess. With their job done the Titans headed for home. Robin noticed that Shadowcobra…Shadow…was deep in thought about something.

"Something wrong, Shadow?" Robin asked

"Not sure," Shadow started. "I had a strange feeling back there"

"What're you talking about?"

"I felt a magical presence, necromancy to be exact. Not only that, there seemed to be mass gathering of souls, but they were fused into one."

"A mass of souls into one?" Draco interjected "How is that even possible?"

"I have no clue," Shadow answered. "I've never heard of anything like that before. Shamanism has the same effect but this was a more extreme kind."

"We'll worry about that tomorrow, it's late and we should be heading back to the Tower," Robin stated.

With that the Titans headed out.

At the Tower, all of the Titans were sleeping except for Draco who decided to get up and get a midnight snack. He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a sandwich then sat at the table. He was remembering what Shadow was talking about earlier and it was starting to scare him. A being that's composed of many souls shouldn't even exist and if it was a villain would they be able to face it?

Mortuary had finally reached the Tower and noticed that one of the lights were on. Mortuary aimed his hand at the light and his hand started to glow with a green energy which looked similar to Starfire's. The energy kept charging and he waited for the right time to strike.

Mortuary smirked "It's time."

Draco had finished his sandwich and was getting ready to head back to bed until….

KABOOM!

The living room window shattered into pieces and the force of the explosion knocked Draco on his back and surely awoke the other Titans. Draco then noticed a dark figure flying into the window. As Draco got a better look at the Tower's attacker he noticed that the attacker was just a kid his age or a little older. This attacker had long black hair and blue eyes, he was wearing blue jeans, combat boots, fingerless black gloves, and a black t-shirt with a skull and cross bones on the front. The young man drew out a gun and pointed it in Draco's face.

The young gunman spoke up "I'm Mortuary and I'll be your Angel of Death for this evening." Draco was stunned as Mortuary walked slowly towards his target with gun in hand waiting to fulfill his hunger for vengeance.

"Goodbye, kid," Mortuary whispered darkly to Draco.

Before Mortuary could pull the trigger, a wave of pink energy flew by and just slightly missed his head. He then looked to where the energy came from and saw the same group of teens that he saw at the warehouse.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!" Jinx screamed at Mortuary.

Mortuary then put his gun back in its holster and charged his Necroplasm.

"I don't want to hurt any of you, but I will if you get in my way!" Mortuary threatened them.

"You're the one who's gonna get hurt," Robin started. "Titans, GO!"

"Alright then, let's go!"

The fight started of with Starfire and Mortuary trading off barrages of starbolts and Necrobolts. Eventually, one of the Necrobolts hit Starfire and knocked her into a nearby wall. Before he could make his next move, Mortuary was pinned down from behind by Beast Boy in bear form and Cyborg.

"We got him!" Cyborg called out to the rest of the Titans

Mortuary smirked, "That's what you think."

Mortuary's eyes started to glow a bright green as he summoned the souls into his body. He then fused his soul strength into his physical strength and with that he was able to throw Beast Boy and Cyborg off of himself without much effort. As soon as he got back on his feet, Pluto already had a sword drawn and started swinging. Mortuary was able to dodge the attacks but only slightly. Mortuary could tell that Pluto had been using swords for a while, because he was having a very hard time dodging his attacks. An idea then popped in Mortuary's head. Mortuary kept dodging until he got near Blackfire. When he was near her, he grabbed her quickly and used her as a shield. Pluto was able to stop his attack before he could harm Blackfire. Mortuary then threw Blackfire into Pluto and drop kicked them both. Robin was able run up behind Mortuary and whacked him across the back with his Bo-staff. This caused Mortuary to fall face first on the floor.

"You made a big mistake by breaking in here," Robin stated as he had his Bo-staff ready for another attack.

"Your mistake was getting in the way!" Mortuary muttered out in anger.

Mortuary was then able to make his Necroplasm into an energy shield which knocked Robin back a couple of feet when it was activated. Mortuary noticed Shadow and Raven flying towards him, so he converted the energy shield into a large Necrobolt and was about to fire until….

"STOP!" Draco yelled at the top of his lungs.

The Titans stopped their attacks and Draco approached Mortuary.

Mortuary pointed his finger accusingly at Draco and demanded, "Release them from your control!"

"What're you talking about?" Draco asked with a very confused expression on his face.

"Didn't you command them to fight me?"

Draco then pointed at Mortuary, "Hey, you broke into OUR Tower and aimed a gun at ME! What else would they do?"

Mortuary retorted, "You know, they'd probably be begging me to kill you if they knew what you really are."

"Huh? Say what? What I am?"

Mortuary got into Draco's face, "Don't toy with me. You know damn well what I'm talking about."

"Er...no...not really...Do you mind explaining please?"

Mortuary screamed out, "You're Orphenoch scum!"

Draco was shocked and backed away at this statement, "How...how did you know about...about...?"

"I sensed it in your soul."

"Is that it? You want to kill me because I'm an Orphenoch?"

"I want to kill you because you killed off my team!"

All of the other Titans were shocked and turned their attention towards Draco.

Jinx slowly walked toward Draco, "Is this true, baby?"

Shadow then spoke up, "Did you kill his team?"

Draco just looked down at his hands, "I don't know...I remember killing Blood, Johnny Rancid and those FOH bastards...but that's all I remember killing."

Mortuary had a shocked look on his face. He couldn't believe that they all knew about this. "You all know what he is?"

Robin started, "Of course we do."

Starfire added, "And Draco did not do what you accused him of."

"Trust me Mortuary, you've got the wrong guy," Terra stated

"Terra, I know I'm right," Mortuary answered.

Shadow asked, "Terra? You know this guy?"

Terra answered, "Mortuary and I used to travel together before I met the Titans."

"Heh, just like Ekelo and I," Raven said

Mortuary turned his attention back towards Terra, "How are you so sure about this guy, Terra?"

Terra simply answered, "He's my friend, like you, I trust him. That's all that matters. What happened to the gang?"

"We all went separate ways after you left."

"So...why are you after Draco here?"

Mortuary was about to answer until Blackfire interjected, "Waitasec! I remember seeing you at that place we raided!"

Mortuary just shrugged, "Yeah, I have to make money somehow."

Robin spoke up, "Then we have to take him in."

Draco started, "Robin, wait." He then turned towards the rest of the Titans, "Maybe we should listen to what he has to say about me."

"You sure?" Jinx asked.

"Positive," Draco answered.

Robin agreed, "Okay...but we'll be ready for anything."

"First of all, let me ask you something," said Mortuary

Draco nodded, "Shoot."

"Do you remember things that you've done while in your Orphenoch form or do you lose all of that memory when you revert to human form?"

"The details are blurry...but they come back after a few seconds so I know what's going on."

"So you have no memory of me then?"

"Except from when you drew your gun in my face, then no. I've never seen you before in my life."

"That's strange, because the Orphenoch that killed my team also attacked me. You're telling me you remember everything from every time you've changed, so I don't know what to think."

Shadow then decided to step into conversation, "It could be a different Orphenoch." He turned to Draco "Leo, do you mind changing into your other form?"

Draco shrugged, "I guess." He was still a bit uncomfortable about changing into the Ifrit Orphenoch but shifted into his Orphenoch form anyway. "There. Recognize anything?"

Mortuary examined Draco and then came to a conclusion, "The one that attacked me looked similar, but I see a major difference."

Draco shifted back into human form. "You do? What?"

"The one that attacked me didn't have horns, but the fact is that you're still an Orphenoch and I can't say that I'm too fond of that."

"Well, if you think so, why don't you shoot me?" Draco dared.

All of the Titans gasped at this statement.

"Dude! Have you gone mental!?" Beast Boy yelled out

Draco turned around and smiled, "It's okay BB." He then turned around to Mortuary "Go ahead."

"Ryuki…" Jinx called out in a scared tone

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," Draco spoke softly to Jinx

"Why are you giving up that easily?" Mortuary asked.

"To make a point. I may be an Orphenoch now, but I used to be human and still have a soul. Plus, you said I was controlling my friends. What do you think may happen when I'm dead and that you were wrong? There are 10 Titans here minus me."

"…Damn." Mortuary muttered.

"So, can we talk like civilized human beings?" Draco paused, "Well that doesn't exactly apply to me anymore, but you get what I mean."

"If Terra trusts you then I guess I should too…for the moment," Mortuary said as he slid the gun back into its holster.

"That's good," Draco sighed. "So….you got a place to crash?'

"No, not really," Mortuary admitted.

"Why not stay here then?" Draco suggested.

The Titans had to gasp again, all except Terra.

"Draco! Are you crazy?" Robin asked.

Shadow smirked, "And you only wonder this now?" This was rhetorical question.

Pluto stated, "He tried to kill you."

Draco started, "But he's Terra's friend…"

"And a criminal," Robin finished.

"I just think that he could stay and see for himself...Terra, you think so too, right?"

Terra agreed, "It'll be good to have you around Mort."

"Are you sure about this?" Mortuary asked

Draco laughed, "It's not like you're gonna sneak into my room and shoot me in my sleep!" he then paused and thought about what he said, "You won't, right?"

Mortuary laughed, "I don't think you'll have to worry about that."

"We'll make sure of that," said Robin firmly.

"Me too," Jinx said, she then whispered to Draco, "I'm gonna go sleep with you tonight, okay?"

Draco blushed, "J..Jinx?"

Pluto got in front of Mortuary, "Just remember, Morty, we'll be watchin you."

Cyborg cracked his knuckles, "So don't get any ideas."

Mortuary just decided to shrug off their threats.

Draco called out to Mortuary, "Let me show you where you'll be sleeping."

The two then walked down the hallway near the living room.

Draco pointed to the end of the hall, "There's an empty guest room. You can sleep there tonight. I think that you'll find the Tower very comfortable"

Mortuary nodded, "It's already better than what I'm used to, trust me"

"Well...that's understandable." Draco then decided to make conversation, "So, you're a friend of Terra's?"

"Yeah, for a couple of years now," Mortuary answered.

"Well any friend of hers is a friend of mine," Draco smiled.

"Likewise," for some reason, Mortuary couldn't help but feel a little comfortable with talking to Draco, even though the Dragon Knight was an Orphenoch.

"Are you really okay about me, knowing that I'm an Orphenoch?" Draco asked hesitantly.

Mortuary answered, "I'm not sure," he paused, "It'll take some time to get used to."

"Believe me...after I found out about it, I wanted to kill myself," Draco said half jokingly.

"I can relate," Mortuary nodded, remembering his old gang.

"My friends were there to help me and I've been going to therapy..." Draco sighed, "Although, I don't think I'll ever be going to THAT again."

"Your friends must really care about you."

"Yeah, they tend to do that a lot. We're not just a team...we're family..."

Mortuary reached a decision, "You know what? I'm not gonna kill you. I'd be monster if I took you away from friends that care so much for you."

"I believe you," Draco yawned, "Night."

"Going back to your nightly pleasures?" Mortuary asked slyly.

Draco raised his eyebrow, "Huh?"

"That girlfriend of yours," Mortuary smirked.

"Oh," Draco blushed, "Yeah."

Mortuary laughed at Draco's blush.

"Goodnight Mortuary! See you in the morning for breakfast!" Draco called out to Mortuary as he was walking back towards the living room.

Mortuary gave a mock salute, "See you then, night."

(SMART BRAIN CORP, NEW YORK CITY-NIGHT)

Kat slowly slipped into Smart Brain's secret research lab. She was using the latest in Slade's stealth tech and was using it to her advantage. She had also disabled all of the security devices. She searched for her target, or targets: The Emperor Gears.

The Emperor Gears were special devices that enabled the wearer to gain super enhanced abilities. They could also construct a suit of powerful hi-tech battle armor, similar, but more powerful compared to the Smartrooper suits or even the Zodiac Armors. The suits and weaponry were kept in the phones and made out of nanotechnology. The suits ran on photon energy. Regardless, the Emperor Gears were Kat's for the taking. Once the technology was duplicated, Slade would be unstoppable.

That is, if a certain web-slinging superhero in red and blue didn't happen to drop by.

"Drop in for some late night shopping?" Spider-Man queried, hanging upside down. Kat turned and snarled. Luckily for her, she had a mask on to hide her identity. "Let me guess…Catwoman…or are you related to Black Cat?"

"Not exactly bug boy," Kat sneered. Her eyes glowed as she grinned. She leapt up and stuck to the wall, facing him. Spider-Man raised an eyebrow, "My name's Copycat, guess what I can do?" she shot out a line of webbing that Spidey dodged.

"You can copy powers, right?" Spider-Man said as she lunged at her. Her eyes glowed green as she phased through the wall. He slammed into the wall face first.

"You know…for a guy with Spider sense, you did not see THAT coming!" Kat laughed. She phased right out of the wall and her eyes glowed green.

"Lemme guess, Ghost Powers?" Spider-Man rubbed his head.

"Got it in one," she shot out an ecto-blast that shattered a table apart. Spider-Man shot out a web line and he swung over Kat. Kat turned her claws into adamantium blades and cut through the web line. Spidey subsequently landed on the wall and crawled up to the ceiling. Kat rolled her eyes, "This is the best New York has to offer? Please…the Titans were more of a challenge!"

"You do not diss the Spider-Man!" Spidey leapt down and his foot crashed into Kat's face. Kat staggered and rubbed her face.

"Is that any way to treat a lady?" she asked.

"Trust me, you ain't no lady!" Spidey swung out a fist and dodged under it before giving Spidey's chin a violent uppercut, followed by a reverse spinning heel kick that sent him crashing into some more lab equipment.

"You're right!" she growled, "I am woman, hear me roar!" she then went over to the safe and phased her hand through it. She grabbed onto something and pulled it out. It was a briefcase. Spidey pulled it out of her hands with a web line.

"You shouldn't take what isn't yours!" Spidey shook his finger in a scolding way, "Bad kitty."

Kat snarled and took out her whip. She lashed it around and slashed Spider-Man across the face with it. Despite his Spider Sense, he still got hit and was sent reeling to the floor. He dropped the briefcase and it slid towards Copycat's feet.

Kat picked up her bounty and draped it over her shoulder. "See ya!" she flew up and phased through the ceiling, but not before spraying webbing all over Spider-Man, just to add insult to injury.

Spider-Man groaned, "Okay…this is embarrassing."

* * *

Kat was on the roof, waiting for her transport. There was a limit to her powers and flying back to Jump City right now would take a lot out of her. She looked up and a black jet came into view. "Purrfect…" Kay purred as a rope ladder dropped from the opened cockpit. She climbed up and the ladder pulled her up into the jet. The cockpit closed and the jet then flew off, turning invisible.

Inside the jet's cockpit, Kat removed her goggles and ran her hand through her hair. Some of Spider-Man's webbing had gotten into her hair. She turned on the communications channel and Slade's face showed up, "Slade-sama, mission accomplished," she reported, holding up the black and silver briefcase with the SB emblem emblazoned on the front.

"Was there any interference?" Slade inquired

"Yes," she nodded, "From a certain red and blue wall-crawler. Three guesses who and the first two don't count."

"Spider-Man?"

"Uh huh."

"I see…But your mission was still a success, am I right, Katherine?" Slade accessed.

"Yes Slade-sama," she sighed, tired, "It (yawn) was..." She yawned.

"Are you alright?" Slade asked, concerned.

"Just (yawn) a little tired…I'll be back soon, I promise. The jet has been set on auto pilot."

Slade then continued, "Well, get some rest. We can study the Gears and duplicate the technology…Just rest." Slade decided to cut Kat some slack and be slightly lenient. After all, she did risk her life to save him from Trigon's dungeon. He doubted that Robin and Terra would ever do that in her position. Kat remained loyal to the end…she was just insane.

Kat ran her hand through her long black hair and undid the braid, letting it hang down and loose like a curtain or a waterfall. She was a criminal now and when she made a decision she stuck to it. This was her life now and there was no way she was going to leave it…there was something in it…or someone.

Rose…

Kat thought of the beautiful young woman she was in love with…and hoped that they had a future together. She looked at the briefcase and opened it. Inside, there were two SB-Watches, two matching leather belts and two SB-Cell Phones. The first phone was white with a silver trim and a silver alpha symbol on it. The second phone was black with a golden trim and had a golden omega symbol on it. They may have looked like normal cell phones, wrist watches and belts, but anything made by Smart Brain was more than it seemed.

Kat had gotten the ALPHA (SBE-25742) Gear and OMEGA (SBE-66342) Gear…Also dubbed as the Emperor Belts.

Now what?

To Be Continued…

Mortuary is property of Zombi 138. He also wrote some of this chap. Thanks man.


	7. PT007: Getting to Know You

This chapter will debut another OC created by my sis. She was the one who gave me the idea for Liz the Pink Painter. Next to show up is the Pink Painter's best friend…the Enchantress.

Hopefully, the Titans East can handle her…Will the city still be standing after she shows up or will she be even more trouble than the villains themselves?

Oh, and Mortuary tells the Titans a bit about himself.

Hm…only time would tell.

Part 7: Getting to Know You

Ryuki Leonard Hasuma A.K.A Zodiac Knight Draco woke up to a new day. He yawned and stretched his body as he sat up. He smacked his lips and scratched himself. He then noticed something strange. There was a tingling sensation from his…hands?

He stared at his hands; they were grey! His hands began to disintegrate as the seconds passed. He screamed.

Ryuki jerked awake and sat up from his bed, sweating, gasping and panting. His heart was racing. He looked at his hands again and breathed a sigh of relief. He was okay, he wasn't disintegrating; it had all been just a bad dream, a nightmare. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and calmed down, inhaling deeply.

Every night, since he came back, he had been having the same nightmare. When he was told that he had a limited lifespan since he became an Orphenoch, he envisioned that he would die the same way Rancid did, as a pile of ashes. He felt the bed shift and turned to look at his left. There was his girlfriend, Jinx, stirring in her sleep, her beautiful pink hair like a curtain, pooling over the pillow. He sighed and stroked her hair. This was the reason for him to wake up every day. This was the reason that gave his life meaning, his love; his Jinx.

Jinx's eyes fluttered open as she yawned. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She mumbled something that sounded close to, "G'mornin…" When she saw Ryuki's state, she asked, worriedly, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he half lied, "I'm fine."

Jinx had known about his nightmares, he told them to her. He was afraid to die…genuinely afraid. She hugged him and purred into his neck, raining light kisses. She liked waking up next to him like this. They hadn't made love last night, merely made out and cuddled afterwards. She noted that he liked to cuddle, like a kitten. She loved him and she knew he loved her. The proof was right there on her finger. Ryuki hugged her back, nuzzling and sniffing her hair. Then she asked, "So, about that guy last night…"

"Mortuary?" he asked, shrugging, "Besides the fact he tried to shoot me, he's a cool guy."

Jinx giggled; he loved that sound. "You really do see the good in people, don't you?"

"Everyone has good in them," he said to her.

"You're right. If you hadn't seen the good in me, we wouldn't be where we are now."

"Happy and in love," he smiled, "You're right."

"Yeah. Oh, Gizmo and Mammoth gave me a call," Jinx informed him, "They're happy with their new jobs right now." Gizmo and Mammoth now worked for Smart Brain Corporation. Gizmo was in Research and Development while Mammoth was a security guard/bodyguard.

"Well, I hope the amount they're being paid with will keep them out of trouble."

"Thanks for reforming them and giving them a chance at a new life."

"Hey, they're your friends and that makes them my friends too." He saw the clock. It was already noon. "We've slept in late."

"Stay here, with me…a little longer," she pleaded, her eyes shining. Ryuki couldn't help but stare into those pink pools that looked like kitty-cat eyes. She was so cute…and beautiful. To him, being able see her made waking up every day all the worth while.

* * *

(Meanwhile, in Steel City…)

A girl dressed in a yellow t-shirt, hat, and blue jeans stepped off the bus. She had on a very heavy looking backpack. Her black hair was short and curly and she wore glasses on her eyes. She adjusted the straps on her backpack and took out a map, unfolded it, and skimmed through it.

"Let me see…" she muttered as she walked the sidewalk, "Liz said that she's right here in Steel City. Wonder where she is?"

The girl had spent the last month training and practicing her magic. She was also a Junior Operative of Smart Brain Corporation as she had an appointment with a certain Knight of Invisibility and given Junior Operative status. Right now, she was in Steel City to begin her career as superhero. Who was this girl? She was named Dilia Daisy.

She only had to find her best friend Liz Brasco a.k.a The Pink Painter. Unfortunately…she was far more trouble than she was worth. Why? You'll see…

* * *

(Back in Titans Tower, Jump City.)

Draco yawned as he walked into the common room. Jinx was sleeping in, so he let her without disturbing her. The only ones in the common room were Beast Boy and Terra.

_'The others must be training in the gym or something…_' Draco thought. The TV was on and both changeling and geokinetic were on the couch. However…Draco noticed that Beast Boy was leaning back against the couch with his arms thrown over the back, moaning, and a head of long blonde hair was bobbing up and down in his lap…

"GAR!" Draco screamed in shock, "TARA!"

Beast Boy turned around in shock as Terra's head shot up.

"What in the name of Kami-sama are you guys doing?" Draco asked, nearly screaming, still trying to figure out what was going on.

Beast Boy waved his arms around, shaking his head and face sweating, "Nothing!"

"I was just getting a snack!" she then realized what she had said, "Oh crap! That didn't sound right, did it?" Draco shook his head while Beast Boy groaned with anguish.

"Oh dear Kami-sama! You shouldn't be doing stuff like this in broad daylight in the living room!" Draco told them, while at the same time trying to get whatever image he had in his head out.

"We weren't doing what you think we were doing!" Beast Boy shouted, trying to deny everything. Draco raised his eyebrow.

"Just…just next time just do whatever it is you're doing in your room and just your room. We sit on that couch," Draco told them in a slightly scolding and disgusted manner. "And you almost made me lose my appetite."

"Right…our room," Beast Boy laughed nervously, "Come on, Terra!" he tugged her arm.

"Okay!" Terra said nervously. Draco heard a zipping up sound as he saw Terra fixing her top. The couple left the living room and into the hallway towards Beast Boy or Terra's room.

Draco shook his head, groaning. Yaminekoryu appeared in spectral form and snickered, "_This is what you get for putting teenagers in a Tower_." Draco glared at the spirit before he disappeared. Ifrit then spoke in Draco's head.

((He's right, you know…))

((Shut it!)) Draco snapped and the voice went away. Draco rubbed his temples. He looked to the clock. 1.24 PM: Lunchtime. He rubbed his hands together. "Well, time to make some lunch. I think my 'Dragon Fire Chili' will do just fine." He smacked his lips and licked his teeth. He took out a large pot from the cabinet before looking in the fridge for the ingredients. He was going to make it vegetarian since he wanted Beast Boy to have some.

In half an hour, the chili was nearly done as it boiled in the pot over a hot stove. Draco just poured in some chopped jalapeños, bell peppers of every color (red, green and yellow) and chili peppers into the pot with some modest seasoning of black pepper. He smelt it and his mouth watered. He took a ladle full of the stuff and poured it into his bowl. There was another ladle nearby, but it looked like it had been eaten through by acid or something equally potent. Thankfully, the pot was able to withstand the hellish concoction. Originally, the last time he made his special 'Dragon Fire Chili' was using his friend, Shadow's, cauldron. The Snake Knight did not appreciate his cauldron being used to make chili. So with Renia's Alchemy, they were able to make a pot that was tough enough to withstand the heat of Draco's chili.

Of course, it didn't seem that the ladles would survive though.

Draco then finished it off with a secret ingredient, which he sprinkled into the chili to give it a little more of a kick. It also increased the aroma

Mortuary walked into the living room and smelled something good. He was still dressed as he was when he arrived last night. He needed to do some shopping for new clothes.

"Hey, Mortuary!" Draco greeted. Mortuary looked at Draco with a serious expression. Seeing Draco in an apron and chef's hat didn't really look like something an Orphenoch would wear. But from what he had talked about with Terra, Draco was wacky that way. She even told him about when Draco and Shadow had a cook off and nearly blew up the entire Tower.

"Hey, Draco," Mortuary went into the kitchen area, "What's cooking?"

"Just my specialty," Draco smiled, "I call it my 'Dragon Fire Chili."

"Well…I am hungry," Mortuary shrugged, not knowing what he was getting himself into. Draco poured him a bowl of the stuff and handed him a spoon.

It was at that moment that all the Titans entered the room and saw Draco at the stove and a pot of something hot behind him. There was a reddish looking smoke rising up from the pot and some ladles that looked like they had been eaten through by something acidic. They also saw Mortuary with a bowl of….OH NO! He had a spoon in the bowl and scooped up some of the stuff before lifting it up to his mouth.

The next few moments seemed to be in slow motion.

The Titans shouted:

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" _

However, it was too late as Mortuary had the spoon already in his mouth. No one deserved the fate brought upon by Draco's "Dragon Fire Chili" and it would seem that Mortuary was one of the unlucky few.

Mortuary's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and bugged out of his eye sockets. His face was starting to turn to an unhealthy shade of red as smoke literally escaped from his ears. He opened his mouth wide and a stream of fire shot out. He screamed out, "Water! Water! Water!" he went to the sink and turned on the tap, filling his entire mouth up with water.

Draco, as if not noticing what had happened, innocently asked, "So, how was it?"

Mortuary looked at Draco with a dumbfounded and incredulous look. How could he ask THAT? "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?" Mortuary yelled out accusingly as his mouth was still slightly smoking and his face was a little redder than it should be.

Draco frowned, "Not good…?" he looked like he was about to cry. Draco was really a good cook. However, he specialized in hot and spicy dishes and being the Dragon Knight of Combustion, he had a high tolerance towards heat.

He just forgot that no one else did.

Terra and Jinx walked over as some of the others, who were still a little miffed at Mortuary for trying to kill Draco, stayed in their place and snickered at Mortuary. In their minds, the jerk deserved it.

"Mort, are you okay?" Terra asked.

"I just felt like I swallowed molten lava, Terra. How do you think I feel?" Mortuary said sarcastically and with a rhetorical question. Terra rolled her eyes.

"Forget I asked."

"You jerk, you hurt his feelings," Jinx scolded Mortuary for yelling at Draco.

"I hurt his feelings?" Mortuary remarked, "He nearly gave me third degree burns in my mouth!"

Draco felt small and wanted to dig up a hole and crawl in it and die. Jinx went over to him.

"You okay?" she asked sympathetically.

"I'm a bad cook," he looked like he was about to cry as he pulled off the chef's hat. Jinx shook her head.

"No, you're not," she disagreed, kissing his cheek, "You're a great cook, it's just that your cooking is a bit on the REALLY hot side."

"Really?"

"Really. We'll all eat it after it cools," she turned to the Titans and narrowed her eyes, "Right, guys?" Her eyes were glowing pink in a threatening manner as most of the Titans nodded, frightened of what she may do. She smiled and went back to console her boyfriend.

* * *

(Steel City)

Dilia followed the map, but still couldn't find Titans East Tower. Just how hard was it to find a huge building in the shape of a 'T'?

Really hard as she still couldn't find it. She could use her magic, but that would just spoil the surprise. Maybe if she…

Suddenly, there was the sound of an alarm and she turned to see a bank being robbed by men in black ski-masks. The men ran out and were shooting their guns, forcing civilians to duck down.

Dilia grinned. This was the perfect opportunity.

* * *

( Titans Tower, Jump City, Half an hour later…)

Cyborg and Pluto belched in a satisfied manner. After the chili cooled down, it was actually really good. Starfire was drinking out of a bottle of mustard and Mortuary stared at the alien girl strangely. He didn't make a comment and just went with it. After all, how normal could you expect a team of teenage superheroes in a big Tower shaped like a 'T' to be?

Robin then said, "So Mortuary, tell us about yourself."

"Heh, that's kind of a long story," Mortuary started, "But alright. Well the first nine years of my life are a blur, so I'll skip that. When I was about ten years old, I was adopted by a man named Vincent Harker."

Pluto instantly interjected "Wait, Vincent Harker? THE Vincent Harker!?"

"Who's Vincent Harker?" Blackfire asked

"The owner of Harker Tech, one of the top manufacturers of military tech in the world," Pluto told her.

"Yes, well," Mortuary continued, "I lived the rich kid lifestyle for a little while and then I went out on my own when I was 16. I moved to a city called Arkham in Massachusetts. I ended up getting a job at Miskatonic University as the lab assistant of scientist, Herbert West. Dr. West was able to teach me how to master my Necroplasmic energy."

"Mortuary," Shadow spoke up, "I've been meaning to ask you about your powers, are they any different from Ectoplasm?" Shadow had heard about Necroplasm when he learnt of the Hellspawns. Was there a connection?

"Yes, Ectoplasm is an energy source used only by ghosts and spirits. Necroplasm is an energy source used by Necrophytes, the extinct race from the planet Nekron."

"I have heard of the Necrophytes. They were enslaved by the Deathtrons many centuries ago as an energy source for their weapons and ships. A poor race of people, enslaved just like the Tamaraneans centuries ago," Starfire said with a sad expression on her face. Shadow's face held the same expression. He knew much of the atrocities committed by the Deathtrons.

"Yeah, I heard the story as well. It's pretty sad stuff," Shadow admitted.

"If everyone on Nekron is deceased then how did you came to be?" Starfire asked Mortuary curiously.

"I really have no clue; there are still parts of my life which are a little shady," Mortuary answered with a shrug.

"So, how did you end up meeting Terra?" Beast Boy decided to ask.

"We met at a carnival where she was working at the time. One night a couple of guys felt like being tough and decided they wanted to rough her up. Those guys ended up with some broken bones and broken pride thanks to the first Mortuary and Terra team up. After that I decided to take my leave of Dr. West for a while and Terra left the carnival. We both ended up traveling together, meeting new friends along the way and starting a team," Mortuary told him.

Robin looked over at Terra, "You were on another team before us?"

"Yup," Terra answered, "Mort and I formed the Red Wolves. We made new friends like Wyvern, Snow Blood, Bruiser, and Falconer. Then we just split after a while."

"After that I was on my own again," Mortuary started. "I went looking for work. A man called "One" contacted me and asked me to lead a team of rookie monster hunters called 'The Templars'. I accepted and we had many successful jobs, until it was all shattered by a damn Orphenoch. That monster killed my whole team. After that I ended up here."

Ryuki was silent. He could feel the hatred Mortuary held for Orphenochs when he said 'damn Orphenoch'. In many ways, Ryuki felt like that **damn** Orphenoch.

* * *

( Steel City)

The Titans East arrived at the scene of the robbery, and they were not prepared for the sight they would behold.

Cars were overturned, paper money was flying around like birds and most of all, the bank robbers were screaming and stark naked.

Liz, the Pink Painter, stared in bewilderment, "What the hell…"

One of the bank robbers dropped to his knees and begged the Titans, "OH GOD! PLEASE! TAKE US AWAY! PLEASE! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY!" he cried. His partners did the same and wailed out, "TAKE US TO PRISON! IT'S SAFER THERE!" They looked traumatized.

Venus looked away from the nudists, blushing profusely, "Just…go to the police, but get some clothes first…"

"THANK YOU!" the robbers rejoiced, "WE PROMISE THAT WHEN WE GET OUT OF PRISON, WE'LL BE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY!"

"Just GO!" Venus insisted. The police paddy wagon came and the robbers leapt in on their own before the paddy wagon doors slammed shut.

"That was weird," Aqualad scratched his head. "Usually we beat down the crooks before they give themselves up."

"Si," Mas Y Menos nodded together in agreement.

"Okay…now what?" Moon questioned.

Bumblebee analyzed, "This looks like Mumbo's work…but he's in prison, right?"

"One way to find out," Speedy marched towards the paddy wagon and knocked on the door. "Hey, who did this to you guys?"

One of the crooks answered, "Some crazy chick in yellow! She's crazy man and…" he saw something and paled, "HOLY SHIT! DRIVE! DRIVE!" the paddy wagon zoomed away. Liz went up to the archer.

"So, what'd they say?" she asked.

Speedy answered, unsure of what to say, "They said something about a chick in yellow and then freaked."

"A chick in yellow…" Liz's brows furrowed under her mask and then widened. She gasped, "It can't be."

"LIZ!" someone shouted and the Pink Painter turned just in time to be tackled and hugged by a girl in yellow.

"Dilia?" Liz blinked, shocked and confused, "What are you doing here?"

"Like what I did?"

"YOU did all THIS?" Liz pointed around at all the chaos.

Dilia nodded and admitted, "I was actually trying to get them to drop the money, not their clothes, but you know I'm still practicing my magic. I think I'm getting better."

"At causing chaos? Oh yeah, you definitely got that right," Liz laughed.

"Hey, Liz," Moon zipped up to them, "You know this girl?"

"Yeah, this is my best friend," Pink Painter answered. Dilia straightened her clothes.

"Dilia Daisy, at your service, and I want to join the team!" Dilia introduced herself, "Oh, and you can call me…The Enchantress!"

* * *

(San Francisco)

Sneaking into Section 13 was easy. Once Copycat knew where the secret entrance was and how to get in, the rest was a breeze. She began her stakeout by blending into the shadows, waiting for anyone who knew where Section 13 was. After that, it was all a matter of time before she got what she came for:

The 12 Talismans of Shen Du.

Shen Du was a powerful Demon Sorcerer that resembled a humanoid dragon. He drew his powers from the same 12 Talismans that were based on the Chinese Zodiac. Oddly enough, aside from the Cat, the talismans possessed the same powers as the Zodiac Knights, the ones based on the Chinese Zodiac at least.

She could always copy all the Zodiac Powers, but her Mimicking powers had a single drawback: she was unable to use several powers at once less she overloads herself and crash like a computer as ARMS had put it. This way, by stealing the talismans, she would be able to access all the powers of the Knights without suffering from that one single annoying weakness. Plus, those powers she mimicked often weakened over time.

She waited, all day and all night, not leaving her perch until…Yes! A man was headed for the phone booth. She squinted her eyes, zooming in on what the guy was doing. It was obvious that he wasn't making a phone call since he didn't put a coin in the slot nor was he calling the police or an emergency line for the number was too long. The phone booth then spun around, replaced by another one.

"So…a secret passage," Kat purred, "Interesting…" She had memorized the number the guy dialed so all she had to do was to get a good disguise…which she already had. She leapt off the fire escape and strutted into the phone booth. She then shifted into the form of a Caucasian male, bald and wearing a trench coat over a red turtleneck and black slacks. She had taken the form of Capt. Black. The disguised Cat Knight then dialed in the number, which she guessed to be the pass code and let herself be taken into Section 13.

Once inside, she passed several members of the staff, mostly agents and scientist as well as technicians. Upon seeing her, they saluted. It would seem that this Capt. Black was a figure of authority here and, despite it all, she enjoyed it. One day, she may like to be dictator of the world.

She arrived at the vault and, yet again, used her powers, this time to phase through the titanium door. She then gazed upon her target; the talismans neatly arranged, right for the picking. She went to the podium in the centre of the room and gently lifted the glass covering the talismans and began picking each of the talismans, placing them on her belt. As she was picking the twelfth one, the vault's door swung open and she froze.

"Crap!" she hissed.

The one who had opened the door was the REAL Capt. Black and next to him was Jackie Chan (Not to be confused with the actor).

The two Capt. Blacks stared at each other, the real one dumbfounded, while Jackie looked between the two, confused. "What is going on?" he exclaimed. He then noticed, "The talismans are gone!"

Capt. Black, recovering from his shock, took out his walkie-talkie, "I need security here at the vault, stat!"

Kat shifted into her true form, her goggles glinting, "Well, looks like I got what I came for," she grinned, the 12 Talismans now attached to her belt, "See you later boys." The Snake and Rabbit Talismans glowed before she turned herself invisible and then zoomed between the two men, blowing them away.

Jackie and Capt. Black picked themselves up. Black muttered, "Jackie…is this one of those bad days you keep telling me about?"

"Honestly, Captain," Jackie nodded, "Yes."

To Be Continued…

Whaddya think? R n R, okay?

Kat is playing an active role as Slade's apprentice, isn't she? She's stealing stuff for Slade and for herself. This won't be good when Slade and Team Tartarus decide to strike again. Slade may have the Titans outnumbered with his army of robots, but the Titans now have Smartroopers for back up. And what of Mortuary, will he join the Titans?

Anyway, in my Universe, the 5th and last season of Jackie Chan Adventures hasn't happened.


	8. PT008: Brimstone

Part 8: Brimstone

The alarm blared and the lights flashed red. Mortuary looked around in confusion. Robin checked the computers and said, "Titans, trouble."

* * *

The Titans arrived at the scene, the local supermarket. Police were everywhere and doing crowd control, hanging police lines to keep the civilians out. Reporters were doing the same old thing, reporting what was going. Mortuary decided to tag along as the Titans didn't trust him enough to leave him in the Tower alone. Terra and Draco trusted him, but that was still 2 out of 11 Titans, not a good number.

Robin dismounted from his R-Cycle while the others either got out of the T-Car or dismounted from their own vehicles. Shadow and Raven were riding the Shadow Basher, Pluto was riding the Motor Majin and Jinx and Draco were on the Dragchaser. Beast Boy had been riding his new B-Ped that Pluto had given him.

"Robin, you and the others cover the outside," Shadow suggested, "If this is what I think it is; it's best if I, Draco, Pluto, Jinx, Blackfire and…" he eyed their 'guest', "…Mortuary check out what it is. We'll contact you if we need any help."

Robin nodded, "Got it."

"Be careful friend," Starfire told Shadow.

"I will Koriand'r," Shadow smiled at her.

The 5 Titans and one Mortuary entered the supermarket. To cover more ground, Shadow split the group into small groups of two. Shadow with Pluto, Jinx with Blackfire…and Draco with Mortuary. Jinx eyed the former Templar suspiciously. The guy had previously tried to ice her boyfriend, so naturally she didn't trust him. Despite Terra's assurance that Mortuary was an okay guy, time changed people…and sometimes those changes weren't so good. She wasn't empathic like Raven, but she did feel that Mortuary still heldl hatred for ALL Orphenochs. She could see it in his eyes when he held that gun of his.

"Alright, search the whole area for this monster. Whatever that attacked this place was fast…really fast…and caused a lot of panic. When you see or find it, call for backup. Do not, and I repeat, do not try to fight whatever this is alone. The last thing we want is another repeat of the 'Plasmus incident'," Shadow told them all seriously. "And no cowboy stuff," this comment was directed to Mortuary. The team nodded and split up.

Blackfire and Jinx went to the left, Shadow and Pluto went straight ahead and Draco and Mortuary took the right.

* * *

Shadow and Pluto were in the pet food aisle. Pluto was drooling at all the dog food and dog biscuits. Shadow ignored him in favor of talking to Robin on his SNK-Phone.

"What do you got Robin?" he asked. Robin's face was on the screen.

"Well, from what we got from the supermarket's staff, they said that the thing was black and looked like a dog. Sound familiar?" Robin looked like he knew something and Shadow did too.

"Yes, it does," Shadow nodded. "I'll check in again, soon, alright? Shadowcobra out." He flipped the phone close and saw Pluto still drooling at all the dog food. Shaking his head and groaning, he took his friend by the collar and pulled him away.

* * *

Mortuary and Draco were walking by the frozen food aisle. There were wall to wall refrigerators with frozen food inside. While looking for anything suspicious, the two were in deep conversation.

"What did your friend mean by 'Plasmus Incident'?" Mortuary inquired.

Draco stuck his tongue in disgust. He told the story, "Well, 4 days ago we heard there was a break in at a toxic waste purification plant. So, 5 of us being me, Pluto, Shadow, Jinx and Blackfire went to investigate. We split up and Shadow told us all to call for backup incase we ran into trouble. Being the stupid idiot I was, I ignored his advice."

"Then what happened?"

"I found the culprit…it was Plasmus."

"Plasmus?"

"Imagine a big oozing pile of puss with arms and legs…you get the idea," Draco looked ill.

"Okay…that sounds gross," Mortuary grimaced.

"No kidding," Draco nodded. "Then, since I could freeze, I decided to freeze Plasmus."

"Did it work?" Mortuary prodded.

"For about 10 seconds…and then he melted the ice and went after me. If it wasn't for Jinx…" Draco swooned. "I would've ended up as the booger's dinner."

"She saved you?"

"Actually, she blew Plasmus up with a hex. It took us days to get the smell out of our hair." Mortuary laughed. "I'm so glad you find this funny."

"Sorry, but it is." Draco tensed up. "What?"

Draco shushed Mortuary. "I think I hear something. Follow me."

* * *

Jinx looked over her shoulder anxiously. This did not go unnoticed by Blackfire.

"Okay," Blackfire placed her hands to her hips. "Out with it," she demanded.

"What do you mean?" Jinx said innocently. Blackfire rolled her eyes.

"Don't play innocent with me, Jinx, I perfected the art." She asked, "What's wrong? You keep looking back instead of forward."

"I'm just worried about Draco," she admitted.

"Because he's with a trigger happy psycho with necroplasm running through his veins?"

"A trigger happy psycho with necroplasm running through his vein, who happens to hate all Orphenochs," Jinx added. Blackfire shrugged.

"So? He seems decent enough."

"I'm just worried. Ryuki's been through a lot. He's lost friends, killed people, joined Slade…the list goes on. Now he has a guy who hates him for what he is."

"I can relate," Blackfire nodded in understanding, "Being the ONLY black haired and purple eyed Tamaranean didn't win me many friends."

"Me too…Back in India, I was deemed as an 'untouchable' by the people in my village. My dad was an American and my mom was Indian. When I was born, bad things happened and some of the villagers reacted badly to my appearance. My parents and I moved away and ended up here in America."

"Draco's the best thing to happen to you for a very long time, isn't he?"

"I don't want to lose him," tears were forming in her pink eyes. "I don't know what I'd do without him."

"Relax, it's not like he's gonna be attacked or…" they heard Ryuki scream, "Forget everything I just said."

"I'M COMING BABY!" Jinx panicked and ran towards the sound, followed by Blackfire.

* * *

"Come on mongrel!" Shadow shouted as he ran towards the direction of Draco's scream with Pluto lagging behind him.

"Hey, wait for me!" Pluto cried.

* * *

They regrouped and arrived at the meat section where Mortuary was just standing there. There was meat on the floor. Jinx grabbed him by the shoulders. "Where's Draco?" she demanded. Mortuary had a dumbfounded look on his face. He did, however, point behind her. The others looked and they gasped, leaving their jaws wide open.

Draco was on the floor thrashing and…laughing? Yes, he was laughing. On top of him was what looked like a dog…or a small wolf cub at least. Instead of fur, it had charcoal black skin and had what looked like red ancient runes on its body. It had big yellow eyes and small sharp teeth with a pair of short stubby horns on its head. The thing didn't look vicious but strangely adorable. Shadow knew straight away what it was…a Kaiser…a Kaiser cub. The little thing was wagging its small tail and licking at Draco's face.

"Hey," Draco chuckled, "That tickles!" he noticed the others had arrived, "Oh, hey guys."

"What happened?" Jinx asked. "We heard you scream."

Draco picked himself up, "Oh that was nothing. This little guy just took me by surprise." He picked the little baby hellhound up to his face, "Isn't that right boy?" the little cub barked.

"What is that?" Blackfire asked.

Pluto stated the obvious, "Looks like a naked dog with black skin and a bad skin condition."

"It's not a dog," Shadow said seriously, "It's a breed of hellhound that we encountered on Azarath. This thing is a Kaiser cub." He flipped his SNK-Phone open and called Robin, "You better get in here."

"Is it serious?" Robin asked anxiously.

Shadow eyed Draco who was cooing at the little Kaiser cub. "Seriously weird…"

* * *

The rest of the team came into the supermarket to see what was going on. Surprise didn't come close to what they were feeling.

"Isn't that one of those dogs we fought back on Azarath?" Cyborg asked, pointing at the little cub.

"Isn't he cute?" Draco was still hugging the little demonic dog.

Raven said to him, "Draco that is a demonic hellhound, not a cute little puppy."

"But look at him, he's so cute…"

Starfire's eyes went wide. She stared at it. "It is simply adorable!"

Blackfire admitted, "It's kinda cute, in a creepy kinda way."

"Don't call it cute," Terra blanched at the memory, "Those things tried to have us for lunch."

"I still have nightmares about that," Beast Boy shuddered.

"But how did it get here?" Robin questioned.

Raven answered, "Portals were opening up like crazy on Earth. Maybe this…thing...hitched a free ride here." She didn't like Kaisers that much. These things were used as guard dogs by Trigon. Brought back some really bad memories for her.

The thing hung out its tongue and wagged its tail. It licked at Draco's face. The others looked at him worriedly.

Robin asked, "Draco, you're not thinking of keeping that thing, are you?"

Draco's eyes sparkled, "Can I?" the thing licked his face. "That tickles!"

"Seriously weird," Mortuary said.

"Tell me about it," Terra greed.

Robin said, "We are not keeping that thing!"

"Why not?" Draco asked.

"Count the reasons," Raven rolled her eyes.

"We already have Silkie," Robin began.

"Not to mention Beast Boy and Pluto," Shadow added jokingly.

"HEY!" the two exclaimed.

"Plus that thing is a demon dog!" Robin finished. Draco thrust the Kaiser cub in Robin's face.

"How can you resist that face?" Draco said. The baby Kaiser's wide yellow eyes were sparkling and it whimpered in a cute way. The girls, except for Raven, went, "Awww…"

"Robin," Starfire floated and pleaded, "We cannot simply leave the adorable little animal."

"But Star…" but then his resolves were broken when Starfire administered the dreaded 'Puppy-Dog-Pout' that Kim Possible had taught her. She even went so far as to whimper and trembled her lips in a pathetic manner. No man could resist THAT. Robin let out a sigh/groan of defeat, "Fine…you can keep it."

"Yay!" Draco exclaimed, throwing the cub in the air and catching it. "Thanks Robin."

"I think I know who's wearing the pants in that relationship," Mortuary whispered to Terra. Terra giggled. Robin ignored him.

Robin then spoke like the responsible leader he was, "Remember, it's now your responsibility Draco that means you have to make sure to keep it out of trouble." Draco nodded.

"Don't worry baby," Jinx cooed (Mortuary laughed when she called him 'baby') "I'll help you take care of him."

"Thanks Jinx," Draco smiled. He shifted his attention to the Kaiser cub. He looked like he was thinking, "You need a name…how about…Brimstone?" the cub yipped. "You like that huh? Then Brimstone it is." Brimstone barked happily, licking Draco's face again. Draco laughed.

Cyborg asked Robin, "What're you going to tell the cops?"

Robin answered, "Dunno. We don't want people being scared if we tell them about a baby hellhound."

"I think I cam make up a very plausible story," Shadow said.

Beast Boy looked at Brimstone, "Y'know…he is kinda cute." He tried to tickle the cub's chin, but it snapped at his finger. "Ouch!"

Raven smirked. "I like it already."

"Well, now all we need are groceries," Draco said.

"Why?" Mortuary asked.

"I checked the fridge. We're running low on food. We need to stock up. Besides, we have an extra addition," he was referring to Brimstone. Draco volunteered, "I'll pick up the groceries, kay?"

"What about Brimstone?" Jinx asked. He handed Brimstone over to Jinx.

"Take him home. I have shopping to do," Draco said.

"I'll help," Mortuary volunteered, earning suspicious glares from most of the teens. "What?"

Robin then relented, "Okay then…let's go home guys."

* * *

Later, both Draco and Mortuary were walking out of the supermarket holding all the groceries that they needed to pick up. They were given free groceries as thanks for taking care of their little problem. They carried two large grocery bags each without any trouble.

"So, that's everything," Draco said as he went over the list in his head.

"Wow, you guys get a ton of stuff, but with how many of you guys there are in that Tower, I guess this is just enough," Mortuary stated.

Draco smiled. "Yeah." Draco then asked, "So, why did you decide to stay and help me?"

"It's simple really. I wanted to see if I could still trust you. Honestly, I really want to trust you."

Draco was happy with what Mortuary just said. Draco was an Orphenoch, which was everything that Mortuary hated, but he was willing to give Draco a chance. This was simply because he didn't want to take Draco away from everybody that loved and cared so deeply about him. Sure, Mortuary was kinda harsh with words and all, but he was still a very honorable and respectable guy.

"Hey, Mortuary," Draco spoke up.

"Yeah?" Mortuary asked.

"Thanks for trying to trust in me. Even though I don't really know you, you're already a good friend."

"No problem, kid. If I did kill you I'd have to face Terra's wrath and trust me, you don't want that."

Draco shuddered at the thought of what Terra could do, "Yeah, I can imagine." He had seen the geomancer angry…it wasn't pretty even without her powers.

"So, how did you and your girl meet?" Mortuary asked with a smirk

"Oh Jinx? I kind of arrested her," Draco admitted honestly.

Mortuary decided to laugh at that, "You're kidding me."

"I'm serious!"

"That's crazy!" The two shared a laugh.

Draco decided to ask Mortuary, "So, you got a special girl Mort?"

Draco then noticed Mortuary's smile quickly turn into a frown. Draco then thought it was bad idea to ask that.

Mortuary replied, "I used to, but we broke up months ago. It was basically my fault that we did."

"Have you ever thought of calling or getting back with her?"

"No, I don't think it'd be a good idea. Don't get me wrong, I still love her and there's a part of me that always will. I just think that we both can only move on and I'm fine with that. Like they say, "there are other fish in the sea". I'll just see what happens."

Draco decided to change the subject, "So, what do you think about the rest of the team?"

"They seem alright, I just hope that they'll get over the fact that I tried to kill you." Draco smiled.

Suddenly, they both heard a scream coming from behind the building. Both Draco and Mortuary decided to see what the problem was. When they got there, they saw a teenage girl getting mugged by a guy with a Mohawk.

"Let her go!" Draco ordered, putting down the groceries. Mortuary put down the ones he was holding as well.

The mugger brought a knife up to the girl's neck. "Leave or I'll kill her!" he threatened.

"No you won't," Mortuary said, "You're gonna let her go or I'll tear you apart!" Mortuary's hand was already close to his gun.

The mugger pushed the girl aside, "You know, I don't really like cocky people." As soon as the girl ran away the mugger showed his true form, he was an Orphenoch that possessed the physical traits of a wolverine in his grayish armored appearance.

"An Orphenoch!" Mortuary exclaimed.

At the sight of this, Draco decided to take out his Zodiac Deck and transform. "ZODIAC FORCE OF THE DRAGON! HENSHIN!"

After Draco transformed he stood side by side with Mortuary and waited for the attack. The Wolverine Orphenoch charged toward his opponents and started swiping with his claws. Draco and Mortuary jumped over the Wolverine Orphenoch and each hurled a fireball and necrobolt at him, hitting him directly. He was knocked down, but quickly got back up. The Wolverine Orphenoch then jump-kicked Mortuary and knocked the necromancer down. As Mortuary tried to get back up he was slashed in the back by the Wolverine Orphenoch.

"You son of a bitch!" Mortuary yelled out in pain.

"Not so cocky now are you?" the Wolverine Orphenoch retorted.

The Wolverine Orphenoch was about to slash again till Mortuary activated his necro shield. The Wolverine Orphenoch was forced back but then set his eyes on Draco. Draco was able to dodge and block every strike.

"Please stop, I don't want to hurt you!" Draco yelled, ducking under a furious slash.

The Wolverine Orphenoch didn't listen and kept attacking him so Draco decided to restrain him the best way he could, by freezing him with his ice powers.

"That should hold him," Draco said.

"Good. That gives me enough time to finish him off," Mortuary said as he walked towards the Orphenoch with his gun drawn out.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Draco demanded shrilly.

"You heard me, it has to be done," Mortuary said simply. As Mortuary was about to pull the trigger, Draco pushed Mortuary off to the side. "Hey! What the hell?" Mortuary exclaimed.

"I won't let you do this!" Draco said angrily. He wasn't going to let Mortuary kill an Orphenoch while he was around. It just didn't feel right with him.

Mortuary then walked up to the Orphenoch again. "The hell you won't," Mortuary stated.

The Wolverine Orphenoch suddenly burst out of the ice and grabbed Mortuary by the neck. Draco then punched the Orphenoch out of instinct, but he didn't realize that he punched the Orphenoch though the heart with his Dragauntlet.

Draco's eyes widened, "Oh my Kami!" The Orphenoch's body then slumped to the ground and turned to ashes. Draco fell to his knees and grabbed his head, shaking it in disbelief, "No, not again…" His armor disappeared.

Mortuary then put his hand on Draco's shoulder, "Hey, it wasn't your fault. You were just trying to help me."

Draco started to cry, "Mortuary, please tell me I didn't just..." He had killed, but didn't want to believe it.

"I can't lie to you kid," Mortuary said sympathetically

"I didn't want to do that…I didn't want to kill..."

Mortuary got Draco back up on his feet. "I know. Please just try to pull yourself together. Let's just head back to the Tower and I'll help you deal with it there."

"Please don't tell the other Titans," Draco pleaded. Mortuary nodded.

"I swear it. Now come on, let's go"

Draco and Mortuary picked the groceries back up and headed for the Tower. On the way back Mortuary only had one thing on his mind, '_Ashes to ashes, dust to dust_.'

To Be Continued…

This chap was written by me and Zombi 138


	9. PT009: X Marks the Spot

Part 9: X Marks the Spot

Both Robin and Shadow were in the Titans' evidence room/trophy room. Shadow had a clipboard and doing inventory on all the stuff they confiscated from the villains they faced. Shadow was looking at the Puppet King's puppet body with disgust. "What an ugly little doll."

Robin agreed, "Yeah…I still have nightmares about the time the Puppet King put our souls into small puppets."

"I think we already got everything on the list," Shadow checked the list. "Slade's mask, Control Freak's remote, Punk Rocket's guitar…" he went over the list and checked each item. "All that's left is the Red-X suit." His eyes went over to the vault.

Robin said, "It's definitely here. I put in more security measures so it wouldn't get stolen…again."

Shadow gave him a smirk, "Pretty confident, aren't we? Remember, I did have Pluto help upgrade the vault with the best of Smart Brain security tech."

Robin entered the security code, "Yeah, yeah." The locks deactivated and the door swung open. What they saw surprised them. Correction: What they didn't see surprised them.

The Red-X suit was gone.

"The suit's gone!" Robin exclaimed.

Shadow checked the vault, "Not just the suit, but the Red-X Gear as well."

Robin and Shadow shared a grim expression. "Not good."

* * *

(Amity Park-Night)

16 year old High School Junior and ghost hero Danny Phantom was flying back home after defeating some random animal based ghosts. In the thermos was a ghost cobra, the ghost vultures and a few ghost rats, believe it or not. Now known as a hero in the eyes of the citizens of Amity Park, he didn't have any problems from his family, the police or even Valerie. As leader of 'Team Phantom' Danny was going out on patrol. Oni and Valerie were out on patrol as well. So far, they didn't encounter any difficult ghosts, Hollows or anything else dangerous. Valerie did report capturing the Box Ghost…again. The Box Ghost was just too annoying for his own good.

With three heroes, 4 if counting Ember, the city of Amity Park was safe from ghost threats. With nothing else to do, Danny decided to go back home since it was past his curfew. The Smart Brain Operatives could handle the patrols for the rest of the night. He even had time for the nightly visits he paid to Sam Manson, his best friend and girlfriend. He grinned, remembering the goodnight kisses they shared. Sam Manson, although hated romance, didn't mind when he came to watch over her as she slept, like a guardian angel.

It would seem that tonight, nothing could go wrong.

He was wrong.

A red blast of energy smashed into him and sent him crashing into the asphalt. He groaned, picking himself up on his hands and knees. When he raised his head to see who had done it, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Red-X…?"

Standing over him, on top of a building, was the familiar black clad thief decorated with red 'X's and wearing a white skull mask. "Hello twerp!" he sent an X-Blade flying at Danny's head. Danny phased through the street and rose up behind Red-X.

"Desmond? Is that you?" Danny asked in confusion. He was referring to the last person who wore the mask. Red-X turned and red energy covered his hands.

"Guess again…loser!" he struck out and grabbed Danny by the shoulder, shocking him with Xinothium energy. Danny screamed and passed out from the pain before reverting to average Danny Fenton. Red-X let him drop and then pulled out Danny's SB-Cell. He dialed and sent a message to Oni and Valerie, "Come and pick up the trash," before he dropped the cell phone upon Danny's unconscious form. He pressed the button on his belt and vanished.

If that wasn't Robin or Desmond…who was that?

* * *

( Titans Tower)

The Titans were checking the security footage for anything suspicious. The Red-X suit had disappeared, meaning someone snuck in and took it out of the vault. The thief knew exactly what he was doing.

So far, they found nothing.

Pluto reported, "There's nothing. No sign of forced entry and no evidence that anyone had ever been in the trophy room before you guys."

"Well, we got to go find it," Robin stated.

Shadow nodded, "Agreed. That suit is dangerous, not just to whoever's wearing it but anyone else. With its enhanced power core, weapons and being made out of soul fiber, the suit has become more powerful than you can ever imagine."

"But who took it?" Starfire questioned.

"Someone who knew exactly how to get in, take it and get out without leaving a trace," Raven analyzed.

Mortuary asked Terra, "What's all the fuss about a fancy suit?"

Terra answered, "The Red-X suit was first created and worn by Robin to trick Slade into revealing his plans. It didn't work. Then the Red-X suit was being worn by another person stealing Xinothium. Shadow was the second person to wear it. Now, there's a guy running around wearing a weapon…the Red-X suit. It's powered by Xinothium."

"No way…" Mortuary gasped. He turned to Shadow and Robin, "And you let it get stolen?"

Shadow was about to retort when the computer screen changed. On it was Danny Fenton…an injured Danny Fenton. He seemed to have been in a scuffle. As the one who recruited Danny and his friend, Shadow suddenly asked, "Danny! What happened?"

Danny only said one word, "Red-X…" he moaned in pain.

Shadow and Robin looked to each other. Robin began, "Road trip?"

Shadow nodded, "To Amity Park." His eyes narrowed, "Let's go."

* * *

Shadowcobra and Robin assumed their civilian identities: Desmond Amakusa and Timothy Drake. Desmond was dressed in a purple turtleneck shirt, black pants, a black coat and leather shoes. Tim was wearing a red short sleeved hoodie with brown cargos and white sneakers. Desmond was on the Shadow Basher and Robin was on the disguised R-Cycle.

"Let's go," Desmond pulled down the visor of his helmet. The two of them were going to Amity Park. However, they weren't going alone.

Raven…or Rachel Roth had just walked into the garage with Starfire…or Kori Anders. Rachel was wearing black jeans with a black midriff t-shirt that had what looked like a bloody 'R' on it with a black raven perched on top. On her ring finger was the engagement ring that Desmond had given her when he proposed. It was a silver band that looked like a snake coiled around her finger and holding a diamond within its jaws. On the outside, it was engraved with Latin words that translated to, "Love you until the day I die and beyond." It was romantic in a creepy sort of way. She wore combat boots on her feet. Kori was wearing a pink midriff tank top and a denim mini skirt from Club Banana (Credits to Kim Possible) on her wrists were jade bangles and on her feet were pink sneakers. Kori went on the R-Cycle, holding Tim tightly around the waist as Rachel hopped into the sidecar of the Shadow Basher. The two bikers revved up their engines and raced out of the garage. Their destination: Amity Park. Their target: the Red-X suit and whoever was wearing it.

Cyborg was left in charge until Desmond and Tim returned.

* * *

Riding into town, Kori took in the sights and recorded everything via a video cam that Ryuki's mother had given her on her last visit to Jump City. Kori had heard rumors of Amity Park being the ' Most Haunted Place in America'. She was intrigued and wanted to catch a ghost on tape. Desmond chuckled and shook his head.

Rachel asked, "So where are we headed?"

Desmond pointed ahead to a normal looking house…with a big UFO like structure on top and had a sign that said, "FENTON WORKS" in bold green letters.

"That's inconspicuous…Not," Rachel remarked.

"What a strange structure," Kori admired, recording with the video camera.

"This whole town is strange," Tim said.

"It's been so long…" Desmond started. "Can't believe I'm here again."

"Why were you here again?" Rachel asked. He pulled the Shadow Basher over to the front of Fenton Works and took off his helmet, shaking his hair.

"I was sent to recruit Danny Phantom with a couple of Shinigami. Together, we stopped an evil plot."

"As usual."

Tim got off the R-Cycle and helped Kori dismount as well. Desmond walked up the stoop and went to ring the doorbell. He then said to his friends, "Just act casual. No need to panic anyone." He rang the doorbell and in a matter of second it was slammed open.

"GHOST!" a woman in a blue jumpsuit and a large man in an orange jumpsuit shouted and shot at Desmond with the Fenton Foamers. The half angel got soaked in green ecto-goop. He took off his shades and wiped the goop off. He smiled as charmingly as he could.

"Greetings, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton…It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Desmond greeted.

The woman pulled down the hood she was wearing. "Desmond?" she smiled embarrassingly, "Sorry about that dear."

Jack looked around and saw Rachel. Seeing her pale skin, he immediately shouted, "GHOST!" he aimed the Fenton Foamer at her but Desmond pulled it swiftly out of his hands. "Huh?"

Desmond sighed and handed the Foamer to Maddie. He turned to Jack, "Nice to see you again too…Mr. Fenton."

Jack blinked and stared, "Desmond, is that you?"

Desmond wiped the goop off his face. "Despite being covered by ectoplasm, it's me."

Jack smiled sheepishly and his hands behind his back, "Sorry about that. You know how I am."

"More than I'd like to remember," Desmond groaned. He then motioned for the other Titans. "Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, I'd like you all to meet my friends Rachel Roth, Kori Anders and Tim Drake."

"A pleasure to meet you," Tim said politely.

"Yeah, what he said," Rachel said.

"I am happy to meet your acquaintances," Kori said brightly.

Maddie smiled, "Oh, the pleasure is all ours. Come in." she turned to Desmond, "You need to get yourself cleaned up."

Desmond snapped his fingers and the shadows swept over his body, cleaning the goop off him. "Done."

Jack grinned, "I gotta learn how to do _that_!"

The Titans went into the Fentons' home, where Jazz was in the living room reading. The college freshman saw Desmond and immediately smiled, "Hey, Desmond."

"It's been a long time, Jazz," Desmond nodded, acknowledging her.

"I see you brought friends," Jazz noticed. She also noticed how close Rachel and Desmond were, "And something more." Desmond knew what she was implying and blushed. He introduced his friends to Jazz; Kori hugged her, almost breaking her back.

Desmond asked in concern, "Is Danny alright?"

Jazz pointed to the stairs, "He's in his room. When Valerie and Ryan found him, he looked pretty beaten up." Desmond nodded thanks.

"Let's go," he said to the other Titans and they went up to Danny's room. When they opened the door, they saw Tucker, Sam, Ryan, Amber (Ember) and Valerie were already there. Amber had bright red hair and fair skin as opposed to her normal snow white skin and fiery blue hair. Those gigais were something else as Desmond once admitted. Danny was in bed with some bandages wrapped around his body under his shirt.

Danny said weakly, "Hey Desmond."

Desmond went over, "What happened?" Meanwhile, the teens introduced themselves.

Danny replied, "I was out on patrol last night and got attacked…" he said slowly, not believing it himself, "by Red-X."

"I was right," Desmond hissed. "Somebody did steal the suit."

Rachel added, "Somebody smart enough to steal it and dumb enough to take it out on a joyride."

"Question is, who?" Tim questioned.

Desmond threw something to Tucker, "Here Tucker; a present for you." It was a Smart Brain PDA, one of the latest models. Tucker's eyes widened.

"But this won't come out in the market until two months from now!"

"I have connections, remember?" Desmond smirked.

Sam tried to get everyone's attention, "We have to focus here. Somebody is out there wearing a literal weapon on his body."

Valerie then said, "But how? We don't have any suspects."

While they were pondering this, a 14 year old girl with black hair in a ponytail, wearing a blue hooded shirt and red pants walked into the room, "I'm back!" she was Danielle Fenton, Danny's clone/cousin and now adopted sister. She preferred to be called Danni of course. She looked exactly like Danny, if he was a girl.

Danny said sternly, "Where were you?"

"I was at the Nasty Burger with Devlin," Danni said smiling. Desmond raised an eyebrow after hearing his brother's name. Danni then called out, "Come on up Dev!"

Appearing next to Danni was a teen boy, 15 years old with jet black hair. He had pale skin and his hair was short, except for the bangs that covered the right half of his face. He was wearing a black buttoned shirt with white pants, black leather shoes and white gloves. He also had on a white vest and newsboy cap. He wore round rimmed shades like his brother. He was holding a black guitar case with stickers of countries he had been to. He noticed his brother and smiled. "Good afternoon, Onii-sama. I didn't know you were coming here."

"Good afternoon to you too, Devlin," Desmond smiled. Danni looked back and forth between the two Amakusa brothers. Devlin placed a kiss to her cheek and Danny glared. Almost everyone noticed this. Desmond suspected that Danny didn't exactly like Devlin.

Devlin noticed Kori and Rachel. Immediately, he walked into the room and greeted them with a kiss to their hands. Kori blushed while Rachel raised an eyebrow. Tim gritted his teeth. He said charmingly, "What fine specimens of the fairer sex, flowers of the most beautiful kind."

Kori blushed, "Why thank you Devlin."

Nearly everyone in the room rolled their eyes. "Here we go again," Sam said.

"What's the matter?" Tim asked.

"He says this to all the girls," Valerie began, "Before…" she trailed off.

"Before what?" Tim asked.

"You'll see," Tucker smiled.

Devlin kneeled down and popped open his guitar case. Instead of a guitar, it was filled to the brim with makeup, cosmetics and all the essentials of a good makeup artist. He pulled out what he needed and stated, "Ultimate Makeup." Time seemed to stop for the two female Titans as Devlin did his magic. His hands were so soft and gentle. "Done." He showed them a hand mirror. "What do you think?"

When Kori and Rachel turned, the boys' jaws fell. Tim's eyes bugged out. "Woah." Desmond smirked.

Kori and Rachel's beauty seemed to have been enhanced, if that was even possible. Kori winked and Rachel smirked. Desmond and Tim both found themselves blushing.

"Wow…"

Devlin smirked and closed his makeup kit. "My work here is done." Danni hooked arms with Devlin and leaned her head on his shoulder. Danny glowered. Devlin then said, "You look like you were beaten up…Daniel…"

Danny growled, "Yeah…imagine that."

Desmond and Rachel noticed the animosity between the halfa and the youngest Amakusa sibling. Their empathic senses picked up on Danny's intense dislike and Devlin's enjoyment of seeing Danny's pain.

Desmond then said, "How have you been Devlin?"

"Very fine Onii-sama. When I first moved here, I didn't think I would ever fit in. It would seem I was wrong," Devlin said with a smile.

"He wowed all the girls at school with his makeup skills," Sam informed. "He's now one of the most popular guys in school. All the girls want him to do their makeup."

Devlin placed his hand to his chest, "My only dream is to bring beauty to the world. Women are like delicate flowers and I am the gardener that can bring out their hidden beauty with my magic fingers."

"He's not very modest, is he?" Rachel whispered to Desmond. He shook his head.

Amber then said, "Well, whoever did this, the dipstick is going down." She punched her fist into her hand.

"Nobody hurts a friend of mine and gets away with it," Ryan added.

"What are you all talking about?" Devlin asked, interested. Desmond directed him and Danni out.

"Sorry, Devlin," Desmond started to close the door, "Smart Brain Operatives only." The door shut.

Danni huffed, "What was all that about? Operatives only…I got powers too!"

Devlin placed comforting hands on his girlfriend's shoulders, "And you're very good at using them darling. However, let us leave to allow them to have their fun." He turned her and pressed her against the wall. "We can have our own _fun._" He smirked. Danni blushed and closed her eyes, feeling his loving lips on hers.

* * *

Desmond looked at the door suspiciously. He felt something off about his little brother. He could've been a little paranoid…but what if… Nah, couldn't it?

Right now, they had to find the suit and whoever was wearing it before anyone else got hurt.

"So, you think it could be Technus?" Tucker suggested.

Desmond shrugged. "I seriously doubt that." He saw the blank looks of the Titans. "Nikolai Technus is a ghost who can control technology," he explained. He continued, "I don't think it's him. Knowing how egotistical he is, he'd try to control the whole Tower, not just steal a state of the art suit made for stealth and combat."

Amber pointed out, "Besides, you'd probably hear him rant and ramble while he was stealing the suit. The guy gloats way too much."

"So we don't have any suspects?" Danny asked.

Desmond's eyes went over to the door, "Maybe…"

* * *

( Jump City junkyard)

Pluto, Cyborg and Beast Boy were in the junkyard. Beast Boy, with his strong sense of smell, wiggled his nose disdainfully and stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Man, this place reeks!" Beast Boy complained.

"Now you know how we feel about that tofu smell you carry around," Cyborg joked.

"Dude, I do not smell like tofu!" Beast Boy snapped angrily.

"Not most of the time anyway," Pluto spoke up as he was looking through garbage. Beast Boy groaned while Cyborg chuckled. "The smell's even worse after you eat a double bean burrito."

"What are we doing here, anyway?" Beast Boy asked as he kicked an empty can away.

"What else?" Pluto picked up a rusted exhaust pipe and threw it over his shoulder after inspecting it. "Spare parts."

"But why not buy the spare parts? It'll be a whole lot easier than wading through garbage. Ugh, I think I stepped on something gooey and gross."

Cyborg said to his green elf friend, "You'd be surprised of the stuff people throw in the garbage these days. Besides, this is kinda fun."

"Yeah, fun…" Beast Boy commented sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

As Pluto was examining an engine of an old corvette, he noticed something shining on top of a large hill of garbage. Curious, the Dog Knight levitated to take a closer look. He gasped in surprised, despite himself.

"GUYS! CHECK THIS OUT!" Pluto shouted to his two friends. Cyborg and Beast Boy turned their attention towards Pluto who was carrying something down. It was covered in a lot of dust. The thing was shaped like coffin, but seemed more pod-like in appearance.

"What is it?" Cyborg asked.

"If I did, I would have an answer by now," Pluto looked it over, "Looks pretty old."

"No kidding," Beast Boy sniffed. Pluto was looking it over, "Hm…Plutes, you sure we should be messing with that thing? We don't even know what it is." Beast Boy wiped some of the dust off the object and let out a gasp. Staring back at him was a familiar red symbol in the shape of a canine's face. "Guys..."

"Huh?" Pluto and Cyborg looked at Beast Boy. All of a sudden, the unidentified object started shaking, coming back to life. The dust expelled itself from the thing like the thing had the identical static charge as the dust. "What is it?" Pluto asked and the thing answered in a computerized voice.

"Commence scanning for compatible life forms…" A hatch opened and an antenna rose up before it did a sweep over the area, scanning with a red scanning beam. It swept over the trio and then went around again, scanning over a flock of crows. The antennae then went back into the machine before the hatch closed. "Commence DNA replication…Replication complete…Begin activation…" The machine, now revealed as an alien pod, suddenly began opening up…and out came up…a large crow. The trio, in their surprise, fell back on their butts. The crow looked at them curiously, cocking its head at them before preening its wings.

"We…uh…come in peace?" Beast Boy said pathetically, waving, as Pluto and Cyborg stared. "What? It's what they do in the movies."

The crow let out a squawk before shouting out, in a female voice, "Blackbird-MAXIMIZE!" The crow started to transform into a humanoid shape. The legs moved up, one on each side of the body as a pair of humanoid legs popped out from where the bird ones were. The birds legs lengthened into arms and the talons became hands. The crow's head moved down over the chest as the wings moved to the back. Finally, a head with a crow head shaped helmet popped out of the spot between the shoulders. The humanoid was black with copper armor on the upper arms and legs. The face was copper in color with a pair of red eyes. The humanoid appeared feminine and thin. Blackbird stretched her arms and cracked her neck. "By Primus, I thought I would never get out of that stasis pod!" she looked over at the three, "Oh hi. Blackbird's my name, don't wear it out." The same red symbol that was on the pod was also on her helmet.

"You're a…" Pluto began. "You're a Sabretron." Pluto managed to say. Blackbird winked at him.

"You got that right," Blackbird smiled. "So, you boys mind telling me which planet I'm on and what year it is? How long have I been in there?"

Beast Boy, Cyborg and Pluto looked at each other. They then eyed the pod. "We need to see Fixit," Cyborg said.

"And call DT," Beast Boy added.

"Ditto," Pluto agreed.

* * *

( Amity Park-The Nasty Burger)

Rachel had used her powers to heal Danny and now the halfa was as good as new. The meeting was short but straight to the point. Tonight, the 10 to of them, Team Phantom and Teen Titans, were going out on a stakeout. This new Red-X was after Danny for a reason, so they were going provide the bait (Danny) and catch Red-X red handed, but what to do until then?

That was why the 10 of them were having lunch at the Nasty Burger. Despite the name, the food was still good. The Titans and Team Phantom ate in one of the big booths since there were ten of them.

"Vic would have loved it here," Tim commented as he took a bite out of his burger.

"I can see why," Rachel said as she enjoyed a burger as well. It wasn't as greasy as the one Tucker was eating.

Desmond's eyes took the surroundings warily. This did not go unnoticed by Kori, despite putting a large helping of mustard on her burger. "What is wrong Ichijyo?"

Desmond looked her in the eye. "The faster we get out of here, the better because…"

"OH DESMOND!" said a feminine Hispanic voice.

"Oh no…" Desmond groaned as he slid down his seat, "Paulina…"

"Ex-girlfriend?" Tim asked.

"Not exactly," both Desmond and Danny said.

The popular and self centered Hispanic girl strutted towards the booth where they were. She didn't change much in the last two years. To Desmond, she was just as annoying as he remembered her. Following close was Star, her satellite. Desmond had no time or anywhere to hide. The only way he could get out of this was if he had a plan…but what?

Paulina went up to the table and batted her eyes at Desmond. "Hello, lover boy." Rachel's eye twitched. "I heard you were back in town."

"Hello to you too…Paulina." Desmond was fighting the urge to hurl. He scooted closer to Rachel.

"Say, why don't we ditch the losers and hang out?" she smirked.

"I'd…rather not." Desmond added, "And they are NOT losers, they are my friends." He placed his arm over Rachel's shoulders, "I also have a girlfriend now…Rachel."

Paulina huffed. "Whatever…" She then eyed Danny. "What about you Danny?"

Danny now had wised up. Paulina was just too shallow and her beauty was all she had going for her. Dating Sam was better than dating Paulina, ever. He shook his head. "No can do."

Undeterred, Paulina turned her attention to Tim. "Haven't seen you around; you new here?" Tim nodded. "Got a name?"

"It's Tim," Tim answered.

"How about you and me go someplace private cutie…" Paulina flirted. Kori got mad and got in her face.

"He will not!" Kori snapped.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Paulina said arrogantly. Kori hooked her arms around Tim's neck.

"His girlfriend!" Paulina turned around with her nose in the air and walked out of the Nasty Burger, followed by Star.

"I'm too good for you losers anyway!" she slammed the door as she left. Kori stuck her tongue out at Paulina.

"Glempork!" Kori said angrily.

"Good riddance!" Sam said.

"You dated HER?" Rachel asked.

"I was going undercover." Desmond shuddered. "I still have nightmares from when she snogged me."

"What an unpleasant girl!" Kori crossed her arms.

"You got that right!" Rachel agreed.

"A bitch is what Paulina is," Valerie added.

"An out of style bitch," Amber finished.

Desmond then realized something, "Paulina was flirting…with _you?_" the question was directed towards Danny.

Danny looked sheepish and Tucker spoke up, "He didn't tell you, did he?"

Desmond looked intrigued. "Tell me what?"

Tucker began telling, "It was in the beginning of the new school year. After two years of ghost fighting, Danny was ripped. Must've been all that exercise."

"I never said I was ripped," Danny said indignantly.

"Those were your exact words when you were in that towel and looked yourself in the mirror," Sam said. She earned a few stares. "I forgot to knock and I saw Danny naked from the waist up."

"You must've liked the view," Amber grinned. Sam blushed and looked away.

"Anyways, as usual, Dash was being a jerk and tried to hassle me. Well, I had enough. When he pinned me to the lockers and was about to punch me, I caught his fist and I punched him in the face," Danny bragged.

"Three times! It was amazing!" Tucker emphasized.

"He didn't even see it coming. Dash was so shocked that he ran off. Everyone looked at me and applauded," Danny smiled. "The girls even whistled."

Sam smirked, "Especially since you took off your shirt before you kicked Dash's butt."

"You did?" Desmond smirked. "No wonder the girls were whistling."

"Must've thought you were hot," Ryan added jokingly.

"And then…well…" Danny blushed.

"What happened?' Kori asked.

Tucker continued the story, "Our girl Sam here pushed Danny boy into the janitor's closet to make out!" He got smacked in the head by the girl.

Desmond's smirk widened, "Really?" he turned to Sam, "Never thought of you to be the hot and bothered type, Miss Manson."

"Shut up," a blushing Sam said through clenched teeth. The teens laughed.

"The biggest turn off for a bully is when the person he's been bullying finally fights back." Desmond said proudly, "You did good Danny."

"You should thank Genkai and Anna. Their training was scarier compared to what Dash could ever do to me," Danny replied.

"Even eating his dirty britches?" Desmond supplied. Everyone at the table grimaced.

"We're trying to eat here!" Ryan stated.

To Be Continued…

**SB-X913 **Red-X Gear (Prototype Model)

**SB-X913A** X-Belt: The suit is contained within the belt and can be called upon by pressing the X on the buckle. When one of the weapons is activated, pressing the button again allows it to X-ceed Charge.

**SB-X913V** X-Bike: A black motorbike with the identical design of Robin's R-Cycle.

**SB-X913D** X-Pointer: A telescope that can X-ceed Charge to execute the X-Kick. Prototype to the SNK-Double Scope and DOG-Torch. Possible prototype to Draco's DRA-Blaster.

**SB-X913S** X-Shot: Prototype to the Camera Knuckles. Can X-ceed Charge to execute X-Punch.

**SB-X913P** X-Phone Blaster: A cell phone with X's symbol on it. It can function as a communicator and also change into Phone Blaster Mode.


	10. PT010: Preparations

Part 10: Preparations

Jinx and Draco were at the ice rink in the mall. They were both in their civvies. Jinx was on the ice and trying to convince her boyfriend to do the same. Draco was looking at the ice warily.

"Come on, baby," Jinx coaxed him, "Just put one foot in front of the other."

"I can't…Jinxy-chan." Draco was already in ice skates and standing on the outside of the rink, holding on the railing to maintain his balance. It seemed that because of his fire powers, Draco had a habit of melting through ice, even in ice skates. This meant that Draco had never gone ice skating, ever. After gaining his ice powers, however, he didn't suffer from that weakness anymore. Now, Jinx was going to teach him how to ice skate.

"Just take my hands, baby," she assured him, "I won't let go, promise."

"Okay…" Draco said hesitantly as he reached out and took hold of his girlfriend's hands and she pulled him over to the ice, gliding them over the surface.

"See," she smiled at him. "Not so bad, is it?"

"You're right." He smiled

"Okay…" she pulled him further and he followed, still holding onto her hands. "I'm gonna let go now."

"Let go?" Draco panicked, "Wait! Jinxy-chan!" She let go and the boy slipped and fell flat on his face. "Ow…"

"Ryuki!" she kneeled down and helped him up. "Sorry. I just thought you had good balance or something."

Meanwhile, another couple was also at the ice rink. They were Rose 'Ravager III/ZK Aqua' Wilson and Neko Katherine 'Kat/ZK Copycat' Hasuma. Rose was already on the ice and Kat was a little bit reluctant to step onto the ice, she was holding the railings like her life depended on it.

"I don't think I can do it, Rose," Kat whimpered as she stared at the ice warily.

"Relax, Kat," she offered her hand, "Here, take my hand and I'll glide you over." She smiled, "Trust me."

Kat gulped and took hold of her girlfriend's hand. Rose pulled her and glided her over the ice, nice and slow. "Not too fast," Kat pleaded. "Okay?"

"Okay," Rose smiled tenderly as she helped Kat to glide over the ice.

"Say, this isn't so bad," Kat realized.

"Okay, then I'll let you go," Rose started to loosen her hold.

"It's slippery but nice and- (sudden pause) Wait, let me go?" Kat panicked, "Wait! Rosey-chan!" Rose had let go and now Kat had lost her balance, waving her arms around and sliding across the ice, fast. "HELP ME!"

"KITTY-KAT!"

Jinx had helped her boyfriend up and Ryuki was trying to maintain his balance. Jinx instructed him, "Just try to keep yourself balanced. Find your centre."

Ryuki's knees were bent and his stance was a bit shaky. "Okay…" he was then rammed down by a black and blue blur.

"RYUKI!" Jinx exclaimed.

Kat lifted her head and realized who she had hit, "Oh, it's you."

"Hey sis," Draco raised his head. "How are you?"

"Hey bro," Kat greeted back, "I'm fine."

"I can't feel my legs," Draco moaned.

"I think I'm lying on them…I can't feel my hands…" Kat groaned.

"They're under me…I think," Draco groaned in pain. "I wanna lie down here."

"Can I join you? It's less painful…Sides, I'm too numb to feel anything…"

As Jinx and Rose glided towards their significant others, a thought occurred to the young dragon Knights: '_Wonder how Kori, Rachel, Tim and Ichijyo are doing with the mission?_'

* * *

( Amity Park) 

It was 6 pm in America's most haunted town. While Danny and his friends were planning the stakeout mission to nab the Red-X suit and whoever was wearing it, another halfa had plans as well, and it wasn't Vlad this time.

Danielle "Danni" Fenton was in her room and sitting in front of her mirror brushing her hair. Why, you may ask? Well, apparently, she had plans with a certain makeup artist dressed in black and white. Danni sighed as she picked up a framed picture of her and Devlin together. She remembered on how they first met.

* * *

(Flashback to several months previously) 

Danni Phantom, Danni's ghost alter ego had been doing what her 'cousin' Danny had been doing with his powers. She's been traveling America, doing good deeds with her powers while trying to avoid any negative publicity. So far, she had not deteriorated into ectoplasmic goo. She had been lucky as she was careful enough to use only tiny bits of her powers. She had been lucky so far…but her luck was about to run out.

Danni was flying over Coney Island when she felt a pain in her guy. She then felt a tingling sensation and she saw that her hand was melting. She panicked and suddenly felt weak. She started plummeting towards earth, morphing back to her human form before crashing into a dumpster. She dug herself out and groaned in pain. She wouldn't deteriorate in human form, but it was only a matter of time before…before she died.

She cursed her own stupidity. If she had only stayed with Danny and his family…but then what would she do? Danny's parents were ghost hunters and clone or not, would not hesitate to blast her and Vlad wouldn't take her back even if she begged, not like she would beg. The guy was a jerk. However, anything was better than dying young…she maybe physically 13 years old but she was actually a year and a month old. She was also cold and hungry. She had been eating at homeless shelters when she stopped at several cities and small towns. However, what she needed couldn't be provided without a price. Could her luck get any worse?

"Are you alright?" said a kind voice as she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. She turned and her blue eyes widened as a blush ran over her face.

Looking back at her was a boy, probably a few months older than her. He was dressed in a white shirt with black pants. His hair was jet black and short, except for his bangs that covered the right side of his face, obscuring his features and showing off a single eye. His single eye was the color of sapphire and she found herself lost in it. She didn't even realize that he was still talking to her.

"Miss, are you alright?" he asked again. "You seem spaced out." His voice held a sort of a British accent.

"I'm fine," Danni shivered. The boy looked at her with concern.

"You seem cold and hungry," he sniffed her, "And in dire need of a bath."

Danni mumbled, "Tell me something I don't know." He then grabbed her hand.

"Come with me. Maybe I can help." He began dragging her to a car.

"Hey! Wait!" she pulled her hand away, "Let go!" she looked at him sternly. Despite the fact that he was cute, she was still going to give him a piece of her mind. "Alright, buster! You can't just drag a girl around!"

The boy apologized, "Oh, pardon my manners." He extended his hand, "My name is Kyoichiro Devlin Amakusa-Akuma." He smiled. "But my friends call me Devlin."

Danni quirked an eyebrow, "They call you by your middle name?"

"My first name is a little difficult to pronounce," he admitted.

Danni rolled her eyes and took his hand, "Danielle, but my friends call me Danni."

Devlin looked at her and he then immediately found himself blushing. Danni blushed as well before they pulled their hands away. Devlin coughed, "Well then, Danielle was it?" she nodded. "Would you like to come with me?"

Danni pondered her options. She could possibly get good food, a bath, a soft bed and finally some new clothes that she wouldn't have to get from donation boxes. She gave him a nod. "Sure." He smiled at her.

"Master Devlin!" called an elderly looking man in a black suit and tie. "I have been looking everywhere for you. You shouldn't have wandered off like that."

"My apologies Walter," Devlin said to the butler. He then said, "Walter, could we take Danielle to the hotel with us? I just met her and she seems to be in need of help." Walter smiled at his young master's selflessness and generosity and nodded.

"I shall go fetch the car, Master Devlin," Walter bowed before going towards the car. Danni blinked.

"Master Devlin?" Danni asked. Devlin nodded.

"Uh hum!" Devlin nodded. "My family owns a company called Smart Brain Corporation, one of the premier technologies companies in the world." Danni was impressed. Devlin then took her hand. "Shall we?"

"Sure." As they were headed for the car, Danni's ghost sense went off. This did not go unnoticed by Devlin.

"What was that?" he asked. He was referring to the blue wisp coming out of Danni's mouth.

Danni didn't know what to say before a ghost that looked like a big humanoid crocodile landed between them and smacked Devlin away with its tail.

"Master Devlin!" Walter shouted in distress, seeing his young ward in danger. Danni felt enraged. Her new friend had just gotten hurt by a ghost.

"Hey Freako! Check me out!" Danni shouted, "I'M GOING GHOST!" the white energy ring formed around her waist before splitting in two. One ring swept up her body while the other swept down. Her clothes changed into a two piece midriff baring suit of black and white coloring and a white DP emblem on her chest. Her hair changed to snow white as her eyes glowed neon green. Devlin and Walter's eyes widened with shock.

Danni flew into battle and punched the ghost gator across the jaw. The thing retaliated and snapped with its jaw. Danni went intangible before she was snapped in half. Becoming tangible again, she powered up an ecto-blast. "Here!" she sent the blast at the creature, but it ducked. "Oh no!" she felt herself getting dizzy and weak. "Not again…" she dropped down, but was caught by Walter before she hit the ground. Her eyes cracked open slightly. "What…?"

"Walter! Get her to safety!" Devlin commanded before pulling out some vials from his pockets and holding them between his fingers. His arms were crossed. "I'll take care of this!" Walter nodded and took Danni to safety.

Danni was about to tell the boy to run because it was dangerous, but was shocked to see the boy display great agility and reflexes while dodging the ghost gator's claws. He jumped up almost fifteen feet into the air and threw the vials at the ghost. They shattered upon contact. Danni then watched as the ghost melted into a puddle of green ectoplasm before seeping into the ground. Devlin dusted his clothes off and went to Walter and Danni.

"Are you alright, Danielle?" Devlin said worriedly. He then saw Danni's melting hand and knew what to do. "Walter, put Danielle down and fetch my potions making kit, fast!" Walter obediently obliged and did as told. Devlin stroked Danni's hair tenderly and said to her, "Don't worry, Danielle…everything will be just fine." The next few minutes were all a blank to her as she passed out from exhaustion.

When Danni woke up, she found herself in a suite of a 5 Star Hotel. She was in bed and wearing one of the bathrobes. Devlin walked in, pushing a tray of food to her. He smiled.

"You're awake. I was afraid you wouldn't make it," he said sincerely.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You're in one of the suites in the Plaza Hotel," he told her.

"What happened?" she asked him, feeling a little suspicious. He handed her a plate of muffins and sat down on the bed.

"You're a hybrid, aren't you?" he asked. Danni's eyes widened in panic. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"How did you know?" she asked.

"While I was making the potion to help you, I took some of your hair and when I plucked it, it turned black. I analyzed it and found that it had human and ghost DNA."

Danni confessed, "Yeah…I'm a hybrid. Half ghost, half human." She was afraid he would reject him, but he smiled instead.

"That's amazing! Another hybrid like me!" he blurted out without realizing it. She blinked at him, "I mean…Oh snap!"

Danni looked down at the robe she was wearing and realized that she was clean. She blushed and glared at Devlin, ready to blast him if he gave her the wrong answer.

"I know what you're thinking, Danielle, and no," he said to her, "Neither I nor Walter took off your clothes. It was my maid Miriam who did so. She also gave you a bath." Danni looked him in the eye and from the looks of it, he was telling the truth.

"Where are Walter and Miriam?" she asked, noticing that no one else was around.

Devlin answered, "They both went out to get you some clean clothes." Danni cringed. "Don't worry, Danielle, they won't get you any frilly dresses or that sort."

Danni looked at him curiously. He answered before she could ask, "From what she saw you wearing, Miriam knew what to buy."

"You're annoying, y'know?' she said to him half annoyed and half jokingly. She took a muffin and munched on it. He shrugged.

"Because I answered your questions before you asked?" She nodded. He chuckled. "I do that a lot it seems."

Danni then remembered what he had said, "So, you're a hybrid too?" Devlin froze and looked away.

"I don't wish to talk about it."

"It can't be so bad."

"It is, trust me."

"I'm half ghost."

Devlin sighed and looked at her. "Alright, but please promise not to scream, alright?" Danni smiled.

"I promise."

Devlin took in a deep breath. He couldn't believe that he was going to reveal his secret to a girl he just met. Maybe it was because he felt that she was a kindred spirit or something. She was really cute and…he concentrated and changed. His black hair changed color to bright silver, his ears became longer and pointed and his eye became red. His skin became a little paler and he had sharp fangs. Danni looked at him in shock as he looked ashamed. He told her, "I'm a Dhampir…a half human and half vampire half breed." He turned back to normal. Seeing Danni's shocked expression, he thought he had scared her. However, she wasn't the least bit afraid as she smiled widely.

"THAT WAS SO COOL!" she exclaimed. He looked at her strangely.

"You don't think I'm a freak?"

"No way! You look cool like that. I like the silver hair!" Neither of them realized that they were looking at each other for a very long time. For some reason, Danni was starting to like, like Devlin. And Devlin…he was starting to feel the same way. They blushed and looked away. Devlin was ready to reach for a muffin, but ended up touching Danni's hand. Panicking, he pulled away and fell back off the bed. "Are you alright?"

"Dandy," he replied lamely before picking himself up. "So, you have a family?' he asked. Danni froze and looked down at her hands.

"No…I don't."

Devlin looked at her sympathetically before taking her hand. She looked at him with shock. "I have an idea! Why don't you come with us? You see, we're traveling around America to see the sights. What do you say?" Danni was shocked.

"I don't know…" was all she could say. "What about your parents?"

"I'm actually traveling with Walter and Miriam. My mum and dad wouldn't allow me to travel alone." He added under his breath, "Unlike my older brother and sister." Before he continued out loud, "So Walter and Miriam are accompanying me as my guardians." That made sense to Danni…a bit.

Danni then asked, "So, how did you save me? You said something about potions, right?"

Out of nowhere, Devlin pulled a wooden box out of his back. He opened it and to Danni's surprise there were small bottles and vials of multicolored liquid kept in slots within the box's interior. "I have another secret, Danielle…I come from a family of magic users."

Danni looked at him skeptically, "Magic? As in real magic like witches and wizards?"

Devlin nodded. "Pretty much. Of course I'm a potions master in training. I'm not a spell caster."

"What's the difference?"

"A spell caster uses hexes, curses and incantations and must speak them out verbally," Devlin began before pulling out one of the vials from the box. "I, however, prefer potions; pre-made and ready to use for any and all occasions."

Danni looked at the labeled bottles and vials. There was one labeled 'Paralysis Potion', another one labeled 'Transformation Potion' and even one labeled 'Love Potion'. He closed the box and locked it with a key.

"So, that's how you cured me?" Danni asked.

"I had to work quick though," Devlin admitted. "You were melting pretty quick. Luckily I found you when I did. Or else…" he trailed off, not wanting to think about the worse that could've happened. Danni didn't want to think about it too. He continued, "So…you want to come with us?"

Danni pondered. He was very nice and…maybe she could get to know him a bit. He was kinda cute. She smiled at him and nodded. "Sure, okay." Devlin smiled.

"Oh, that's great! I hope we become really good friends."

(End Flashback)

* * *

And they did really become good friends. For several months, the 4 of them traveled together, seeing the sights and fighting the occasional bad guy and evil ghosts that they encountered in each city. Overtime, they had grown closer…A few months later Devlin had admitted that he liked her. She also told him that she liked him too. That first kiss had been magical (no pun intended) and unforgettable for her. 

When September came, Danni told Devlin to take her to Amity Park for a long overdue family reunion. When she met the Fentons and told them who she really was, while being backed up by Danny, they welcomed her with open arms and even went so far as adopt her. She had a family now, despite them being weird and ghost hunters. At least she had a family now…a real family.

But what about Devlin? Was he going to leave as well? The thought saddened and scared her. She really did like Devlin and she knew he liked her. However, he had told her that he lived the life of a wanderer. He did say that he would always be close.

He did stay close.

On her first day of school, to her surprise, there was Devlin, surrounded by girls and carrying makeup in a guitar case. He was doing makeup for the girls and telling them how lovely they were, like he had told her. She felt betrayed, but when he saw her, he went to her and kissed her on the lips, ever so slightly. He then told her that he had moved to Amity Park because he wanted to be with her. Danni, overwhelmed with happiness, kissed him back, right before they had detention together for excessive PDA.

Danni laughed at the memory, but remembered the way Danny had been glaring at Devlin the whole time. Danni had heard that Danny could be a little overprotective of his siblings, as evident from the story Sam and Tucker told her about when Johnny 13 tried to use Jazz as a body for his girlfriend Kitty. She didn't think that it would be so bad.

She was wrong.

One night, she didn't remember when but she did remember what happened, Devlin had snuck into her room by climbing through her window. He also had a guitar with him. He then serenaded her with a love song that complimented her beauty. She swooned when he handed her the flowers…right before Danny slammed the door open, holding the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick (a baseball bat with the name 'Fenton' on it). Devlin was quick enough to give Danni a kiss before making his escape by throwing a potion vial that created a smokescreen. They did go on dates, which went undisturbed by Danny, but when he came to visit her late at night, Danny was always there with the Anti-Creep Stick and Devlin would always make an escape after stealing a kiss; he was romantic and mysterious that way. She was infuriated and embarrassed by Danny's behavior, which he defended by saying he was only looking out for her. That was true, but did he have to threaten Devlin with a baseball bat?

Well, this sparked a lot of animosity between Danny and Devlin. Devlin would always booby trap Danny with his potions and Danny would retaliate with his ghost powers. It was immature, despite why they were doing it. They couldn't seem to get along. Oh well, no time to worry about that. She had a date to get ready for.

She heard the doorbell ringing. He was here!

To Be Continued…

A little fluff and into the mind of a female halfa. She must really like Devlin, huh?


	11. PT011: Stakeout

Part 11: Stakeout

While Danni was preparing for her date with Devlin, our heroes were up in Danny's room going over the plan to track down whoever was wearing the Red-X suit. There was a projector screen set up and a camera built into Tucker's new PDA (That Desmond had given to him in chap 9) that was projecting an image. It was the map of Amity Park. Desmond was standing in front of the screen and so was Tim. The others remained silent and paid attention to what the two co-leaders were about to say.

"Alright, tonight we'll be staking out the city for any signs of Red-X." He pointed to the map with a laser pointer, which was also the antenna of his SNK-Phone. "We'll split up into teams of two and each team will stakeout different areas of the city."

Tim continued, "The four teams will be me and Kori, Danny and Valerie, Desmond and Rachel, and Ryan and Amber. Sam and Tucker will stay here monitoring us from Danny's room and keeping track of our movements. Kori and I'll take the north side, Desmond and Rachel will take the south side, Valerie and Danny will take west side, and finally Ryan and Amber will take the east side." He finished his explanation.

"Any questions?' Desmond asked. There were none. "Good, we'll start at 10 o'clock tonight sharp." He noticed Danny was looking out the window. He walked over to his friend to see what was going on and soon got his answer when he looked out the window. "I see…"

Devlin had just pulled up in front of Fenton Works on a shining black and silver moped. He was dressed like he did before, but the colors of his clothes were now inverted. His shades were gone, showing his sapphire blue eye. He held a bouquet of red roses in his hand as he stepped off the moped and took off his helmet.

It was obvious that he was going to take Danni out on a date. Danny's eyes narrowed, glowing green as he gripped the windowsill. Desmond saw that this would be a good time to talk. He asked, "Something the matter, Danny?"

Danny took his attention away from the window to look at Desmond and put on a fake smile. He lied, "No, nothing's wrong." Desmond saw through his lie straight away but chose not to comment on it. He looked out the window and fixed his glasses, smiling a bit.

"It would seem that my brother is here. I see he's taking Danielle out on a date," Desmond observed.

Danny muttered, "Not if I have anything to say about it!" Desmond took note of Danny's reaction.

Danielle was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black sleeveless sweater. Devlin handed the bouquet of roses to her. She smiled and gave him a kiss. Desmond saw Danny's eyes glow at this. Maddie came out and took the flowers to put them in a vase, smiling at the two teens. Jack on the other hand came out with some fancy anti-ghost weapon, but Devlin declined. The young dhampir did give Jack a box of fudge, which the large man in the orange jumpsuit accepted, eagerly, way too eagerly. He handed a helmet to Danni and she strapped it on before going onto the moped. Devlin got on and kicked the kick stand away before zooming away. Danny's eyes followed the zooming moped.

Desmond then decided it was a time to say something to his young friend, "I see…"

Danny turned to look at Desmond, "What? What do you see?"

Desmond leaned in so that he was staring face to face with Danny. "Being a little overprotective, aren't you?"

Danny's eyes averted from his. "Me? Overprotective? No way!" he denied, but Desmond saw through his denial. Danny then admitted, "Okay…maybe a little bit."

"This afternoon, when I came over, I sensed that there was something between you and Devlin. You don't like each other, do you?" It was obvious, but Desmond wanted to hear it from Danny.

"I don't really hate him…it's just that he comes along with Danni and they're just so close and all…"

"I see…"

"Don't get me wrong, okay? I'm grateful that your brother saved Danni's life, but…"

"But?"

"But does he always have to be with her, all the time?"

Desmond sighed. He said, "Danny, I understand how you feel, and what you're feeling is absolutely natural…but stupid."

"Hey!" Danny got angry.

"Danny, don't you see how happy Danielle and Devlin are together? Can't you see just how happy Danielle is with him? I'm even more surprised to see Devlin smiling," Desmond said to the young halfa.

Danny quirked an eyebrow, "He never smiled before?"

"Not like that, I'm afraid," Desmond admitted.

"I just think that Danni can do better," Danny confessed.

"Then allow her to make that decision for herself," Desmond advised him. "Now, come on, we have a stakeout mission to prepare for."

Danny smiled, "Yeah, we do." His eyes went over to the window for a few seconds before he joined the others.

"Hey, Danny," Sam smiled at him. "Rachel, me and Desmond are gonna go to my favorite Goth café. You wanna come?" she invited him.

Danny's thought of his options, his eyes darting towards the open window. He then declined, "Sorry Sam, but I gotta go out on patrol."

Sam looked at him strangely, "Patrol? But it's only 6 o'clock." Desmond stared at him suspiciously. Danny shrugged.

"Well, you know, never too early to go out and protect people from ghosts." He turned into Danny Phantom. "Gotta go!" he said quickly before flying out the window.

"Is that normal for him?" Rachel asked Sam. Sam looked at her and shrugged.

"Not really…"

Desmond stared out the window and so did Ryan. Desmond said to the Vizard, "You know what he's going to do, right?"

Ryan nodded, "Yeah, doesn't take a genius to know."

Amber decided to cut it, "What's the dipstick up to anyway?"

Ryan replied, "You know Danny, paranoid as always."

Amber smirked, "Well then, baby-pop, why don't we go someplace private so we can rock?" Ryan returned the smirk.

"I thought you'd never ask." Desmond rolled his eyes at the disguised Vizard and ghost. Tim and Kori were going out as well. They would meet back at Fenton Works by 10 pm.

* * *

Devlin pulled up in front of the movie theatre and removed his helmet. He helped Danni off the moped and went to choose a movie to watch.

"What would you like to watch, Danielle?" he asked her politely. Danni placed a finger to her chin and looked over the selection.

"Well…there is this one movie," Danni pointed to a poster and Devlin looked at him.

"Camp of Bloody Mayhem II?" he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I love horror movies, remember?" she smiled at him sweetly. Devlin just couldn't resist that pleading smile of hers and gave in.

"Alright, alright," he reached into his pocket. "I'll pay for the tickets and snacks, alright?"

"You're such a gentleman," she kissed him.

Danny was watching them from a rooftop through a pair of binoculars (The Fenton Binoculars). He was in human mode so that he wouldn't trigger Danni's ghost sense. His eyes went over to Devlin as he paid for the tickets. "What is he up to…?" Danny mumbled as he watched them go in. "Now's my chance!" he turned invisible and flew down towards the movie theatre. He then went into the bathroom and came out visible. He was going to buy tickets to the same movie Danni and Devlin were watching and see what Devlin's true intentions were with his sister. Man is Danny paranoid today.

Devlin and Danni sat down next to each other, a bucket of popcorn between them. They watched the previews for a few minutes before the movie began. Danny slipped in and sat down a few rows behind them. He couldn't see them very clearly but he could still see enough of them to jump to conclusions…bad ones primarily.

The movie started and Danny's eyes weren't on the movie screen; they were on the couple watching them, specifically a metrosexual dhampir and a female halfa.

Danni and Devlin munched on the popcorn as they watched the movie. When a really scary part came on, Danni latched onto Devlin's arm and shut her eyes tight. Devlin leaned over to her and whispered comforting words. From Danny's viewpoint, however, he was seeing that Devlin was taking advantage of Danni. His eyes glowed green as he watched the couple cuddle.

An hour and a half later, the movie ended. Devlin and Danni stood up and walked towards the exit. When they were out, Danni said to Devlin, "I need to use the Ladies Room. Be right back." She pecked him on the cheek and quickly made her way to the women's bathroom. When she had disappeared through the door, Devlin looked over his shoulder.

"There's no use hiding, Daniel. Might as well come out wherever you are," Devlin said with a smirk. Danny immediately became visible as he walked out from behind a wall.

Danny said in a surprised tone, "You knew I was there?"

Devlin waved it off, "Please, I knew you were there from the second you walked into the theatre. You may be able to hide from Danielle's ghost sense whilst in human form, but there's no hiding from my senses." He emphasized his point by pointing to his ears, eyes and nose. He placed his hands on his hips. "So, what are you doing spying on me and Danielle?"

Danny stomped over to Devlin and grabbed him by the collar. "I want to know what you want with Danni!" Danny demanded.

Devlin answered calmly, "What I want with Danielle is none of your business."

"It is my business! She's my sister!"

"Technically she's your clone…but I guess that's true too," Devlin smirked cockily.

"You better tell me or…" Danny began but was interrupted.

"DANNY!" Danni yelled as she rushed over to the two and stood up to her brother. "Let Devlin go right now!" Danny did and Danni checked if her date was alright.

"This isn't what you think," Danny defended himself, lamely.

"What I think is that you were beating up Dev!" Danni yelled angrily, "And that you were spying on me!"

"Well…" Danny's eyes darted around. "Spying is such a harsh word…I prefer looking out for you."

"I'm not a child, Danny!" Danni cried and took Devlin's hand. "Let's go Devlin."

"Your wish is my command, my lady," he said to her before turning his head around and smirking at Danny.

Danny groaned, "This is so not my day…" then his ghost sense triggered.

"I AM THE BOX GHOST! BEWARE!" Danny rolled his eyes, transformed, and took out the Fenton Thermos.

* * *

Devlin took Danni to the park and they walked to a bench that was under a tree. She sat down on the bench and pouted with her arms crossed over her chest. The tree had a carving of a heart that said 'Devlin loves Danielle'.

"What a jerk!" Danni said. Devlin sat down next to her and placed his arm over her shoulders.

"Don't be angry at your brother, darling, he was probably just looking out for you," he said to try and coax her down.

Danni glared at him, "So now you're on his side?" Devlin got taken back by this, but Danni apologized. "Sorry, I know you were just trying to make me feel better."

"Apology accepted, and you should not be angry with Daniel for trying to look after you," he continued, "Then again, I think I can relate."

"How?"

"I'm the youngest in my family and that means my parents, brother and sister try to take care of me and protect me. I don't need them to do so, but they insist on doing so anyway." He sighed "That's why I decided to go traveling on my own, even though my parents insisted that Walter and Miriam go along with me."

"They really care about you, don't they?"

"They do, but they have to let me live my own life. It took a little while after before they realized that I could take care of myself." He looked deeply into Danni's eyes. "You're so beautiful, you know that?"

Danni blushed, "I…I am?"

"Yes, you are," he leaned down and kissed her temple while stroking her hair. "Your raven black hair…'' He kissed her nose, "…Your cute little nose..." He went down, an inch away from her lips. "…And your luscious red lips." She closed her eyes as he was about to kiss her and was waiting for it in anticipation when something suddenly fell out of the tree and in front of them.

It was Danny.

"Hi guys!" Danny greeted them. Danni stood up and glared down at her brother. "Ugh, Danny!" she stomped away angrily. Devlin narrowed his eyes at Danny as he stood up.

"Nice going, Daniel," he glared.

"There was no way I was going to let you…" Danny began.

"Let me do what?" Devlin interjected. "Kiss her?" his eyes pupils narrowed to thin slits, "You know, Daniel, despite me being half vampire, I have never thought of Danielle as a meal." He went to chase after Danni. "Danielle! Wait!"

Danni was at the lake. She picked up a small pebble. "Oh…why does Danny have to be such an idiot?" she threw the pebble at the lake and it skidded across the surface. "Why can't he like Devlin like I do?"

Devlin walked behind her and surprised her by placing his hands over her eyes. "Guess who?' Danni giggled and pulled his hands away before turning around to hook her arms around his neck.

"Hey, Dev." She apologized, "Sorry about Danny."

Devlin shook his head, "There's no need for you to apologize for your brother's sake. He's just an idiot, as you say."

Danni leaned into his chest, "Yeah…he is." She closed her eyes. "I love you Devlin…" Devlin smiled softly at her and closed his eyes.

"I love you too…Danielle…" he said softly to her, holding her close. He had only dreamed of being so close to someone like this, loving her with all his heart. They pulled away. "So…dinner?"

"Where to? Not the Nasty Burger, please," she begged him jokingly.

Devlin took out his cell phone, "Let's just say I've made some…reservations." He took her hand, "Come with me."

"Where?"

"Do you trust me?" she nodded.

They walked to an open spot in the park and set up neatly there was a round table and two chairs. A black tablecloth was draped over the table and there were two lit candles. Danni gasped and looked at him. "We never eaten by candlelight together, have we?" There were two plates on the table. She could also see Walter and Miriam there. Miriam was a chubby women who was kind at heart and would fuss over Devlin constantly as she was also his nanny. Walter and Miriam were dressed in their butler and maid uniforms. Miriam had graying red hair. Devlin pulled a chair out for Danni and she sat down. Devlin sat down across from her. Walter poured some sparkling grape juice into two crystal glasses. Devlin raised a glass. "A toast…to us."

Danni held up her glass as well. She repeated, "To us."

Clink.

They hooked arms and took sips from each other's glasses. Miriam served them their dinner and Walter played violin.

"Devlin, this is so…romantic," Danni said, still a little shocked but impressed.

"Only the best for you, Danielle," he smiled charmingly.

Danny watched them from afar. He sighed dejectedly. "Maybe Devlin isn't such a bad guy…" He watched as Danni and Devlin enjoyed their dinner. "Maybe I should be going home for dinner…" he then flew off.

After dinner, they had ice cream for dessert and then Danni and Devlin were dancing under the stars and moonlight.

At the same time, Johnny 13 was taking his girlfriend Kitty on a ride around town when she saw Devlin and Danni dancing. Kitty pouted, "Why don't we do anything romantic anymore Johnny?" Johnny rolled his eyes and groaned.

* * *

It was 9.45 pm when Devlin took Danni home.

"I had a wonderful time," Danni smiled before giving him a goodnight kiss. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Danielle," he smiled at her as he escorted her to her door. She blew him a kiss and slipped inside. "Have a very goodnight…Danielle," he said as his lips curled into a smirk and his eyes narrowed, glowing red and his pupils turned to narrow and sharp slits. He walked over to his moped and popped the seat open before reaching down into the storage compartment. He then pulled out a metallic belt with a familiar red emblem on it.

* * *

(10 pm-SHARP!)

Our heroes had already switched into their superhero identities of Shadowcobra, Raven, Robin, Starfire, Valerie the Hunter Girl, Ember, Kamen Rider Oni and Danny Phantom. They were in Danny's room where Sam and Tucker were going to monitor them with some surveillance equipment brought up from the lab.

Shadow pulled his collar up, "Let's go."

"Be careful Danny," Sam said to Danny before giving him a kiss.

"Don't worry, Sam. I've got some strong backup," Danny pointed to Valerie who was cocking her gun.

"You sure you're comfortable with 'little miss trigger happy'?"

"I'll be fine. Trust me."

North Side: Starfire and Robin

South Side: Shadowcobra and Raven

West Side: Valerie and Danny

East Side: Ember and Oni

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Xiaolin Temple in China, a black and red clad armored figure swung a large bag over her shoulder. In her right hand was a golden claw…the Shen Gong Wu known as the Golden Tiger Claws. She walked pass the unconscious bodies of the Xiaolin Dragons of Earth, Fire, Wind and Water. The Japanese Girl was easy once Copycat used the bald one to her advantage. The Brazilian boy was also easy to beat as was the big guy in the cowboy hat since he wouldn't hit a girl. The dragon was trapped in an energy cage and the old master…he was nothing compared to Slade.

She cracked her neck as she flicked her wrist. With a cry of, "Golden Tiger Claws!" she slashed a portal open and jumped in, leaving the temple behind like a bad memory.

Copycat had stolen the Shen Gong Wu. There was no telling what Wu she had stolen and why she had stolen them. The only thing known was that it would be bad…really bad.

To Be Continued…


	12. PT012: Unmasked

Part 12: Unmasked

With our heroes assigned to different corners of Amity Park, it would be sooner or later before they found Red-X if he was to show up. However, it had been close to an hour and so far they had nothing.

Let's take a look, shall we?

* * *

Robin and Starfire were staking out and searching in the north side of the city and they had seen neither hide nor hair of our favorite black clad thief. Robin was riding his R-Cycle and Starfire flew closely above him. Robin, being the creator and original Red-X, tried to put himself in the thief's own mind. If he was the new Red-X, where would he go? Basically, the suit's primary function was to allow the wearer to sneak around undetected so that he or she could go around undetected. That's right, she. The heroes debated on if whoever was wearing the suit was a girl or a guy. Most of the girls, basically Ember, Sam and Valerie, suggested that the new Red-X could be female and the suit created an illusion of masculinity. Starfire slowly agreed with them. In her defense, a girl could be just as tough as a guy. This had been taken into consideration since the voice could be disguised by the mask.

Robin looked around, making frequent stops to places that a thief would've gone to like the bank, museum or jewelry store. Starfire searched the skies, but she couldn't find any clues.

Suddenly, Starfire thought she saw something and quickly alerted Robin. "Robin!" she cried. "I saw something on the roofs. I think it is the Red-X!"

"Good job Star!" Robin complimented as he reached for a grapple hook, shot it up and quickly pulled himself up.

* * *

At the same time in the south side of Amity Park were Raven and Shadowcobra, both flying, in search of Red-X. Shadow used his enhanced Vampire vision but couldn't find a thing. Raven tried using her empathic and telepathic abilities, but so far got nothing, except a few voices in her head and stray emotions flying about.

Shadow blamed himself for this. Even though Robin designed the suit, it was Shadow who had upgraded it, making it twice as powerful and deadly. He blamed himself for Danny getting hurt and the suit getting stolen. He should've been more careful. Now, the suit was probably in the hands of a dangerous criminal.

Raven picked up on her boyfriend's guilt and decided to comment, "Don't blame yourself, Shadow. You couldn't have known." This was meant to reassure him.

"I know, Raven," he replied. "But I can't shake off the feeling. If only I had put more security measures on that suit, none of this would've happened."

"We can't always predict the future, Shadow. You and I both know that."

"But still…" he trailed off when he saw a black clad figure run by on a building. Raven turned her head to the direction.

"Is that…?' she began asking, but didn't have to finish.

"Yes!" Shadow told her. "Let's go!"

* * *

In the east side were Oni and Ember, riding on their flying guitars like surf boards. However, they weren't exactly taking this mission that seriously. Oh, they were looking, but sometimes they took glances at one another.

Oni's mask was faceless with red marking and two small horns near the brow. It was hard to tell if he was smiling or frowning, but one could tell what he was feeling through his voice. Ember noticed that he had a lovely voice, especially when singing.

Ember, who was once one of Danny's enemies, now saw that the life of a hero was far better. She no longer sought to take over the Earth. To her, that was far too much responsibility for a rock and rolling ghost. All she wanted was to be loved; people chanting her name. Oni and Ember were famous in the Ghost Zone and Earth, playing at concerts and gaining popularity each time. They even had a few CD's out with their faces on the covers. The record company who signed them on was linked to Smart Brain. Basically, they could be famous rock stars and heroes, people would chant their names. Ember loved it.

But not as much as she loved Oni.

Oni was an enigma to her, a big mystery. He didn't tell her much of his past, since it was painful of course. She understood and felt sympathetic. I mean, being turned into a Hollow was one thing, but being possesses by one and trying to control it and contain it was a whole other thing. Oni was afraid, afraid that the Hollow within him would break out and hurt people. He was afraid that his friends and loved ones would be hurt by his inner evil. However, despite the dangers, he never showed it. He kept it inside to not worry her. But she could tell.

Of course, right now, they were going after the thief known as Red-X.

"Can you imagine? Someone else in a power suit like that?" Oni asked her.

Ember shrugged, "Not really. I mean, how tough could the suit be?"

They both got their answer when red blasts of energy struck their guitars and shot the ghost and Vizard down, sending them crashing onto the pavement. Oni went to Ember.

"You okay, Ember?" he asked her, concerned for her well being.

"I'm fine," she groaned. She was a ghost, but THAT still hurt. "What happened?"

Oni and Ember looked up and saw Red-X, waving at them before taking off. The ghost and Vizard picked up their guitars and flew after him. "LET'S GET HIM!"

* * *

Finally, in the west side were Danny and Valerie. Valerie was on her hover board with Danny flying close by. Danny couldn't wait to dish out some payback to whoever was in that suit. To him, this was personal. The hunter and halfa were discussing possible suspects.

"It could be Technus," she supplied, but he shook his head.

"Not quite. Technus usually shouts out his name and plans while kicking my butt. The guy in the suit didn't do that. And, Shadow told me that the Red-X suit had a ghost neutralizer and an anti-ghost force field. So, no ghost would be able to wear it anyway," Danny told her. Before the mission they had been given a briefing about what the suit was now capable of. Valerie and Danny knew first hand since Shadow tested them in that suit.

"So any other suspects?" Valerie asked.

"No," Danny shook his head. "All I know is that guy…or girl has something personal against me."

"Well whatever or whoever the guy in the suit is…" she cocked her gun, "He better be ready for me." Danny laughed.

"Val, you're too eager sometimes, you know that?"

"You know it, Danny!" Valerie laughed, but her laughter was cut short by a red blast that sent her crashing into the side of a building. Another red blast pinned her to the wall by red sticky tape…shaped like an X. The X-Tape crackled and then shocked Valerie. She screamed. Before long, she had been knocked out.

"Valerie!" Danny flew towards her to help, but an X-Blade stopped him in mid-flight. Narrowing his green eyes, Danny whipped his head around for the source of the blade.

He found it.

Standing on top of a building, not too far from him and Valerie was a familiar black clad and caped thief wearing an equally familiar white skull mask.

Red-X.

Red-X waved at Danny and then ran off, obviously a challenge to come after him.

Danny took the challenge.

The hunt was on.

The halfa took out his SB-Cell and alerted the others, "I found Red-X! I'm going after him!"

* * *

Back with Robin and Starfire, Robin answered through his T-Com, "What do you mean you found Red-X? Me and Starfire are going after him!"

Starfire added, "This is true!"

* * *

Oni answered through his SB-Cell, "But that can't be right! Me and Ember are going after X right now!"

"Yeah, dipstick!" Ember interjected rudely. "How can you be going after X if we're going after X? Check your eyes!"

* * *

Shadow told them all on his SNK-Phone, "But you ALL can't be going after Red-X! It's not possible unless…" his eyes widened in realization.

"What?" Raven asked. What's wrong?"

When the two cornered Red-X, there were going to be surprised.

* * *

Tucker and Sam were back in Fenton Works, in Danny's room, monitoring our heroes. Tucker scratched his head and dug his ears. He had heard all the previous transmissions from our heroes.

"Okay, this is weird," Tucker said to Sam. "Everyone's reporting in that they ALL found Red-X."

Sam replied, "But that's impossible, isn't it? Unless…" Sam's eyes widened and she tried calling Danny, "Danny! Danny!" Do you hear me?"

There was only static.

* * *

Robin threw his birdarang at 'Red-X' as Starfire struck with her starbolt. The attacks hit, but something was wrong. In a puff of black smoke, Red-X turned into a bat.

They had been duped.

* * *

Oni and Ember strummed their guitars and sent a powerful energy sound wave in the shape of fists that smashed into the back of X. They thought themselves victorious as they gave each other high fives, but their celebration was cut short when 'Red-X' turned into a bat and flew away in a puff of smoke.

"What the…" Oni began in bewilderment.

"This can't be good," Ember added in agreement.

* * *

Shadow and Raven had cornered X in a dead alley. As they were about to apprehend the thief, he literally exploded in a puff of black smoke, leaving a bat behind that flew away. Shadow realized that they had been following a fake. So, where was the real X?

There was only one answer. The Snake Knight whipped out his phone and received reports from the others saying that they had been tricked. The only call he hadn't got was from…

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a call from Sam.

"Shadow!" Sam shouted, "I think Danny's in trouble!"

Shadow pulled down the collar of his cloak and frowned grimly. Raven knew what was going on.

Red-X was only after one thing. He was after Danny Phantom. Shadow tried to call Danny and got only static. This was so not good. They had to get to Danny and quick.

* * *

Danny followed X and found himself on top of Casper High. Red-X stood arrogantly with one hand on his left hip while inspecting his fingers. Before long, Danny landed in front of him.

"Alright, whoever you are," Danny pointed at X. "Take off your mask so I can know who you are and then we can have what you stole returned to its rightful owner." Danny thought he made his demands clear enough, but Red-X only replied with laughter.

"You want me to take off this mask?" X pointed to the skull mask. He challenged, "Why don't you rip it off my head, or are you scared?"

Danny continued, "I don't want to fight you."

Red-X produced an X-Blade. "I'm not giving you a choice!" he threw the X-Blade at Danny and the halfa dodged only to be tackled to the ground by Red-X. The thief aimed a punch to Danny's face, but Danny was quick enough to go intangible and phase through the roof and then phase back up behind X with a glowing green hand. He shot an ecto-blast, but X teleported away, reappearing behind Danny with a drop kick that sent him sprawling. Danny got up and swung his leg out in a roundhouse kick, which X caught before twisting the leg. Danny spun for a bit before his face met concrete. X then dropped upon Danny and elbowed him in the back, causing Danny to scream in pain. The X on the elbow pad glowed and sent a surge of electricity through Danny, making him scream more. Danny, despite his pain, grabbed X by the arm and threw him off him. X landed gracefully on his feet.

"Well, well…" Red-X flexed his wrists, revealing bracelets that seemed to have capsules on them. The same capsules were on his belt and around his ankles. "You seem to still have a bit of fight in you. I'm impressed." He flexed his fingers. "This will be fun."

Danny heaved and cracked his back. He was sore, but he was going to keep fighting. His SB-Cell was close to his feet, probably fallen off him in the fray. He went to pick it up, but an X-Blade flew by and destroyed it, making a cut in the back of Danny's hand. Danny hissed in pain as green ectoplasmic blood spilled from the wound.

"Don't want you calling friends now, do we?" Red-X mocked. "This is a private party. Just you…" he pointed to Danny and then to himself. "…And me."

Danny held his wounded hand. "What's your problem with me?" Danny demanded, still a little sore. Red-X answered by sending an X-Blast that Danny blocked with his shield. The force of the blast still sent him back a couple of feet.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Red-X asked producing a pair of X-Blades in the back of his gloves. He rushed at Danny and swung at him. Danny dodged and then grabbed X by the wrists to halt him. Red-X kicked Danny hard in the chest and then swung his leg up to strike him in the chin, sending him falling back. "Haven't you realized it by now?"

Danny messaged his chin and sent an ecto-blast at X who deflected it with an X-Shield. Red-X rushed over and punched Danny in the side of the head. "The answer's right in front of you loser…you know who I am. Deep inside you, you know the truth." He grabbed Danny by his hair, making the halfa scream in pain as he hauled him up. "You know whose face is behind this mask, Daniel…"

Danny groaned in pain. X's fist shot into his stomach before he was thrown roughly onto the roof. Danny struggled on his hands and knees.

"Come on, go ahead, use your Ghostly Wail," Red-X challenged him. "Or are you scared because you know who I really am?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Danny said to X, struggling and groaning on his feet.

"Don't lie to me, Daniel," he reached up for his mask and slowly pulled it off. When it was completely removed, Danny's eyes widened with shock.

"It can't be…"

"Hello Daniel," 'Red-X' smiled. Looking back at Danny was none other than Devlin Amakusa. "And goodbye." His hands glowed red as he aimed them at Danny.

"Why?" Danny asked.

"Simple, you're in my way and now I'm going to get rid of you," Devlin said before he fired.

Danny saw a large flash of red approaching him.

Danny Phantom was doomed.

* * *

(The Xavier Institute for the Gifted, Bayville.)

Using the Golden Tiger Claws, Copycat was able infiltrate the institute without being detected. She could've done this by using one of the many mirror portals, but she wanted to play with her new toys, the Shen Gong Wu that she had stolen.

To her, a work well done had to be fun.

She sat at Cerebro's computer console and slid in a disk. She typed on the keyboard and brought up all the data she needed. She hacked in and found plans for the institutes' security system, names of the students as well as the instructors and their data, but most of all she had just hit pay dirt.

She was able to download the plans and programming of Cerebro itself.

It wasn't long before she accidentally activated the security system, causing the alarms to blare and lights to flash red, alerting the occupants of the mansion. Copycat purred as she ejected and pocketed the disk. "I got what I came for. No need to stay here any longer." She shouted, "Golden Tiger Claws!" and slashed a portal to wherever she wanted to go next before jumping in.

It was at that time that Charles Xavier, Logan (Wolverine) Ororo Monroe (Storm) and Hank McCoy (Beast) ran into the room. To Xavier's shock and horror, there was no one around and Cerebro just got downloaded.

To Be Continued…

ZK Chromedragozoid: Oh my! What a shocking turn of events! Who saw that coming! Devlin is Red-X! Seems that he's walking in his big bro's footsteps. Wonder why he's trying to take out Danny? As if you didn't know? Will the others get to them in time? Stay tune in the next and final chapter of this arc. Part 13: Therapy.

Boy, will Devlin be in trouble when his brother and Danni find out. Wonder what's worse?

BTW, any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Please read and review with any ideas u might have. Thanx!

And to Hotshot45, Danielle 'Danni' Fenton/Phantom is from the show. She first appeared in the episode 'Kindred Spirits'. Look it up on And I agree with you. Whatever Slade is planning with all the stuff Copycat is stealing cannot be good. Hope the Titans are ready.

And if anyone has any fanart for my series, please send them to me. Also, I wish to ask if anyone wants to help with co-writing this fic.

With that, I bid u all adieu until the next chapter.


	13. PT013: Therapy

Part 13: Therapy

Danny saw a large flash of red approaching him.

Danny Phantom was doomed.

Or was he?

At the very last minute, a black energy shield erected itself around Danny to protect him from the powerful X-Blast that Devlin had thrown at him. He then saw his saviors, Raven and Shadow, not too far behind Devlin…and they had company. Valerie was okay, freed from her restraints and didn't seem too pleased, as were Oni, Ember, Robin (who was being carried by Starfire) and Starfire (who was carrying Robin). The heroes surrounded Devlin and well…Devlin had no where to run.

Actually, he did. He could simply teleport out of the place with a quick push of a button on his belt buckle. He reached down with his hand, but found a purple gloved hand had grabbed onto his right wrist while a green one grabbed onto his left. Looking up, he saw the look of disappointment from his brother who looked at him sternly. He had been beaten; there was no where to run as a Tamaranean, a ghost hunter, a Vizard and a ghost rocker had their weapons trained on him.

Danny passed out from the pain right after.

* * *

"Danny? Danny! Wake up." Danny heard a gentle female voice call his name.

"Yeah man. Wake up." He heard another voice, distinctively male, calling him next.

From his viewpoint, everything seemed blurry to Danny as he blinked his eyes. When he focused his eyes, looking down on him were none other than his (beautiful) girlfriend Sam Manson and his best (techno-geek) friend Tucker Foley. Danny groaned as he sat himself up, being helped by Sam's gentle hands. He was in bed, in his room.

"There, there Danny," Sam said to him. "Don't exert yourself."

"Yeah, dude," Tucker added, "You looked pretty banged up when the others brought you here.

"The others?" Danny blinked, trying to gather back the memory of what happened and then it struck him like a ton of bricks. "DEVLIN!" he exclaimed, throwing off the blankets, noticing the bandages around his arms and torso. He didn't feel as sore since Raven and Shadow had helped heal his wounds the best they could. He was half ghost and you couldn't completely heal something 'half-dead' right? So his body had to heal on its own. There was no visible bruising, thankfully. He groaned a bit, hissing at the pain, but could still stand on his own two feet, with the help of his two best friends. He looked up at his clock and was surprised to see that it was after 2 o'clock in the morning. Sam and Tucker must've asked permission to stay over for the night.

"Where's Devlin?" Danny asked them in anger. "I got a bone to pick with him!" He was in human mode, but his eyes radiated with a green glow.

Sam answered, "He's downstairs, in the lab. We made sure to not make too much noise or else we'll wake up Danni and your parents. Jazz is down there too."

"Why?"

"Just go down there and take a look for yourself dude," Tucker told him. He added, "You gotta see this to believe it."

* * *

"Can you please let me out?" Devlin asked politely. "It's pretty cramped in here, you know?"

"NO!" the others shouted at him. Devlin was locked in the Fenton Stockade (Seriously, do they put the name 'Fenton' on anything they make?)

Shadow walked up to the stockade, glaring at his brother through the small eye slot. "Devlin, I'm very disappointed in you."

"Because I stole the suit?" Devlin retorted.

"Among other things," Shadow hissed.

Robin questioned him, "We want to know how you stole the suit and you're not coming out until you tell us what we need to know." Devlin spat at Robin through the slot. Robin wiped the spit away with his glove and began pounding the stockade angrily as Devlin laughed. "You're so lucky that you're in there right now or else I'll…"

"What are you going to do, bird-boy? Squawk me to death? Maybe chirp a little song?" Devlin taunted. Ember laughed. You gotta admit that it was kinda funny.

Starfire pulled her irritated boyfriend away from the stockade and then pleaded to Devlin, "Please, friend Devlin, tell us how and why you have stolen the suit and why you assaulted friend Danny?"

Devlin answered smoothly, "Usually, I would never say no to a pretty face, but honey, I'll make an exception this time. Sorry."

Valerie took out her cannon. "How about you tell us or I'll blast you!"

"Valerie, Valerie, Valerie…" Devlin shook his head. "Do you really think you can scare me? I've seen scary before and as beautiful as you are when you're angry and despite how good a threat that was, I'm still not telling you a thing."

Ember commented, "You know, for a guy who works with makeup, he's a tough **nut** to crack." There was a double meaning when she had said nut.

Oni groaned and shook his head, "We're wasting our time like this." He pointed to Raven and Shadow. "I mean, we've got two telepaths here so why can't we just have them read his thoughts?"

Raven stuck out two fingers. "Two problems; 1: He has very strong mental shields, and 2: You don't wanna know how he blocks his thoughts."

"Was it that bad?" Ember asked. Raven looked her dead (no pun intended) in the eyes.

"I've been to Hell and back and it was never **that** bad." Devlin chuckled. "It's not funny!"

"Pardon me, Raven was it?" Devlin asked. She nodded. "Pardon me Raven, but you shouldn't have done that. I did warn you what would happen if you tried to read my mind," Devlin smirked. "Believe me when I say that there is a lot in there nobody needs to see."

Jazz was seated on a chair, holding a notepad and pen as she took notes. As a Psychology major, she was interested to study the hostility shared between Devlin and Danny and how Devlin delighted in annoying the heroes. Also, psychoanalyzing a ghost hybrid as well as a vampire hybrid was actually a very uncommon thing in the study of psychology. Her course focused on human psychology, not half humans. Well, she had a front row seat to a good show.

Danny, Sam and Tucker came down the stairs and stepped into the lab. The halfa raised an eyebrow at what was going on and said to Shadow, "The Fenton Stockade?" Seeing Devlin inside made him smirk. '_Perfect payback_,' he thought.

Shadow shrugged, "My little brother is quite sneaky. Even without his potions he's quite formidable." Shadow pointed to a lab table that had the bracelets Devlin had worn on his wrists ankles with the capsules on them. Also, the X-Belt was on the table, complete with the same capsules on it. "Those potion capsules were quite hard to get off him. It was a challenge."

"It was," Robin rubbed his sore chin. Robin continued "We're trying to interrogate him, but he's so damn stubborn!"

Danny nodded, "So I've experienced myself."

Devlin snorted. "Oh, it's _you_. What? Come to gloat, Daniel?"

Danny walked up to the stockade, making sure to keep enough distance to avoid any 'vile projectiles'. "I just want to know why you attacked me?"

"Why don't I _show_ you?" Devlin's eyes narrowed. "Just let me out and maybe I can **drill** it into your head. Maybe then it'll become clear."

Jazz muttered as she wrote on the notepad, "Lots of hostility here."

"Hey, you don't get to be mad!" Danny shouted, "You attacked me!"

"And you swung a baseball bat at me!" Devlin snapped back, "Several times, I might add, and on several different occasions!"

"It was the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick!"

"It was a baseball bat with the name 'Fenton' on it! Same difference!"

Oni spoke sarcastically, "I'm feeling the love here."

"I don't know what your deal is here, mister!" Danny shouted, almost bringing up his hands to pound on the stockade. "You attacked me and now you're trying to pin the blame on me?"

"Precisely!" Devlin shouted back.

Jazz looked up from her notepad, "I think I see where this is going."

Shadow said, "I think we _all_ see where this is going."

"Maybe we should start from the beginning, like the first time you two met," Jazz suggested. "Who wants to start first? Danny? Devlin?"

Devlin began, "Can I start first?"

Everyone except Jazz shouted, "NO!"

"Bloody buggers," Devlin mumbled.

Danny began, "Let me see…Oh yeah. It was about a month ago when Danni came home…with _him. _When my parents found out who she really was they welcomed her with open arms and adopted her. They even thanked Devlin for looking after her all this time. They instantly liked Devlin…but I didn't."

"And why is that?" Jazz prompted. Danny mumbled something. "Danny, speak up."

"It was because…he was dating Danni," Danny spoke out. This got him from odd stared from the others and Jazz groaned.

"Ugh," the Psychology major groaned as she rubbed her temples. "Not this again."

"What?" Raven questioned.

"Danny is becoming overprotective, again, like the last time," Jazz explained.

"What happened?"

"I was dating this ghost, Johnny 13, who was trying to use me as a body for his girlfriend Kitty. I was being influenced by Johnny and Danny was trying to protect me…by being an annoying little brother," she glared at Danny and sighed. "Well, he did mean well and I was in danger…"

"Which completely justifies what I did!" Danny finished.

"No it doesn't!" Devlin and Jazz said at the same time. Jazz continued, "Devlin is not a threat to Danni and you know it, Danny." Devlin grinned triumphantly in the stockade. Jazz snapped at him, "_You_ don't get to smirk!" Jazz inhaled and exhaled calmly. "Now tell us your version, Devlin."

Devlin cleared his throat and told them his side of the story, "Well, after I brought Danielle home, I would come over often to keep her company, doing homework and other stuff like talk and stuff."

Danny grumbled, "Yeah, like shove your tongue in her mouth."

Devlin ignored Danny and continued, "We were dating and really liked each other. We would kiss, but it was harmless."

"Harmless?" Danny shouted. "You were going to bite her!"

"I was not, you simpleton!" Devlin snapped. "I was only kissing her neck! For goodness sake, just because I'm half vampire does not mean I go around biting people's necks to drink their blood! I mean, you're half ghost! Do you think I expect you to go 'BOO' at a moments notice?"

"You had no right to…"

"No right to do what? Kiss her? Embrace her?" Devlin added with as much seriousness in his voice, "Love her?" He noticed the looks he got. "That's right! I admit it!" he announced, "I AM DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH DANIELLE FENTON AND I AM NOT AFRAID TO SAY IT!" he sighed. "Happy?"

Starfire clasped her hands together, her eyes watering as she smiled. "That is the most romantic thing I have ever heard."

"A bit disturbing though," Raven said.

Jazz wrote something in her notepad, "I see."

"Daniel didn't have to threaten me with a baseball bat every time I and Danielle were snogging," Devlin said.

"Snogging?" Starfire didn't understand.

"It's a British slang term that means kissing or making out," Shadow explained, "Basically."

"You didn't have to turn me into a toad!" Danny received stares from the Titans. "Don't ask…"

"Well, you didn't have to melt my shoes with ecto-blasts!"

"You didn't have tot turn my hair pink!"

"You didn't have to overshadow me into humiliating myself!"

"You didn't have to make me a bad luck magnet!"

"You didn't have to phase my legs through the floor!"

"You didn't have to turn me purple for a week!"

This went on and on as the two argued, ping-ponging their points and accusations to one another. Shadow and Raven grew annoyed at this. This was going on far enough…

"**ENOUGH**!" Shadow shouted receiving much needed silence in the lab. Devlin and Danny were stunned. "Good Lord, you two are bloody annoying!"

"Tell **him** that!" Danny and Devlin glared at one another. "He started it! What? It was you! You started it!"

"Oh God…" Sam groaned, placing her face in her hands out of embarrassment.

"Now they're in stereo," Tucker looked amazed. The two boys were saying the exact same thing at the same time like they were on the same mental wave length. It was a bit unnerving really.

Jazz decided to gather the arguing boys' attention by blowing into a whistle. "I think I can give you two some helpful advice, but Devlin needs to come out of the stockade." Valerie had the keys and unlocked the Fenton Stockade before swinging the door open. Devlin stepped out in his street clothes.

"Thank you Valerie," he smiled to her as he groaned. He was trying to get the kinks out of his joints. Being in the stockade wasn't really comfortable, added with the spikes inside. "Good Lord, what possessed Mr. Fenton to make this?" He was feeling a little stiff.

"To lock up horny jerks?" Danny muttered under his breath. Devlin reached into his pocket.

"I have a potion right here and I'm not afraid to use it, Ghost Boy!" Devlin threatened.

"Bring it on!" Danny's hands glowed with ecto-energy. Danny was restrained by Valerie and Oni while Devlin was restrained by Shadow and Robin.

"Let me go!" Devlin struggled. Danny did too.

"No can do," Oni said to Danny. "Not before you two apologize to one another."

"And you, my little brother, should explain as to how you came to acquire the suit and gear," Shadow hissed to his little brother. "I want answers now and I'm not in a very patient mood."

Devlin was about to answer when Danny's ghost sense activated, the blue wisps escaping his mouth.

Then there was a scream.

A female scream.

It came from Danni.

"Danielle/Danni!" Devlin and Danny shouted, panicking in unison.

* * *

Back in Bayville, Kat was getting ready to leave the place when she suddenly heard something from a nearby dumpster. She couldn't place it, but it sounded like…crying? She went over to the dumpster to investigate. Lifting open the lid, she carefully reached inside to wear she heard the strange noise. To her surprise, she found a wrapped up bundle. It was a baby!

"You poor thing," she said to the baby who had a small tuff of black hair on its head. "Who would throw a baby away? That's so heartless." She then saw something wiggling in the cloth the baby was wrapped up in and, to her surprise, out came a long black furry tail. "What the?" on closer inspection, she noticed the baby had yellow eyes with thin narrow pupils and pointed ears. She realized what was going on. "A mutant baby. I should've known." She looked around to see if anyone was around before looking closely at the baby, who had stopped crying and looked at her curiously. She knew about how humans treated mutants and even though she wasn't exactly a mutant she still hated the way humans treated those different from them. She began pondering to herself in a soft voice, "Can't give you to social services. They'd probably put you in an abusive foster home." She smiled down at the little baby girl (she checked). "Well, it looks like you're coming with me. What do I call you…?" Suddenly, the baby vanished from her hands. Actually, she could still feel the baby's weight in her arms, meaning that the baby was invisible. The baby then became visible again. Copycat soon got her inspiration. "I got it! I'll call you Nekokage (Cat of the Shadows)!" The baby giggled. She smiled back, "You like that huh?" She then asked herself, "Wonder what Slade-sama would say to this?"

To Be Continued…

What happened? Is Danielle in danger? What's going on? Stay tune for the next chap, Part 14: Partnership.

Any suggestions to what is happening to Danielle? Here are some of the choices…

1. Vlad came to kidnap her and force her to join him.

2. Skulker came to capture her for his collection.

3. It's an Orphenoch.

4. It's a Hollow.

These are your choices. Take your pick.

Until l8er days, cya l8er!


	14. PT014: Partnership

Part 14: Partnership

As the others rushed up to see what had happened, Shadowcobra stood in the room alone. Something felt different about himself.

Shadowcobra looked down and saw that his belt buckle and deck were glowing. The belt and deck soon morphed, fusing together. The card deck and belt buckle became one as the cards resided within the buckle with a slot to draw the cards out. The Zodiac Crystal glowed with the symbol of the Snake.

"That's new," Shadow said as he stared down at his belt.

The same change had probably happened to all the Zodiac Knights. This was a whole new level and it could only mean one thing…The Tournament was drawing near.

* * *

Jack and Maddie were in their pyjamas and standing in front of Danni's door. Jack tried to ram it in, but the door wouldn't even budge, Our heroes…and Devlin, arrived and the halfa and dhampir wore worried faces. 

Maddie told them worriedly, "We heard Danni scream and when we tried to get in, the door was locked."

"I tried breaking it in, but the darn thing won't even budge!" Jack exclaimed, messaging a sore shoulder.

"Let me try," Danny said as he went intangible and tried phasing through, but a sudden shock of energy pushed him back and sent him flying into a wall.

"Danny!" Sam rushed over to him. Danny groaned.

"I'm okay…Man, what was that?" Danny questioned.

Devlin narrowed his eyes, "It's an invisible Anti-Ghost Shield." Everyone stared at him. "I just know." He went over to the door, his concern for Danni growing, but was able to keep himself from becoming hysterical. He took a capsule out of his pocket and threw it at the door. The capsule shattered and the door crumbled to dust. He smirked. What they saw inside made them gasp.

A blue skinned ghost with red eyes and black hair styled to look like horns was holding Danni by her wrist. She looked unconscious and pretty beaten with bruises on her face. Seeing her like this made Devlin's blood boil. The ghost was dressed in white with a cape. He had black gloves and boots.

"Oh good, the gang's all here!" the ghost said in mock pleasantness, hiding his maliciousness, but not very well.

"Plasmius…" Danny growled, quickly changing to ghost form.

"YOU!" Jack reached behind him and pulled out a Fenton Bazooka. Maddie pulled out her bazooka too.

"Let our daughter go or I swear I'll rip you apart molecule by molecule, Vlad!" Maddie threatened.

"Hurt me, Maddie? Will you even dare to pull he trigger since I have a hostage?" Vlad lifted Danni up by her wrist.

"You let her go you pasty faced cretin!" Devlin demanded, "Or so help me I'll…"

Danny saw the concern and anger in Devlin's eyes. Jazz had on the Fenton Peeler armor while Sam and Tucker were armed with miniature Fenton Blasters. Valerie had ALL her weapons aimed at Vlad, but did not dare to shoot since Vlad had Danni for a hostage and any of their attacks could hurt her instead of him since he would most likely use her as a shield.

The Titans were pretty much useless as anything they tried could hurt Danni. So, they didn't move. They couldn't risk it since Vlad had a hostage.

Vlad laughed at Devlin, "Or what? You'll makeup me to death?" he mocked.

"What do you want with Danni, Vlad?" Danny questioned this man…no, monster.

"Well, since I couldn't have you, I decided on the next best thing. I created Danielle so that makes me her rightful father."

"She'll never follow you!" Danny shouted.

"With a little mind alteration, she will…" Vlad smirked. "Now, I'll be off and I hope you all don't follow me, less you hurt precious Danielle." With a laugh, he placed Danni into his arms and flew up and phased through the rood.

"GET HIM!" Danny shouted as he flew after Vlad. Valerie flew out the window while Oni and Ember followed the same way Danny used to exit.

"Titans! Let's move it!" Robin commanded as he leapt out the window followed by Starfire, Raven and Shadwcobra, who flew out after him.

"Fentons! To the Fenton RV!" Jack announced, now in his orange jumpsuit. Maddie was in her blue jumpsuit while Jazz was still donned in her armor.

"We're coming too!" said Sam.

"That's right!" Tucker agreed.

Sam and Tucker were going to go with them. As they were leaving, Jazz turned to look at Devlin sympathetically.

"You coming?" his back was turn to her. She could, however, see his shoulders shaking. Without a word, she left him alone.

Devlin kneeled down and picked up a framed photograph of him and Danni that had been cracked. The room was a mess, meaning Danni put up a fight. However, Vlad was much more powerful than her, so he easily defeated her. He put the picture down, his single visible eye narrowed. He then ran out of the room, down the stairs leading towards the lab and went over to the table. He picked up the X-Belt.

"You're going to pay Vlad, with interest," Devlin hissed like his brother.

* * *

Vlad looked over his shoulder as the Fentons, the Titans and Team Phantom followed after him, giving chase. 

"Oh, butter biscuits! They're coming after me!" Vlad cursed as he looked over his shoulder. "Maybe I should give them some playmates to waste their time." He blew a strange whistle, which let out no sound. It was actually a gift he received while he was controlling the Hollows awhile back.

The heroes soon fund themselves overwhelmed as vulture-like Hollows swooped down upon them. A few more Hollows, looking like the ghost animals Vlad once controlled, which could be assumed to be the same ghost animals, surrounded the grounded heroes and the Fenton RV. They looked the same as before, but with holes in their chests and skull masks. The Hollows that looked like Vultures could be the Ghost Vultures and the Hollows that looked like octopi…the ectopuses.

It was a known fact that EVERYONE and ANYONE in Amity Park could see Hollows since the people living there had been exposed to small traces of ectoplasmic energy. Magic users could also see Hollows. However, newcomers who didn't have magic could not see Hollows…Meaning Starfire and Robin were at a great disadvantage.

Robin and Starfire could only see everyone else attacking absolutely nothing. Robin shouted at Sam and Tucker, who were blasting at Hollows for all they were worth, "What's going on? That ghost is getting away with Danielle and you're all shooting at nothing!"

"Please, what are you shooting at, new friends Tucker and Samantha?" asked a puzzled Starfire, "Just what are you attacking?"

"Hollows!" The Goth and Techno Geek replied in unison.

"Hollows?" Robin and Starfire questioned.

"Robin! Starfire! Watch out!" shouted an armoured Shadowcobra as he slashed a Hollow down in half. Robin and Starfire only saw him slashing at air.

"What's going on?" Robin demanded.

"Vlad sent Hollows after us…and you can't see them, can you?" he backhanded a Hollow in the face and sent it crashing into a building. Robin and Starfire saw the crash, but not what had caused it.

"What are Hollows?" Starfire questioned, watching as Raven used her magic to smash cars into, in her viewpoint, nothing.

"Hollows are evil spirits that prey on ghosts and people with a lot of spiritual energy," Shadowcoba explained as he slammed a Hollow away with his staff. "To normal people they are invisible, but they still have dense physical bodies. So, even though you can't see them-ROBIN! LOOK OUT!" Robin was smashed into a tree. "You can still feel them." Shadow winced.

Robin groaned, "Now you tell me…"

"I suggest you two go after Vlad while we handle these things!" Shadowcobra punched a Hollow through its skull mask, killing it. "Go! And take Danny with you!" Starfire nodded as he and Robin gave chase, her in the air and him riding the R-Cycle. However, a few flying Hollows were blocking their path, but were taken care of by Oni and Ember.

Danny tried to fight the Hollows off, but they kept pecking and slashing at him. He needed help and the others were too busy to lend a hand.

A black clad figure wearing a skull mask stood upon the roof of a building, looking down at our heroes. His gaze fell first on Robin and Starfire who were going after Vlad and then to Danny. Devlin, or should I say Red-X, decided to lend an extra hand.

Danny was being overwhelmed by the Hollows. He couldn't use his Ghostly Wail since he would be too weak to help Danni and take down Vlad. A large winged Hollow came swooping down at Danny and the Ghost Boy was unable to power an ecto-blast in time…Then a giant red blade in the shape of an 'X' cut through the thing, slicing it in half before it vaporized. Danny looked up and saw Devlin in the Red-X suit. The makeup artist pulled off the mask and shouted at Danny, "Cease your dawdling! There's an arse we need to kick and damsel we need to save!" he swooped down, did a nose dive, and slashed at a pair of vulture Hollows with his X-Bades. He then landed, conveniently, on a black motorcycle that had the symbol of Red-X, a skull with an 'X' in it, the X-Bike, designed nearly identical to the R-Cycle. Shadow watched as his brother pulled the mask back on and rammed through a few Hollows, killing them with his X-Blasts. He smacked them away and shot them with the lasers in the headlights.

Shadow sent a telepathic message to Danny ((Help him.))

((Got it!)) Was Danny's reply.

Devlin…Red-X was thinking, '_Hold on Danielle darling…I'm coming for you and Vlad will be begging to be locked in a thermos once I'm through with him!_'

* * *

Robin and Starfire were still chasing after Vlad. The adult halfa shot at them with his ecto-blasts, nearly hitting them. Danni was still unconscious and didn't look like she was going to wake up anytime soon. 

"FREEZE!" Robin shouted. He couldn't risk using any of his weapons.

"Please! Surrender and come quietly!" Starfire pleaded, eyes glowing green with fury. She was controlling the urge to shoot a starbolt, but a stray shot could easily hurt Danni.

"I don't think so, kids," Vlad laughed at them as he turned to fire an ecto-blast from his eyes at Starfire. Unable to react, Starfire got hit in the shoulder. She screamed with pain.

"STAR!" Robin screamed as Starfire was about to fall…when she was caught by a pair of white gloved arms.

"You okay, Kori?" Danny asked her. She nodded.

"I only feel sore in my shoulder, friend Danny," she told him.

Robin then noticed a black motorcycle racing next to him. Riding on it was none other than Red-X/Devlin Amakusa. Devlin drew a gun from his belt, which was loaded with his potion capsules. He carefully took aim.

"Wait! You might miss and hurt Danni!" Robin said to him. Danny was thinking the same thing.

With eyes narrowed and pupils turned to sharp thin slits, Red-X replied, "I **never** miss." He pulled the trigger and fired on Vlad. Vlad got hit in the leg, but that was all it took for the dart to spread the potion.

"Oh, blast!" Vlad swore as his ghost powers failed on him, turning him back to his human alter ego, Vlad Masters. He was about to fall, until Danny and Starfire swooped down to grab them. Starfire and Danny grabbed Vlad, but Vlad dropped Danni.

"Danni!" Danny shouted, but his panic turned to relief as Red-X leapt off his bike, grabbed Danny in mid-air, and landed on the street, unharmed. Vlad grumbled as he was being restrained by Danny Phantom and Starfire. Without his ghost strength, he was unable to break himself free. Robin immediately recognized Vlad.

"You're Vlad Masters! Owner and CEO of the VladCo!" Robin identified him.

"Yes, I am," Vlad grumbled and turned to look at X. "You! The one in the skull mask! Boy, what did you do to me?"

Red-X was still holding Danni bridal style and then answered Vlad casually, "It was a special potion dart I was saving for Daniel. It's supposed to temporarily disable ghost powers, like your Plasmius Maximus. Of course, unlike your device, it lasts for a good 24 hours. So, for the next 24 hours, you're a normal human being." Danni was beginning to stir. Red-X willed the suit off and back into the belt, revealing the youthful face of Devlin Amakusa. Danni let out an adorable yawn before her blue eyes fluttered open. Looking back at her was the loving single eyed gaze of her boyfriend.

"Dev?" she looked confused. "Where am I?" she groaned, still in pain. When she turned to look at Vlad, it all came back to her. "Oh, now I remember." Her eyes narrowed with anger. "Put me down, Devlin." He did and Danni went over to Vlad.

"Hello, Danielle, my daughter," Vlad said softly, even though he was being restrained by Danny and Starfire.

"I'm not your daughter!" Danni snapped. "You may have created me, but you were **never** my father!" (Sound familiar?) she then changed into her ghost form and swung out her fist, punching him across the jaw, even knocking out a few teeth. Vlad looked at her angered face. "Consider that a warning. Stay away from me, my family and my friends and don't come near me ever again! Got it?" Vlad nodded fearfully. "Good." She smirked before punching him in the gut.

Devlin smirked, "Wow…that was _hot_."

"Well, let's go back to the others then," Robin said. "And maybe the cops would like to talk to you, Mr. Masters."

Vlad shouted, "You can't convict me! My lawyers will get me out! I'll be out in weeks! And I'll expose your identity Daniel and your friends' identities as well!" Vlad threatened. "Imagine this, not being able to go anymore with your true identities revealed to the whole world." He smirked, but that smirk turned into a frown when Devlin chuckled. "What's so damn funny?"

"You may have money, power, and influence, but so does Smart Brain Corporation," Devlin reminded him. "And we have Operatives ready to erase any memories or set it up so that no one will and ever learn that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom are one and the same. You lost, Vlad, face it!"

Vlad yelled, "No I have not! Fright Knight!" At Vlad's command, the Fright Knight appeared, riding upon his horse the Night-mare. The Fright Knight was the Spirit of Halloween and a ghost with obsidian black armor, flaming purple hair and a cape. His steed was a demonic black stallion with large demonic bat wings.

"What are your orders, master?" The Fright Knight said, brandishing his Soul Shredder.

"Get me out of here!" Vlad shouted. The Fright Knight blasted at Starfire and Danny causing them to let go of Vlad. The Fright Knight then swooped down and grabbed Vlad, pulling him onto the back of his horse. Vlad waved at the glaring heroes, "Another time, Daniel and Danielle!" he let out a mocking laughter as the Fright Knight and Vlad escaped into the darkness, turning invisible to avoid detection. They were gone in a flash.

"Let's go after them!" Robin and Danny shouted.

"No, we should go help the others with the Hollows," Devlin said as he took out a pair of silver and green goggles, the Fenton Goggles, and threw them at Robin and Starfire. "Put those on, they'll help you see Hollows." He pressed the button on his belt buckle and the suit was summoned onto him. Danni watched him in fascination.

"Nice suit," she smiled. "I like the colors and the mask."

"Thank you," he mounted the X-Bike and turned it around. "Let's go." He zoomed ahead.

Danny shook his head, "Who died and made him king?" he followed after Red-X. The others followed suit.

* * *

The Fentons, Shadow, Raven, Oni, Ember, Valerie, Sam and Tucker were doing fairly well, that is until the Hollows did something strange. 

"What's happening?" Raven questioned. Shadow had only seen this in books, but came to a startling conclusion.

"The Hollows…they're coming together, fusing with each other," he gasped, realizing the truth. "Oh no!"

"What's going on?" Valerie asked, seeing Ember and Ryan (he took off his mask) looking freaked.

Ryan let the words out slowly, "Menos…Grande…"

Menos Grande.

The Hollow that now stood was over 80 feet tall and looked like a large black shroud covering over a thin body. There was hole in the centre of its chest. The mask was white and had a long nose. The thing stared down at the heroes and opened its mouth. Raven shouted, "EVERYONE! MOVE! MOVE NOW!"

The monster fired a black energy blast that sped towards them. Shadow and Raven fired back with their dark energy, but the enemy blast was blasting them back. Oni and Ember joined in and soon everyone else was trying to push the blast back, struggling with all their might. If that blast touched them…You don't want to know…

Suddenly, two green ecto-blasts and a starbolt slammed into the side of its head, causing the gigantic Hollow to fire its beam into the air. Danny, Danni, Red-X/Devlin, Starfire and Robin were back to lend a hand. Now wearing the Fenton Goggles, Robin and Starfire could see the monster clearly.

"By X-Hal, what is that?" Starfire gasped.

"Dead," Shadow drew out a card and slid it into his transformed staff. "SURVIVE!" Now clad in his Survivor Mode armor, he was ready to take this thing down. Shadow said to the others. "Alright, we have to target its head. That's the only way we can kill it."

"We gotta move fast, cause it's coming this way!" Tucker yelled out as the Hollow marched towards them.

Red-X narrowed his eyes. "The head?" he removed a telescope from his belt. He then reached for his belt buckle and slid out the X-Key. He slid the Key into the telescope and it sprung out. Danni saw this and said to him:

"I don't think now's a good time to be stargazing, Devlin." She then watched in curiosity as he attached it to his right boot. He pressed a button on his belt buckle.

"X-ceed Charge." His suit crackled with red energy as the X's on his suit glowed. The Xinothium was now focused on his right boot and in his telescope, the X-Pointer. He then, without warning, ran towards the monstrous Hollow.

"Devlin! No!" Danni scream. The others watched as Devlin seemed to be committing suicide. With a burst of power, Devlin jumped up till he was almost above the Hollow. He kicked out his right leg, which crackled with Xinothium and dropped down, executing a flying drop kick.

"X-KICK!!!" Red-X shouted as his kick smashed THROUGH the Hollow's mask. The Hollow howled as Red-X exited from the other end. He grabbed the ends of his cape to create a makeshift parachute and slowly floated down. He turned to look at the Hollow and then to the others. "What are you waiting for? An invitation? Now's your chance! Finish him off!"

Shadow nodded and so did the others. Robin commanded, "FIRE AT WIIL!" The Hollow was soon overwhelmed by powerful plasma blast, ecto-blasts, shadow blasts, dark blasts and finally a GHOSTLY WAIL from our resident ghost boy. The Hollow was overwhelmed and vaporized into nothingness.

"We are victorious!" Starfire squealed. Danny then walked over to Devlin, who had removed his mask. The others tensed, thinking this may turn into a shouting match. Instead, Danny extended his hand, "You did good."

Devlin, surprised, smiled back and took his hand, shaking it, "You too."

"And, from now on," Danny said, "I approve of you and Danni. You're the right guy for her and I see that now." Danni smiled and hugged her brother then Devlin. "I also apologize for all the grief I've been giving you." The others smile as Danny and Devlin were now at peace.

Oh, they were wrong.

Devlin shook his head, "No, I should apologize for beating you up."

"No, I should be the one apologizing," Danny said to him.

"No, **I** should be apologizing." Danni looked back and forth between the two and stepped back, sighing.

"I'm sorry!"

"No, **I'm** sorry!"

"Not as sorry as me!"

"You can't be as sorry as **me**!"

"Yes I am!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"AM NOT!"

"AM TOO!"

"AM NOT!"

The others groaned. It would seem that Devlin and Danny just couldn't get along. Oh well.

"AM TOO TIMES 10!"

"AM NOT TO INFINITY!"

(Sigh…)

To Be Continued…

The Next chap will focus on the Sabreron known as Blackbird that Pluto, Cyborg and Beast Boy found. The title is well duh. Stay tune for Chapter 15: Blackbird.

And pls review and tell me what you think, kay? Bye!

So, does Devlin get to keep the Red-X suit and Gear or what? You decide.


	15. PT015: Blackbird

While Robin, Starfire, Shadowcobra and Raven were in Amity Park, Beast Boy Cyborg and Pluto had an adventure of their own. Remember the part where Pluto, Cy and BB found that pod. Here's what happened next.

Part 15: Blackbird

"Fascinating, simply fascinating," were the words Fixit uttered. The cybernetic hermit was inspecting the stasis pod that the trio had found containing Blackbird. He had taken it apart to inspect it thoroughly. The technology was out of this world, which was true, seeing as it was a Sabretron stasis pod, thus alien technology. "This technology is simply amazing, much more advanced than anything he had ever seen. This is all simply remarkable." Cyborg chuckled; Fixit sounded like a kid in a candy shop. "And you are telling me that you found it here in the junkyard?'

Cyborg shrugged. "Pretty much." Beast Boy and Pluto were in the room as well, as were their new friend, Blackbird. She wasn't hostile, thankfully, proven by the fact she hadn't attacked them. She was a Sabretron and according to Shadow and DT the Sabretrons were the good guys. Sitting on a metallic chair, and looking quite uncomfortable, Blackbird remained in her humanoid battle mode. She would've transformed if she wanted, but seeing how fascinated Fixit was at examining her stasis pod, transforming into her Beast Mode may just cause him to take him apart to see what made her tick.

Her gaze went over to Beast Boy. In her opinion, the green boy was funny. He made a few jokes and she laughed at them. He could even transform into, not just one, but several types on animals. She had to admit that she was envious as he did not need to go through what she did to gain her Beast Mode. If only she knew how he got his powers…

Next she went to look at Pluto. He held the aura of a scientist and also that of a warrior. He was pretty much interested in the pod, but was also interested in her. The pod was heavy, but he didn't even lift a finger to carry it. He didn't have to since he levitated it with his powers. Powers like that, according to her knowledge, could only belong to an evolved human. Just how long was she in that pod to begin with?

Her eyes went over to the big one, Cyborg was it? A fitting name since it aptly described who and what he is, a cyborg. Though not as advanced as the biomechanical technology that created her or the androids back on her home planet in the Orion System, he was pretty much advanced in his own right. At least the bionic enhancements hadn't taken away his humanity. Although, she did sense that he was insecure about his deformity.

His gave then went over to Fixit. His appearance didn't unnerve her since she's seen a lot of weirder things back in her day. She could sense that he used to be human and nearly lost himself to his mechanical side. Aside from that he was a good man, even though he was a little creepy and didn't show much emotion.

Pluto and Cyborg were helping the hermit with inspecting the pod, taking notes and stuff so they could put it back together. At the meantime, Beast Boy decided to make conversation with Blackbird.

"So, you're a Sabretron, huh?" he asked.

"Yes," Blackbird answered.

"Cool, what's that like? How did you transform like that?" he asked. He was referring to her change from Beast Mode to Battle Mode.

"I'm not really sure, I just do." Blackbird demonstrated by saying, "Beast Mode." And in the Sabretron's place was a large black crow. "Blackbird-Maximize!" she transformed back.

"Doesn't that hurt?" he asked worriedly. She shook her head.

"Not really. Some of my parts are mechanical and other parts are organic. My armor right now is made out of a combination of organic and synthetic substances to give me defense in battle as well as allow me flight capabilities like my Beast Mode." All these big words confused Beast Boy. She noticed this and gave him a simplified version. "I'm part robot and part bird."

"Oh." Blackbird chuckled.

The three 'scientists' put the pod back together without much trouble.

"This pod appears old but amazing. Even though it had been buried under all that junk, the life support system still functioned after all this time," Fixit analyzed.

Pluto said, "I heard stuff from DT about how Sabretrons would keep some their crew members in stasis to conserve resources like food and energy and whatnot. It was also used during wars to provide backup soldiers."

Blackbird looked at Pluto curiously. For some reason looking at him brought a feeling of déjà vu over her. She shook her head. Fixit then went over to blackbird with a wire of some sort and Blackbird shuffled away. "Excuse me, but what are you goingto do with **that**?"

"I simply wish to examine your central processor for vital information about anything that could help us into finding out who you once were and how you came to be here and in that stasis pod," Fixit explained to her. Blackbird changed into her Beast Mode and squawked at the cyber hermit.

"Sorry! Can't let you do that! My brain is my own and I don't like it when people try to poke around in it. So, keep any wires you have away from me or else I'll start pecking!" Blackbird wasn't bluffing. If you pushed her, she will peck.

Cyborg said to his friend, "I think we should take her word for it."

Fixit sighed, "Pity."

"So Blackbird," Beast Boy began, "You wanna come with us?"

"Where?" she asked.

"Home."

She tilted her head to the side, "Home?"

* * *

"That is your home?" Blackbird asked. She was in the T-Car with her wings folded into her back. Beast Boy was riding shotgun next to Cyborg who was driving. Pluto, on the other hand, was riding his ZX-Motor Majin. On top of the T-Car was Blackbird's stasis pod. 

Cyborg had called DT and the Sabretronian Titan said that he would meet them at the Tower. He was able to get out of his busy schedule working at the Secret Sabretron Earth City (The Titans haven't been there, yet). Anyway, he would come look at Blackbird.

Blackbird looked at the Tower in shock and amazement. From her viewpoint, if her calculations were right, the Tower was enormous, a monumental structure that stood gloriously upon an island not too far from the city. However, one thing puzzled her: How were they going to get to the Tower when it was surrounded by water? She could simply fly, but what of the others?

"Watch this," Cyborg said to Blackbird as he flipped a switched. She felt the car move a bit and looked out and under. She saw all 4 wheels of the car move onto their sides and became hover jets.

"Wow," she said, amazed. These were just like the hover cars back on her home planet, Planet Sabre.

"Hold on tight," Cyborg said to her.

"But what about Pluto?" she asked. She then got her answer when Pluto levitated the bike while he was still riding on it. "Okay, stupid question," she chided herself.

The car and the bike skimmed over the water and towards the Tower. They were going to introduce their new friend to the other Titans.

* * *

Draco and Mortuary were at the obstacle course. Several targets were laid standing up on the course. This was the targeting range, basically. Robin would often come train here to practice his martial arts as the targets popped up on random. 

Jinx sat at the sidelines with the baby Kaiser, Brimstone, that Draco had made into a pet. He was chewing on a large slab of meat as he watched his master.

Both Draco and Mortuary were armed. Draco had his DRA-Blaster while Mortuary had the Death Buster, a gun he made specifically to kill Orphenochs. One precise shot would kill an Orphenoch instantly. Draco was glad that he hadn't become the gun's latest victim.

"Ready?" Draco asked, twirling his DRA-Blaster in his hands.

"I was born ready," Mortuary cocked his gun. "Let's do this."

"Don't cry if I beat you," Draco grinned.

"I was going to say the same thing to you."

The two boys then ran into the obstacle course. Once they did, they began shooting at randomly popping targets. Draco totally decimated the targets while Mortuary made a clean shot into the bull's eyes. Later on, they decided to use their powers in tandem with their guns, so aside from gun and laser fire were flame blasts and explosions of necroplasm. Jinx watched in amazement as the boys worked together in complete harmony.

Truth be told, Jinx didn't exactly trust Mortuary. She didn't hate him, but she didn't like him either. It was just, well, when a guy breaks into your house and tries to kill your boyfriend for being what he is, it kinds of creates a bad first impressions and first impressions often last for a very long time. From her conversations with Terra, she learnt that Mortuary, or Craig, wasn't really a bad guy. Even so, she did feel wary about the guy every time he spent time with Draco. Mortuary and Draco were turning into the best of friends. She liked seeing Draco smile more; he didn't smile that much after he became an Orphenoch, and Mortuary was a nice guy, but he tried to **kill** Draco. Stuff like that wasn't very easy to forgive or forget.

Watching the chaos the two boys committed while training had gained them the moniker the "Destructive Duo". It was pretty accurate since Draco would literally burn through an obstacle course and Mortuary would blast right through.

She raised her hand and stroked Brimstone's ears. The little cub wagged its tail. Despite not having fur like normal dogs, Brimstone's skin was quite soft, like silk, but it was also tough, not receiving any damage. It took awhile to house train Brimstone and he was a handful, but the Kaiser cub could grow on you…except Raven. Brimstone reminded her too much of what Azarath had become; a dead and desolate wasteland.

Anyway, Brimstone was just like any other puppy, just demonic in origins. She remembered Draco bringing home a little kitten named Minx, but he had given the little kitten to his twin sister Kat. She was there to accompany Draco and Kat's parting words were, "The next time we meet, it may not be as allies." It was kind of unnerving how threats like that could keep you awake all night. Even though Kat had helped them against Trigon and saved the world, she was still Slade's apprentice, and despite the peace and quiet the Titans still felt a little worried. Slade was still out there, watching, planning, biding his time until he struck, and when he did, the Teen Titans won't be too far behind to kick his butt.

Brimstone's happy bark made Jinx jump a bit. She had been too engrossed with her thoughts that she tuned everything out. She often tuned out the world during meditation. She saw Draco and Mortuary, laughing as they had a good workout. She looked over and saw the destruction as pieces of broken wood littered the field. They could just clean it up later anyway. Brimstone padded towards his master and leapt into the Dragon Knight's arms, licking his face. Draco laughed. Jinx smiled, got up on her feet, and walked towards the two boys and one demon dog.

"How was your workout?" she asked.

Draco smiled, "Pretty good, Jinx. Right, Craig?"

"Yep, Leo," Mortuary agreed.

Jinx narrowed her eyes at Mortuary suspiciously. But then her eyes went over to the horizon. She saw the T-Car and Motor Majin approaching. "It looks like those three are back. Wonder what they found this time?"

"They were at the junkyard, right?" Draco said as he put the little cub down.

"It can't smell as bad as Beast Boy, can it? I mean, he smells like bad tofu," Mortuary said. They all laughed.

"We better go take a look," Draco picked up Brimstone. "Let's go guys."

* * *

Terra and Blackfire were in the living room and doing their nails when Blackfire saw Pluto outside the living room window. Terra also saw the T-Car, meaning Beast Boy was back. 

"Hm, looks like they're back from digging through garbage," Blackfire commented. She knew that Pluto would often go to the junkyard to look for spare parts and it didn't bother her, not one bit. As long as he took a shower and cleaned himself right after, it was fine by her. He was an eccentric genius and she loved him for it. Plus, he was a really mean bass guitar player.

Terra didn't mind hugging Beast Boy even after he came home from the junkyard. Pluto and Cyborg were his best friends and they would often do crazy stuff like this for fun. Beast Boy's smell was…'unique'. It was the best word she could come up with to describe him.

Mortuary, Jinx, Draco and Brimstone walked into the living room. Mortuary looked at his pyrokinetic friend with disbelief. "Giant mutant vegetables? You're kidding! Okay, I've seen a lot of weird stuff, but that can't be true."

"Believe me, it's true. There's even some footage of what happened if you want to see. We swiped it from the security cams on that day," Draco told him.

Jinx added, "When I saw those giant peas and big broccoli, I nearly couldn't believe it myself."

Brimstone let out a bark as he leapt onto the couch and curled up to sleep. No one else but Draco and Jinx could get him off the couch without losing their fingers. Besides, it was best to let sleeping demon dogs lie.

"And this is the common/living room!" Cyborg announced like he was giving a tour. Behind were Pluto, Beast Boy…and a robotic looking copper female in black crow-like armor.

"Nice place," Blackbird commented.

They noticed the others looking at them and even Brimstone woke up to take a gander at their guest. Blackbird noticed this.

Blackfire asked, feeling a little irritated, "Takada…who's she?"

"And where did she come from?" Terra asked, her question directed to Beast Boy.

"We found her in a junkyard!" Beast Boy answered. "In a status…sandwich…steamboat…?" he couldn't remember the right word.

"In a stasis pod," Pluto helped him.

"Yeah, a stasis pod!"

"A stasis pod?" Mortuary asked Draco.

"News to me," The Dragon Knight shrugged.

"What kind of stasis pod?" Blackfire asked.

Blackbird answered, "A Sabretronian one." Blackfire gasped, No wonder the symbol on her helmet was so familiar. "Hello you all and my name is Blackbird."

"Why?" Terra asked and Blackbird answered by transforming into her Beast Mode, a crow. "Oh, stupid question," Terra said sheepishly. "I'm Terra." Blackbird transformed back.

The Titans then introduced themselves one by one.

"Jinx."

"Mortuary."

"Blackfire"

"I'm Draco." Draco picked up Brimstone. "And this is my pet, Brimstone."

"It's nice to meet you all. You have a really nice home. Interesting structure and equipped very well," Blackbird complimented.

"It's enough to get us by," Blackfire said.

"Anyway, Blackbird will be staying with us until DT comes over to check her out," Cyborg said.

"Who's DT?" Blackbird asked.

"He's a Titan," Beast Boy answered. "Now he works at a Secret Sabretron City."

"There's a Sabretron City? Where?" Blackbird was curious. Just how long was she in that pod?

"Blacky, if we knew, it wouldn't be a secret now would it?" Pluto said to her.

"Makes sense. So where will I be sleeping?"

"Well, there are a lot of guest rooms here. I'm staying in one. Maybe I can show you the way?" Mortuary offered.

"By Primus, thank you."

* * *

Meanwhile, a pair of familiar bird-based Deathtrons was in the junkyard. They had been there ever since the battle to retrieve 'The Prototype' a.k.a. Double-Trouble/DT. They had been abandoned on Earth and had no way of getting back to their home planet, Planet Death from the Orion System. These Deathtrons were the H.A.W.K.S., Dreadwind and Blackwing. 

"Rummaging through garbage like vermin," Blackwing snorted. "I can't live like this."

"We have to make due, brother," Dreadwind said to his sibling. "We do not have any Earth currency and we cannot simply walk amongst humans as we are to blend in. Our Holo-projectors were damaged in that fight, remember?" They used Holo-projectors to disguise their forms from humans and blend in.

"Why don't we just break into one of those banks and steal the money? That way we can buy efficient parts to repair ourselves," Blackwing kicked a paint can away.

"And face those Teen Titans again? They defeated us before and in our current state they would simply dominate us."

"Whatever," Blackwing said he rolled his eyes. He then saw something peculiar. "Hey Dreadwind, come here and take a look." Dreadwind sighed and walked to his brother.

"What is it?" he then saw that Blackwing was pointing into some sort of slide/tunnel.

"Want to check it out?"

"I got nothing more to lose. After you Blackwing."

The two jumped into the tunnel that would lead them to Fixit's home.

To Be Continued…

Oh no! Fixit is in danger! Blackwing and Dreadwind are going to use Fixit's equipment to fix themselves. Oh man! Guess where they'll go once they're properly fixed up? Tune in for more answers.

And if you still remember who Dreadwind and Blackwing are, gimme a call. If you want to borrow them, let me know, kay?


	16. PT016: Uncaged

Part 16: Uncaged

Libra walked into the large building. The building itself appeared to be a temple made of gold and shone like the sun. Despite its age, it didn't show any traces of being ancient. The building was actually a temple. In truth, it was the Zodiac Temple. The temple had a large dome-like structure in the centre and several large spires. The inside of the temple were lined with pillars. As Libra walked through the large hall, clad in his Zodiac Armor of Libra, he walked by several statues that were lining the wall. These statues were the statues of Zodiac Knights that had come before him or even any of the other Knights in modern times. These were the ones who had wielded the powers of the Zodiac, both Greek and Oriental in origin, and had used those powers for great good, or destructive evil. Alas, they were still being honored as the Zodiac Knights were mere Avatars of balance, representing the polarity of the universe, both Yin and Yang.

Libra then arrived in front of a pair of large doors, nearly 15 feet in height and 10 feet in width. The doors were made of a shining metal, not gold, but equally valuable. On the doors were ornate carvings. One door showed the animals of the Oriental Zodiac and the other one showed the symbols of the Greek Zodiac, both arranged in circles. The Guardian of the Zodiac Knights pushed the doors open. Today he was going to pay a special visit to a very special individual. He was going to pay visit to the Guardian of the Book of Destiny.

The Book of Destiny was no simple book that recorded destiny. Rather it was the Book that could not only foretell the future, but multiple outcomes of the same present. The Book itself recorded the beginning of Time itself as well as the birth of the Universe, a well kept secret and only a select few celestials were allowed to know of these secrets. The Book also recorded the events of other alternate universes that spanned the entire Multiverse itself. The Book also held all the known prophecies of the entire Multiverse within its many pages.

Also, the Book must never fall into the wrong hands for the Book also controls Destiny and to rewrite Destiny can be a dangerous thing. That was why the Book of Destiny was guarded within these walls.

But why the walls of the Zodiac Temple, you may ask? Well, the Guardian of the Book of Destiny was also the FIRST person to wield the powers of the Zodiac Dragon as well as the Powers of Libra. The First Knight he was called, but he was simply known as Zodiac Knight Chromedragozoid.

The ancient Knight (his actual age not known nor mentioned for he hates to be reminded) sat in his chambers. The Book of Destiny sat upon a pedestal and protected by a magical energy field that not even the most powerful of beings could bypass, with an exception of God himself of course. He wore deep red robes under silver armor. He no longer wore his helmet, revealing his short black hair. His deep black eyes scanned over a piece of parchment, possibly an excerpt from the Book, but hard to tell for it was written in an unrecognizable tongue. A long wicked scar decorated his right cheek. Despite his age, he looked like he was in his late twenties.

Libra tapped his staff upon the floor and Chromedragozoid, or simply known as Chrome, looked up from his work. He smiled at the current Guardian of the Zodiac Knights and left his work, walking over to the Guardian and smiling. They stood in front of each other, Chrome being a full head taller than Libra but not showing the least amount of disrespect. This was because Chrome showed respect to those who showed him respect. If not, you were thrown out of the chambers and even the Temple. Yoshido learnt that the hard way several millennia ago and the kick he got in the butt still stung to this day.

"Greetings, Guardian Chromedragozoid," Libra addressed him as he bowed. Chrome bowed as well.

"There's no need for us to really do that, is it?" Chrome said as he stood up straight, followed by Libra.

"I was always taught to be respectful and polite to my friends and associates," Libra smiled. "So, how has your life been?"

Chrome gave Libra a stony leer. "No need for the formalities, Libra. I know why you're here."

"You do?" Libra questioned.

"Yes, you wish to take a peek at the Book of Destiny."

"So may I?" Chrome shook his head. "Why not?"

"There are rules to follow. No one but me, God and the Angel of Destiny are allowed to look at the Book. You remember how I had to kick out Yoshido for being rude?"

Libra chuckled, "Yes, that was priceless." He turned serious. "But, I really wish to look at the Book."

"This is about your son, isn't it?"

"Among other things," Libra admitted. "I just wish to know what is in store for him, that's all." Chrome shook his head.

"You've been watching over them, your children?" Libra nodded. "You and I both know that you're not allowed to meddle until the day of the Tournament."

"I just don't like the way things are turning out. I'm not even allowed to use my time powers to change things." Libra gripped his fists around his staff tightly

Chrome shrugged. "I know how you feel, Libra. I know that Destiny can be a big pain in the neck, but there is no way for us to change these things but let them flow. To fight destiny is to fight yourself, there's no way you can win."

Libra sighed. "I understand."

Chrome decided to change the subject, "Hey, you did watch how Trigon was defeated, didn't you?"

Libra smiled proudly, "You bet I did!" He was proud of his children. "My kids were a sure chip off the whole block, weren't they?"

"I saw, and even the Order watched as the Gem, Raven, the one some of them were trying to kill to prevent Trigon's arrival, wiped the floor with him!"

"It was better than pay-per-view wrestling!" The two celestials laughed.

"So…" Chrome waved his hand and a chess board appeared with chess pieces made of gold and silver and made to look like small human, or animal, figures. "How about a game of Chess?" Chrome sat at the side of silver and Libra sat down at the side of gold. Behind them, one of the pages of the Book of Destiny flipped over.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Titans Tower, Pluto and Cyborg were giving Blackbird the grand tour of the Tower. They were also looking for a room to place Blackbird in for the time being until DT came. Double-Trouble had been busy with his job in the Sabretron City and rarely came to visit due to his busy schedule. However, despite all that he was able to send video messages every week to tell the Titans how he had been. He seemed fine so far so there was nothing to worry about.

Anyway, Jinx and Draco were on a date. Jinx was going to teach Draco how to skate. Well, good luck Jinx! The Dragon Knight had never skated in his entire life, so that would be an interesting challenge. The only descent ice skating rink was in the mall. Brimstone was sleeping in the living room, in a flame retardant doggy bed (just in case, Remember that Brimstone is a baby hellhound). Mortuary was in the gym, pumping weights. Beast Boy, of course, was with Terra on the beach. Blackfire must've gone flying off somewhere.

Pluto, Cyborg and their latest houseguest, Blackbird, walked into the living room once they finished showing the Sabretronian around.

"This is some place you got here," Blackbird complimented.

"Oh yeah," Cyborg grinned proudly.

"The home for the teenage superhero, or heroes, has to be cool," Pluto added, also proudly. "Right, T.I.T.A.N?" Pluto asked the large computer screen. The computer came to life, showing a yellow smiley face that had a black 'T' in the centre and pleasant blue eyes. This was T.I.T.A.N. (**T**echnologically **I**ntricate **T**ower **A**ccessible **N**etwork).

"Affirmative," T.I.T.A.N replied.

Blackbird was both surprised and impressed, "An artificial intelligent mainframe. Impressive."

Cyborg and Pluto smiled proudly. Pluto told her, "T.I.T.A.N. here was designed and programmed by the two of us."

"T.I.T.A.N. has been programmed to defend the Tower from anything threatening it and us. It is also linked to the Tower's system. That means T.I.T.A.N. is the Tower's brain," Cyborg added.

"Was there any problems when you first activated T.I.T.A.N.?" Blackbird asked.

Cyborg and Pluto looked at each other and grinned nervously before turning to look back at Blackbird. Pluto confessed, "Let's just say there were a few kinks when we first turned T.I.T.A.N. on."

Cyborg muttered in disgruntled tone, "Yeah, he tried to kill us." Pluto chuckled and sweatdropped.

"Kill you?" Blackbird questioned.

"It's a LONG story. Happened a little while back. We'll tell you about it later," Pluto said to her. Suddenly, T.I.T.A.N. began to alert them. The alarms blared

"ALERT! ALERT! INCOMING EMERGENCY VIDEO MESSAGE!" T.I.T.A.N. exclaimed. Cyborg and Pluto turned to face the computer.

"Send it through, T.I.T.A.N.!" Pluto commanded. T.I.T.A.N. did as commanded, showing them what they needed to see. What they saw shocked them and chilled them to the bone.

It was Fixit's lab…his home. The place looked like a tornado had just hit. Computers were destroyed with pieces of them laid on the floor. Wiring and circuitry hung from the ceilings. Also, Fixit's tiny security bots were all destroyed. However, the most chilling thing of all was seeing Fixit, hunched over his own work table, weak and battered. He looked like he had been beaten nearly to death. Some of his circuits were exposed and there were slash marks on his arms. His robes were in tatters and only one good eye remained, flickering.

"Oh god!" Pluto gasped. Blackbird's expression matched his.

"What happened?" Cyborg questioned.

"Cyborg…Pluto…" Fixit spoke to them weakly. "You're all…in danger…" he coughed. "Two…monsters came in…they attacked me…and used my equipment to repair…themselves." He rasped. "You must…" he then fell silent as his head dropped onto the tabletop.

"FIXIT!" Cyborg roared, horrified. Pluto was struck speechless.

Pluto picked up his DOG-Phone and called the other Titans. They had a friend to save and an enemy they needed to prepare for.

* * *

(In Amity Park)

Shadow was looking over his shoulder, looking startled. This did not go unnoticed by Raven.

"Something wrong?" Raven asked.

Shadow said softly, "I don't know, but I know it's bad."

Shadowcobra, you have no idea…

* * *

One of Libra's chess pieces, a bishop, fell over. This may have seemed normal in a normal game of Chess, but in a game between two celestials like themselves, this could only be a bad sign of things yet to come. Libra eyed his one remaining knight. Maybe that could tip the game to his favor. At this, another page of the Book of Destiny flipped over.

To Be Continued…

Will Fixit die? Will the Titans find out who's responsible for this? How powerful are the H.A.W.K.S. now? Stay tune for the next chapter.

I know this is a short chap, but wait till you read the next one.


	17. PT017: Repairs

Part 17: Repairs

(Tower Infirmary)

"Easy Vic," Pluto, clad in his armor, said to Cyborg as they gently placed Fixit on one of the infirmary beds. After they had received Fixit's message, Pluto had quickly transformed and used his Portal Vent card to travel to Fixit's home and bring him over to the Tower. Fixit was injured/damaged and both Cyborg and Pluto didn't want to waste any time to help the poor hermit.

Saying the two of them were upset was an understatement. No, they were both royally pissed and wanted to know who had done this and make him pay. However, they needed to keep their emotions in check in order to help Fixit. Currently, both Pluto and Cyborg were the only ones in the infirmary while the other Titans were outside, watching and feeling worried. Mortuary, being new, didn't know Fixit and was just feeling curious.

"Who's the old guy?" Mortuary asked. He was sympathetic.

Draco answered, "His name's Fixit and he's a friend of Takada and Vic's. He's a cybernetic hermit who spends most his life and time fixing things. He's a little weird, but he's a nice guy once you get to know him." Draco frowned as he watched. "I sure hope they can help him."

Jinx was now wearing a new uniform comprised of a black tube top, elbow length fingerless gloves and black shorts with her signature blue and black striped stockings and combat boots. There was also blue armor plating on her tube top, gloves and boots. Around her neck was a blue choker with a circular pendant hanging from it. She placed a sympathetic hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, "He'll be okay. No matter how bad Pluto's inventions get, he still knows when to be serious."

"I sure hope so."

"Damn," Beast Boy commented. "What happened to him?"

"We don't know, Gar, that's the problem," Draco scratched his head in frustration. "I could've stopped this!" he scolded himself. "I could've predicted this with the power of Pisces and…"

"Relax, Leo," Terra said to her Draconic friend. "It's not your fault that you can't control your clairvoyance."

"Tazuka could…" Jinx knew the story of Tazuka. Draco still had trouble talking about him. She held his hand and gave it a light squeeze.

Blackbird felt, well, worried. She had only just met Fixit, but still felt that if Fixit died she would lose someone important to her. She may have just met the Titans, but they were starting to grow on her.

Blackfire watched as Pluto began scanning Fixit. She felt a pain in her heart when she saw him like this. He had told her how he had lost his father in an accident and she had seen his comatose mother in the hospital. Takada had lost too many people in his life and she knew he didn't want to lose anyone anymore.

Ever since he had been enhanced by the nanotech he had (accidentally) consumed, Pluto gained several special abilities. He could change his limbs into any tools he wanted or create tools out of thin air just by summoning the nanobots. He also possessed enhanced strength and senses. Right now, he was scanning Fixit using his 'nanotech-vision'. It was like X-Ray vision, but he could only scan machines with it. It was useful right now to know what was wrong with Fixit before they begun repairs.

"He has internal damages, his motor circuits have been damaged and his power cell is leaking. His internal structure has also been compromised," Takada said to Cyborg. In medical terms, Fixit had internal injuries, internal bleeding, damaged nerves and a few broken bones, if he was human of course but Fixit was part machine so the terms needed to be switched around. "We can't risk operating on him or repairing him the old fashion way. We got to use Project: TR."

"You sure Takada?" Cyborg asked.

Pluto replied, "We don't have a choice. Fixit is dying on us as we speak!" Cyborg nodded.

"Let's do it. I'll carry Fixit," Cyborg volunteered as he lifted Fixit up. Pluto went over to a strange tarp covered structure that was easily 7 feet in height and 6 feet in width. With his levitation powers he threw the tarp off to reveal a silver colored chamber with the Titans 'T' emblazed on the door. This was Pluto's latest invention, the Titan Recover Chamber, or TR-Chamber. Its primary function was to speed up the healing process. Pluto entered a code and the door swung up to reveal an empty space with wires that had suction cup ends attached on the inside. There was also a breathing mask. Cyborg hooked Fixit up to the wires and put the breathing mask on him before putting Fixit slowly into the chamber. The door swung close. Pluto and Cyborg looked at one another and nodded.

"T.I.T.A.N., begin process," Pluto said to T.I.T.A.N., who was monitoring the patient's status.

"Process initiated," T.I.T.A.N. stated.

There was an image of Fixit on the screen as the chamber began to fill up with a strange blue liquid. The liquid would help with the healing/repairing process. The liquid worked on both machines and organics so there were no worries of Fixit shorting out due to the liquid. Pluto sighed, "Now, we wait," Pluto said. "He'll be okay in a couple of hours. Let the nanobot liquid do its work."

"You did good Plutes," Cyborg his friend a pat on the back.

"I know. I just wish we could use this to help my mom," Pluto said sadly. He had done his research. The chamber would heal his mother but not revive her from her comatose state. There was just something missing. Pluto was all about logic, only willing to accept the existence of magic and the supernatural several years ago. By nature he was a man of science. Despite his faulty inventions, there were a few instances that his inventions would work, the TR-Chamber being one of them. He had gotten the schematics and blueprints from DT who said that the Sabretrons used the same type of chambers to heal themselves. Deathtrons used pools with liquid that had nanobots in them. Pluto, of course, decided to build a healing chamber for the Titans. This would be the most useful invention yet.

He only prayed that it would work.

(Tower Roof)

Draco was up on the roof, thinking. He had been a Zodiac Knight for almost three years and a Titan for a few months and his life had changed drastically.

For one, when he first started as a Zodiac Knight it was purely accidental. He hadn't known of the risks at first but he found out the worst way possible. He was one of 26 (Now 19 since a few Knights had been defeated) Knights destined to fight one another till the very end. He learnt of the monsters and the Tournament; the Final battle of the Zodiac Knights to determine the winner. He dreaded the day and didn't want the day to come, but it would and there was no way to stop it.

The prize for being the LAST Knight standing was irresistible. ONE wish, ONE reality changing wish. Anything and everything you wanted, desired, all yours. The price, however, was too high. The life of others for ONE wish? It didn't seem worth it to him. It didn't seem fair.

Ever since he gained the Pisces Power of Clairvoyance, he'd been having visions. They were not full visions but short glimpses into the future…or was it the past? There were all so confusing to him. Unlike his other Zodiac Powers, the Power of Pisces, which was Clairvoyance, was an ability he was yet to master. It was useful in battle since he could guess and predict his opponent's next move, but the visions that often came to him in his dreams were all too jumbled up. He didn't know what to make of them. He silently prayed, _'Kami…'_

The Knights had told the Titans everything about the destiny of the Knights. They were simply stunned upon the revelation, even Jinx. The words that came out were. "_You must fight in order to survive._" And, "_In the End there can be only ONE._" Even though the cost was high, a lot of the Knights, the bad ones at least, did not have any qualms in eliminating the competition. Team ups were common, but would inevitably not last since there can be only ONE. After all, one wish for everything and anything you wanted, no strings attached, who wouldn't want that? Draco could still feel that Pluto and Shadow wanted THAT wish; he could see it in their eyes. But for himself, what was HIS wish? Did he have one at all? He didn't at first, but now he did:

He wanted to become human again. He learnt that ever since he became an Orphenoch his days were numbered. His lifespan had been shortened. Such power as an Orphenoch was great, but at the very cost of one's own life. Was it worth it? Draco had told Jinx about his constant nightmares. He had dreamed of himself either killing as an Orphenoch or dying as one. He had woken up, screaming, breathing hard and panting, drenched in sweat because of those damned nightmares. All he wanted was for them to stop and to do that was to get that wish.

But to get that wish…he had to FIGHT. He had to KILL. He had to be the ONE.

And truth be told he couldn't do that. He couldn't bear to have the blood of another staining his hands. He couldn't kill…not anymore…no more killing.

But, what if there was no other choice but to kill? He had no answer to that.

He hid his pain well from the others, smiling his cheerful smile. He didn't want to worry them. He was dying. He knew that and they knew that, thanks to Shadow…Ichijyo. Even now, he still couldn't understand what Shadow fought for, but that was his business. His reasons were his own and Draco had no right to pry.

"Hey," greeted a voice. Draco turned and he found himself staring at Terra. "What're you doing up here on your own?"

"Watching the sunset," he half lied. '_And thinking_.'

"Without Jinx?" she asked him curiously with an eyebrow raised. Ever since the two started dating, Terra had noticed that Draco and Jinx were exceptionally close.

"I just…wanted to be alone," he told her. He then asked, trying to change the subject, "How's Fixit?"

Terra shrugged and walked up to him, hands tucked behind her. "He's healing," she said. "That chamber thing actually **does** work." The tone suggested playfulness since pluto's inventions usually had a tendency to backfire, more often than not.

Draco chuckled. "I was surprised too. That's a good thing. Once Fixit wakes up, we'll know what happened to him."

Terra looked at him with her blue eyes. "Okay, I know you didn't just come up here to watch the sunset."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Because no one in this Tower ever **just **watches the sunset," she told him. She asked, "Is this about you being an Orphenoch?" Draco looked at her. Just how perceptive was she.

He answered, "I'm just worried about the future."

"You mean about you being a Zodiac Knight and your destiny?"

"Pretty much. I mean, would you kill for ONE wish? Would you?" he asked. She tucked her hair behind her left ear.

"I was…when I was Slade's apprentice…" she trailed. Draco understood that she didn't like to talk about that part of her life; he had been in the same predicament. "When I was Slade's apprentice, he gave me the control I needed, but at a cost."

"Your loyalty and freedom," Draco prodded, "And the lives of the Titans?" she nodded.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Draco didn't seem too comfortable from the tone of her voice.

"You were his apprentice too, same with Robin. I knew why Robin did it; he was being blackmailed. You, on the other hand, haven't told us anything."

"I…had my reasons," Draco said nervously.

"And I respect that, I do," Terra said. "But you've been keeping it to yourself. What did he offer you?"

Draco looked her in the eye, emerald green meeting bright blue, and said, "The same thing he offered you." he added, "Control. He offered me control of my Orphenoch side."

"What did he do?" she asked.

"He taught me control…and a lot more," he said.

They heard barking behind them, and screaming, "GET BACK HERE YOU INSANE DOG THING!" Mortuary yelled as he ran up the stairs, chasing after a hyperactive Brimstone who had Mortuary's gun in its jaw. "OR SO HELP ME, I'LL NECRO-BLAST YOU TILL…" He then noticed Draco and Terra on the roof and stopped. "Oh, hi guys."

Brimstone leapt into Draco's arms. "Brimstone…" he scolded. "Give me the gun." Brimstone did and Draco gave it back to Mortuary. "Here Mort."

"Thanks." Mortuary grimaced as he took the gun. "Ew, demon drool." He noticed the way Draco and Terra were standing. "Did something happen here?"

They shrugged. "We just talked," Terra told him.

"About…?"

"Nothing much," Draco answered. Brimstone licked his face and he chuckled.

"You know, I always thought of you as more of a cat person," Terra said to Draco.

"So did I," he smiled. "Guess I was wrong." Suddenly, their communicators rang. Terra opened hers.

"What's up?" Terra asked. She was looking at Pluto.

"Guys, come down here," he said, "There's something you need to see."

The three of them looked at one another and ran back into the Tower, Brimstone being carried by Draco.

(Tower Common Room)

All the Titans were looking expectantly at what Pluto had discovered when Terra, Draco and Mortuary ran in. Draco put Brimstone down and the obedient hellhound went over to the couch and sat next to Silkie and Cyberdog.

Pluto said to them, "While Fixit was being repaired, I did some digging in his memory banks to find out what had happened to him. His memory files were encrypted so I had to do a little hacking to get into them" He showed them a CD. "Watch this." He slid the CD into the computer and uploaded the file. They were going to see what Fixit had seen

"Playing file now," T.I.T.A.N. stated.

Fixit's voice rang out from the computer as he yelled, _"Who are you? What are you doing here?_" he was looking at two figures with wings. They were hidden by the shadows, but the Titans, minus Mortuary, saw them to be quite familiar.

One of the figures said, _"We came to repair ourselves. Stay out of the way or else." _

Fixit, however, sent his security bots to attack, but the small bots were no match for the intruders. When the bots had been smashed, the other figure said, "_You shouldn't have done that. Now you'll regret it._"

The Titans held horrified expressions on their faces as they watched Fixit being attacked. The heard his screams as the two figures attacked him mercilessly and relentlessly until he lay limp. Jinx covered her ears to drown out the screaming and so did Draco since it was torture to his enhanced Orphenoch hearing. The two continued their merciless and violent attack as they ganged up on the poor hermit. Fixit's screaming died down and that was when Pluto caught a glimpse of something and paused the video. He then zoomed in.

"No way…" Blackfire's eyes grew wide.

Staring back at the Titans, on one of the figures, was a familiar purple horned face with sharp fangs. Blackbird identified it straight away.

"Deathtrons…"

To Be Continued…

I guess the Titans know who's responsible…or do they? Well, the next chap is gonna reveal something shocking. Also, the return of a friend. Stay tune.


	18. PT018: Raptors

Part 18: Raptors

Being a Sabretron herself, Blackbird obviously recognized the symbol of the Deathtrons for her race/organization had been long time enemies with the latter. It was also obvious that Deathtrons had attacked Fixit.

They knew why the Deathtrons had attacked Fixit. The question to ask now was who were the Deathtrons that attacked Fixit? The figures were hidden in the shadows and blurred out. Blackbird looked over at the Dog Knight, Pluto, who had found her and saw the expression on his face.

Blackfire also knew of the Deathtrons. Back on Tamaran, she studied the history archives when she was bored. She found texts regarding the Deathtrons and how they invaded her home those many centuries ago and the atrocities they committed. She hated Deathtrons too, but not all of them. Shadow was one of the good ones for he was a member of the Deathtron Secret Police. Scratch that, he was the **Commander** of the Deathtron Secret Police and not a simple member. He was a high ranked officer and the one responsible for getting rid of the price on her head. Thanks to Shadowcobra she was a free alien, even if she was under his custody. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she did respect the guy, even if they did rub each other the wrong way at first. Back in Tokyo, she saw a different side of him and got to know him a little better. He was slightly bitter at her for what she had done to Starfire, but who wouldn't? Her sister and he had been best friends and well, he cared about her. Right now, Blackfire was focusing on the Deathtron symbol on the screen, but most of all the look in her boyfriend's eyes (his visor was pulled up).

Pluto was mad…And I mean really mad. He was shaking, his eyes were narrowed and his eyebrows were slanted as he glared upon the Deathtron symbol. Sparks literally flew off his body, electrical sparks, as he gazed upon the symbol with absolute rage. These Deathtrons had hurt Fixit, a close friend and one of the most brilliant (even if he was a bit crazy, but so was Pluto) minds that Pluto had the honor to meet. They didn't just attack Fixit, they beat up a harmless and defenseless old man and Pluto hated it when people beat on the elder. It just wasn't right. The Titans backed away from Pluto, even Cyborg. Beast Boy spoke up.

"Dude, you okay?' BB asked. Pluto took in a deep breath, turned away from the monitor screen…and fired an electrical bolt at the ceiling, creating a scorch mark. His teeth were gritted. Man, was he pissed. Beast Boy gulped, eyes wide and hid behind Terra, squeaking, "I'll take (gulp) as a yes."

"I'll be in my room," Pluto said coldly. "Call me if there's anything new." He stalked out of the living room. No one else dared to follow. Even Blackfire was frightened of him. Most of the time, he was a goofy mad scientist who would often have his experiments backfire on him. However, right now, all she saw was an extremely angry young man who was capable of almost anything.

Correction: An extremely angry ANIMAL.

Cyborg scratched his head, "Man, never seen Plutes that mad before!"

Draco then spoke up, "I have."

"You have?" Jinx asked. Everyone's eyes turned to Draco, silently asking him to elaborate.

"Yeah," Draco sighed. "That's the same look in the eyes that Pluto used to get back when I first met him. Did he ever tell you about why he became a Zodiac Knight in the first place?" Everyone, except for Blackfire, shook their heads. "Blackfire?"

"He told me," she admitted. "Back in Tokyo, we visited his mother. She's in a coma because of a traffic accident that killed his dad." Beast Boy and Pluto gasped.

"He never told us!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"But I though he was our bud!" Beast Boy added.

"It was his secret, Beast Boy," Draco said. "He has a right to keep it. His reason for becoming a Zodiac Knight was to save his mother. His mother's in a coma and slowly getting worse, her condition is deteriorating. Ichijyo is funding money to keep her alive, but even he can do so much. The only chance Takada has in waking his mother back up is winning the Tournament."

"What Tournament?" Mortuary asked. He had only been here for a couple of weeks and had a lot to learn about Draco and the Zodiac Knights.

"The Zodiac Tournament. It's the final stage of the Zodiac Knights. All the surviving Zodiac Knights will fight one another until only **one** Knight remains. Basically, it's survival of the fittest and the one Knight that's left standing shall win the ultimate prize: a wish to change reality to his own whim. It's like giving a person the power of God and that is an absolutely tempting prize." The others fell silent upon Draco's explanation. They never really knew how much was truly at stake. It just never occurred to them. Draco added, "In the End there can be only One."

Blackfire had run off, possibly to go look for Pluto. Cyborg and Beast Boy followed after.

* * *

Pluto was in his room/lab/workshop. Littered on the ground were his plans, blueprints and schematics. He was hunched over his desk, sitting in his chair, his face resting in his arms. His computer screen was blank.

"Why? Why did it have to happen to Fixit?" Pluto asked himself. Seeing Fixit like that reminded him of the day of the accident. It had been almost three years ago when it had happened. His father was driving and his mother was sitting shotgun. Pluto/Takada and Venus/Eri were in the back. It was just one of those family outings. It was a beautiful day…

Then _it_ happened.

Something flew out in front of them, surprising Takada's father. He lost control of the car and crashed into a truck.

The ambulance came and they examined all of them. Takada's dad had died immediately in the crash and his mom had serious injuries and needed to be taken to the hospital. Himself and his sister were unharmed (for obvious reasons now since they were chosen to wield the Zodiac Powers of the Dog and Virgo) and uninjured. Of course, now they suffered from survivor's guilt.

Pluto, as well as going to school, had to take on a job to support himself and his sister. He and his sister would often help out at their aunt's little restaurant. They didn't have any other close relatives, except for their aunt whom they lived with, although several distant ones gave them financial support, easing their troubles a bit.

Of course, that wasn't enough. The medical insurance paying for their mom's life support was running out and it would be a matter of time before they, the doctors, had to pull the plug.

That is, until he got a visit…from Fuji himself.

Fuji offered him a way. He handed Takada the Zodiac Deck of the Dog and told him that if he wanted his wish to come true he would have to fight. Not seeing any other option, he accepted. He told Eri and since then he became Zodiac Knight Pluto, Knight of Immortality and Invincibility. As long as there was a way to revive their mother, he would do what it took to make sure it happened. No matter the cost.

A knock on the door caused his trail of though to derail. Wiping a tear out of his eye, he lifted his head up and looked at the door. "Yes?" he asked.

"Yoshi?" Blackfire's voice asked from the other side. "Can we come in?"

'_We?_' he thought. He pulled his visor over his eyes and pulled on his coat. "Okay." The door slid open and sending on the other side of the threshold were his girlfriend and good friends, Blackfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy. "Hey guys."

"Listen dawg, we know all about it," Cyborg began.

"About what?" Pluto asked, feigning ignorance. He could sense from the looks on their faces of what they were talking about.

"Dude, we know why you decided to be a Zodiac Knight," Beast Boy clarified. Pluto's eyes widened and he looked at Blackfire.

"Sorry, but I had to tell them. I mean, they…we are your friends, aren't we?" she smiled and Beast Boy and Cyborg put on large grins.

"You know huh? Well, I really appreciate it guys, but I'm fine now," he put on a fake smile and lied. "Really, I'm okay." One of his inventions, a lie detector, began beeping. "Stupid machine," he grumbled, regretting ever making the damn thing, as he turned to look at his friends who caught him in his lie. He muttered to himself, "Maybe I shouldn't have made that lie detector voice activated."

"You got to remember…" Cyborg started as he entered.

"…That all of us…" Beast Boy added, following after Cyborg.

"…Are here for you," Cyborg and Beast Boy finished together, sticking out their arms and putting their hands over one another. Pluto looked at their hands, remembering when the three of them had become friends. That was the day the duo became a trio. With a smile, and a tear in the corner of his eye, Pluto put his hand on theirs.

"Thanks guys." Blackfire wrapped her arms behind around Pluto's chest from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Remember, you got me and friends now. There's no need to be alone," Blackfire said to him, kissing his neck and scratching his ear. He growled pleasantly at the attention.

"And Fixit's gonna be alright," Cyborg added to comfort Pluto. Beast Boy nodded in agreement.

"I needed that," Pluto said to them. Suddenly, the alarms blared, the lights flashing red. "There's trouble!" Pluto exclaimed, nearly mimicking Robin. He ran past them and down the hallway to the living room. He looked lively again and his friends and girlfriend sighed with relief. They then rushed after him.

* * *

"What's going on?" Pluto asked as he stormed into the room, Blackfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg running close behind him.

T.I.T.A.N. reported, showing a map of the city, "They are reports of random and destructive attacks committed by what witnesses believe to be robotic hawks." This got Blackbird's attention as several spots on the map were marked.

"T.I.T.A.N., connect all attack points from first to last," Pluto commanded.

"Affirmative." And T.I.T.A.N. did just that.

"Who could've done this?" Draco questioned.

"I dunno. Billy maybe?" Jinx suggested, referring to the duplicating Billy Numerous. However, it didn't seem like Billy's style. He wasn't into random destruction, just thievery and burglary.

"But what about the robotic birds?" Terra asked. "I mean, Billy doesn't know anything about mechanical stuff. Gizmo does, but he hasn't been on the crime radar since Smart Brain Corporation recruited him." The Titans had been told of both Mammoth and Gizmo's status as Smart Brain's staff so that scratched them off the list of possible suspects.

"So who could it be? Who could hit so many places at once and so fast that we only got the alert now?" Beast Boy questioned.

"We're about to find out," Pluto said as he keyed in some new commands.

T.I.T.A.N. reported, "All points have been connected. Bringing up visual now." The map was brought back up with all the points connected via straight lines. It was like a game of connect the dots and when the game was done, a picture would turn up.

The picture, of course, was not exactly what anyone was expecting.

It was the silhouette of the symbol of the Deathtrons.

"Okay, that _really_ narrows it down," Cyborg commented.

Pluto had his fists gripped tightly, almost drawing blood if it wasn't for his soul fiber gloves. Sparks were flying off his hair. The one who had hurt Fixit…they had done this. It had to be. He calmed down and asked T.I.T.A.N. again, "Damage report?"

T.I.T.A.N. reported, "Nearly 45 to 60 percent of property damage in those areas. There are no cases of fatalities, fortunately. However, there are cases of injured victims both minor and major. The count of injured: 357 civilians so far." The Titans were horrified and relieved; relieved that no one had died, but horrified that so many had been injured right under their noses. Also all that destruction and in such short of time.

Pluto asked again, "The final attack point, where was it?"

T.I.T.A.N marked the last point with a large 'X'. "Here. This is the last point where the attacks were reported and stopped."

"They were leaving a message," Pluto understood. He continued, "Time between the attacks?"

"10 seconds apart. 2 attacks at the same time." That would mean that there were two perps…or more. 10 seconds? That would mean they were **really** fast.

And if so, the Titans needed speed and a lot of it. They had to work fast.

Pluto turned to the Titans (Mortuary had been made a Titans a while back) and Blackbird. He looked serious, _really_ serious. Cyborg saw this and nodded, understanding Pluto's silent command.

"Let's move," Pluto said in a commanding voice, showing a hint of leadership.

"Good," said a new voice. The Titans turned around, not noticing that anyone had entered into the Common Room. They had been too engrossed at the monitor all this time. The person was clad in a black jumpsuit with mismatched red and purple elbow pads, knee pads, shoulder pads, gloves and boots. He wore a mask with red (left) and purple (right) lenses. His hair was blue and he wore a pair of gold bracelets around his wrists.

The Titans recognized who it was.

"DT!"

DT smiled, the Sabretronian Titan said to them, "Miss me?"

To Be Continued…

Well a little bit of Pluto's past was told in this chap. Sad huh? Maybe he constantly invents stuff to get his mind off what happened to his family. Really makes you see the Dog Knight in a different light, don't it? Well, DT's back. Why? Who knows? To help? Of course. Why wouldn't he? He is a Titans after all.

Well, it took me a while to write this chap. I had writer's block and I had a lot of research to do. Hope to hear from you all, reviews I mean.


	19. PT019: Conflict

Part 19: Conflict.

Team A: (Lead by Pluto): Pluto, Blackfire, Beast Boy, Terra and DT (Double Trouble).

Team B: (Lead by Cyborg): Cyborg, Draco, Jinx, Mortuary and Blackbird.

The Titans were split into two teams to track down whoever (or whatever) had been attacking the city. They knew it was Deathtrons (the symbol was a dead giveaway), but they didn't know which Deathtrons. However, with DT's help, they were going to get a clear answer.

Blackbird volunteered to come along. Not only because she was a Sabretron and it was her duty to fight Deathtrons, but also because she couldn't stand idly by and watch innocent people get hurt by these (seemingly) random attacks.

T.I.T.A.N. activated the defense grid as the Titans began to leave. Draco and Pluto were already in their individual armors and ready to go. They needed to move fast so they were going to use vehicles. Those who could fly, and fly fast, didn't need vehicles really, but there were those who wanted to.

That was why Pluto was on the ZX-Motor Majin, Draco on the ZX-Jet Slinger, Beast Boy on his moped (the B-Ped II), Cyborg in the T-Car, Jinx on Draco's Crimson Dragracer and Mortuary on Draco's ZX-Dragchaser. Blackfire, DT, Blackbird and Terra opted to fly with their own means.

"Titans! Go!" Cyborg shouted as he revved the engine. The bridge that connected the Tower with the mainland rose up from the water. The vehicles raced towards the city as the fliers flew straight on, splitting up soon after when they reached the mainland.

* * *

(With Team A)

Team A was investigating the 2nd last point of the attack, which was the business district. There were broken windows, crumbling buildings and the street…well, there was a huge crater. Paramedics were treating the victims while ambulances took some to the hospital. With this many injured in this area, the local hospitals were going to be packed.

'_I sure wished Shadow and Raven were here,_' Pluto thought as he rode upon the Motor Majin, checking his radar and scanners. There was residual energy from plasma based weaponry as well as photon based weapons. An odd mix, but very destructive in the wrong hands. He stopped and so did the others. Beast Boy and Pluto dismounted from their vehicles and Terra, Blackfire and DT landed (DT was in his Deathtron Bat Armor).

"What a mess," Blackfire said, looking at all the destruction.

"You're telling me," Terra agreed. "It looks like a tornado hit this place."

"You could say that again, Terra," Beast Boy sniffed. "Man, what a mess!"

"In more ways than one, Beast Boy," DT said, scanning the area. He hated this for a lot of reasons. One was about the Deathtrons. How could Deathtrons attack people without remorse, and the second reason was why they couldn't stop this earlier?

Pluto asked one of the police officers questioned, "Did you get any witness statements?"

The police officer, knowing Pluto was a Titan, answered, "All they said was that a giant metal bird suddenly came flying down and attacked. It was going on pretty fast. No one was killed, fortunately."

Pluto nodded, "Thank you." He scanned the area again. If his calculations were correct (if he was serious, they often were) he could predict where the Deathtrons would attack next…Hopefully.

DT then remembered something. "Wait a minute," he said. "Did that police officer say 'giant metal bird'?" he asked. Pluto nodded. DT said, realizing the answer, "Of course! I remember something!"

"What?" Blackfire asked.

"Back when Slade tried to lure Renia by kidnapping the Titans (See Part 50, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 of Volume 2), there was this green Knight trying to capture me," DT was talking about ARMS, whom the Titans had the displeasure of meeting a few times (he tried to blow up Draco, Pluto and Shadowcobra. See Part 34 of Volume 1). DT continued, "There were these two Deathtrons, who called themselves the H.A.W.K.S., called Dreadwind and Blackwing."

"You think it's them?" Pluto asked.

DT nodded, "I do. The description fits. Besides, the last time I saw them, there were being blasted to who knows where (See Part 78 of Volume 2)."

Blackfire rubbed her chin, "I think I do remember Raven and Jinx blasting some guys in bird armor."

"So, why this then?" Beast Boy asked, referring to the random destruction.

"They were sending us a message," Terra concluded, "They want revenge. I mean, wouldn't you be pissed after being blasted to Nowheresville?"

"If I was them, I'd be REALLY pissed off," Beast Boy nodded.

"I'm calling Cy," Pluto said as he turned on his DOG-Phone and called Cyborg, "Cyborg, I think we know who the perps are."

* * *

(With Team B)

Cyborg and his team were investigating the last attack point, which was Jump City Bridge. There were holes in the bridge and support cables were weakened from the last strike. There were overturned cars and a lot of injured civilians. Draco's eyes saddened under his green eyepieces as he saw paramedics treating a 5 year old child who had a broken arm and was crying, her parents being treated close by. He thanked Kami that no one was killed. He repaired the cables by welding them together. He also helped out with the injured since he was trained in basic first aid. He didn't have healing abilities, but he could ease the pain of some of the victims with his ice powers.

Mortuary, on the other hand, had a look of total rage on his face. Such destruction reminded him of the many atrocities committed by the Orphenochs that he had slain for the past few months. He couldn't wait to jam his Death-Buster right between there…

Blackbird was the most sympathetic. Her job was to stop Deathtrons and she even failed at that. Okay, she was one Sabretron, but she could've done something. Oh well. No use feeling guilty now for there was work to be done.

Cyborg was doing a scan and found traces of both plasma and photon energy; very deadly stuff in the wrong hands. Who could've done this? Jinx walked up to him.

"Found anything?" Jinx asked.

Cyborg shook his head, "Aside from residual energy signatures, nuthin'." Jinx placed a hand on his arm and smiled.

"You'll figure it out. You always will," she smiled at him softly. Cyborg couldn't help but flush. He did have a crush on Jinx, a long time ago when he had been going undercover at the HIVE. Were those feelings resurfacing? He shook his head. '_No! No! No! Naughty brain! Think of Sarah! You love Sarah!'_ he did this to, not only to clear his mind, but also to remind himself of his love Sarah. Also, looking up, he saw Draco staring at them. Cyborg gulped, almost swearing that he saw Draco's green eyepieces turn red for a second. He still remembered the thrashing he got from the Dragon Knight when said Knight found out that Cyborg was the one who broke Jinx's heart (See Part 18 of Volume 1). He reminded himself, '_And you don't want to piss Draco off AGAIN! Remember that he can now give you frostbite!'_ Not to mention that Draco was also an Orphenoch and could reduce him to ashes at any second.

Draco, despite having his helmet and faceplate on to hide his face, was being scrutinized by Mortuary. He went over to the Dragon Knight and noticed him staring at Cyborg and Jinx. He got the gist of it as he walked over. "Jealous?" he asked, totally out of the blue. Draco nearly jumped.

"Geez, Mort! Don't do that!" Draco exclaimed, taking in a deep breath. He then registered what Mortuary had said earlier, "And what do you mean 'jealous'?"

Mortuary cocked his head towards Jinx and Cyborg, "I mean those two. It looks to me like they're pretty close."

"Too close…" Draco's eyes narrowed, a small growl escaping his throat. He said to Mortuary, "It's just, well, they sorta…almost had a relationship a long while back, before I arrived."

"I see…" Mortuary nodded. "Are you okay with it? Old feelings do tend to resurface."

'_Not if I have anything to say about it!'_ Draco thought, surprising himself for such a thought. "I don't think so," Draco shook his head. '_I hope not!'_ he thought. He then tried to refocus to the mission, helping out with the injured the best he could. Blackbird was doing the same. She had been trained as a medic and studied the physiology of many races so she knew what she was doing.

Cyborg got a call. He activated his communicator and saw Pluto's face. "Whasup?" he asked.

"We know who the perps are!" Pluto said. Cyborg eyes went wide. This was a huge lead!

"Who?" Cyborg asked.

"Some Deathtron punks that you guys tangled with. They call themselves the H.A.W.K.S. or something."

Cyborg nodded, "Okay, I'll tell the others." He called, "Hey guys! Pluto told me who did it!"

"Who?" Blackbird questioned as she landed next to him. Draco and Mortuary ran over. Jinx sidled up next to her boyfriend.

"Pluto, according to DT, said that it was the Deathtron H.A.W.K.S." Realization suddenly came to Blackbird's face. She stepped back a bit, startled by the revelation. Pluto gave them a description of the H.A.W.K.S. based on DT's account. Blackbird was speechless.

"I think I remember them. Not the name, but I think I remember blasting a couple bird-based Deathtrons with my hexes," Jinx reminisced while tapping her chin.

Mortuary noticed Blackbird's shocked expression. He asked, "Something wrong, Blackbird?"

Blackbird calmed down and shook her head, "No…nothing's wrong," she lied.

"Okay," Mortuary shrugged, letting the matter drop, but he knew that Blackbird was hiding something. Even though she was an alien, he could still tell if a person was lying just by looking at them. It was something he picked up on his travels, especially with the Red Wolves and Templars and before that.

Cyborg and Pluto finished their conversation and Cyborg signed out. He said to his teammates, "Okay, from what Pluto said, these guys want revenge. So, if you wanted to get back at people who humiliated you, where would you go?"

"I would hit a little closer to home," Mortuary said. That was when it hit them.

"THE TOWER!" They (except for Blackbird who was surprised) shouted. Cyborg called Pluto.

"Plutes! We gotta go back to the Tower! NOW!" Cyborg shouted into his communicator.

* * *

(With Team A)

"Plutes! We gotta go back to the Tower! NOW!" Cyborg shouted through Plutos DOG-Phone.

Pluto was shocked at seeing Cyborg's distressed expression, "The Tower? Why?"

"Those Deathtrons are going to get even with us BY ATTACKING THE TOWER!"

"Got it!" Pluto nodded in agreement, knowing there was no time to waste. He called to the other Titans, "To the Tower, ASAP!" he mounted his bike. The other Titans obeyed, hearing what Cyborg had said. They flew/raced back towards Titans Tower, hoping that the defense grid would hold up.

* * *

(With Team B)

Team B was already on its way back to the Tower, racing/flying as fast as they could. Blackbird was not in the calmest of moods. She thought to herself, dreading, '_Why THEM? Why NOW? Oh Primus, this isn't going to be easy!'_

* * *

(Titans Tower)

As predicted, the Tower was under heavy attack by the two, now repaired, Deathtron H.AW.K.S. known as Blackwing and Dreadwind. Thankfully, the security grid was working as the Tower had gone under immediate automatic lockdown upon the H.A.W.K.S.' first strike. T.I.T.A.N., programmed to defend the Tower at all cost, had covered all the windows and doors leading into the Tower with Soul Metal panels that were locked in place as well as a laser grid that erected itself around the structure. There was no way in Hell that these Deathtrons were getting in! Also, the defensive weapons went online. Laser rifles placed on each corner of the roof were firing at the H.A.W.K.S. and the cannons on the island floor were firing upon the intruders.

Blackwing yawned, dodging a laser shot with ease. He sneered arrogantly, "These pathetic apes think they can stop us with these primitive weapons? How sad!"

"Agreed, brother," Dreadwind agreed as he avoided a deadly shot from the island's cannons. "What do they think we are?" Dreadwind said arrogantly.

"Well then," Blackwing began as he flew to the side, avoiding another shot, "Let's teach the Terran apes a lesson!"

"Agreed," Dreadwind said as he focused his weapons on the rifles, bypassing the grid and destroying them with precision shots. Blackwing threw spinning blades at the cannons on the island and sliced them to pieces.

"Too easy!" Blackwing laughed.

"Then what about THIS!" screamed a female voice as a purple energy blast hit Blackwing in the back. Dreadwind turned his head, just in time to get hit by a boulder.

Blackwing groaned, thanking his armor that he was uninjured. "Who dares?" he demanded.

"WE DO!" The Titans shouted in unison as they stood close by or floated over the Tower, their home.

"Oh, you again…" Blackwing drawled.

"That's right!" Cyborg aimed his cannon. "So if you don't want to get blasted…"

"…Stay the hell away from our home!" Pluto finished, standing next to Cyborg with his sword drawn and electricity crackling around him. He was still very pissed at these two for hurting Fixit.

"I'm shocked, you know," DT said, flying in the air with the rest of the Titans who were flying (mainly Terra, Blackfire and Blackwing). "I thought you two learnt your lesson from last time."

"The prototype," Blackwing growled.

"I have a name and it's Double-Trouble," DT answered, "Which is the amount of trouble you two are in at this moment."

Blackbird hoped that Blackwing and Dreadwind didn't recognize her for she was in her crow Beast Mode. She looked like a giant bird, but with the Sabretron symbol on her head. She hoped her disguise could hide her identity from the H.A.W.K.S.

She prayed to Primus, '_Please don't let them recognize me!'_

Dreadwind's eyes looked over to Blackbird. '_There's something eerily familiar about that bird. I know it's a Sabretron…but I can't shake the feeling of familiarity off.'_ Being the slightly calmer (and smarter) of the two H.A.W.K.S., Dreadwind would often analyze the situation thoroughly before he acted. And right now, he was analyzing how they were going to fight 10 people who were dead set on taking them down.

The odds were 10 against 2, 5 to 1, how ever you count it the two Deathtron intruders were outnumbered.

However, numbers never exactly counted to the amount of skill both sides had, and the Deathtrons were ready to exploit whatever edge they had. DT knew Deathtrons well and knew how far they would go in defeating their foes.

Cyborg shouted, "TITANS! GO!" This was the Titans' battle cry and signal into battle. This was also the signal for both Blackwing and Dreadwind to act.

How? Easy. The two Deathtrons vanished!

"Huh?" Blackfire was confused, and she wasn't the only one. "Where'd they go?"

Terra was equal confused, pulling up her goggles, "This is weird."

"We must've shown them, huh?" Beast Boy said boastfully.

You couldn't be anymore wrong, Beast Boy.

Blackfire was suddenly struck in the back by an invisible force as the boulder Terra had been riding on crumbled, shocking the two teenage girls. Blackfire was sent falling to the ground, as was Terra.

"BLACKFIRE!" Pluto howled. His cape spread out into wings as he prepared to rescue his girlfriend.

"TERRA!" Beast Boy hollered, ready to change into whatever form to fly up and catch her.

Lucky for Blackfire DT caught her.

But what of Terra?

Terra was plummeting towards the ground as Blackbird dived down to catch her. Knowing, fearfully, that she wasn't fast enough in Beast Mode, transformed, "Blackbird Maximize!" she transformed into her humanoid mode and sped down to catch the geokinetic in her arms. Blackwing and Dreadwind reappeared, shocked and amazed.

"Black…" Blackwing began.

"…Bird?" Dreadwind finished.

"You okay?" Blackbird asked Terra as she set her down.

"I think so," Terra said, finding her breath again. The moment of shock caused her to lose control of her powers again.

DT set Blackfire back on her feet as Pluto rushed over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You okay?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. Just a little sore," Blackfire rubbed her back. "What happened?"

"They were moving fast; REALLY fast," DT answered. Pluto nodded in agreement. He had only seen this kind of speed once before…when the Knights used their Axel/Dash/Clock Up systems.

Both Blackwing and Dreadwind landed on the island. The Titans went into their battle stances as the duo…laughed? Yes, they were laughing. Why? Blackbird dreaded the answer. The H.A.W.K.S. red eyes were transfixed on Blackbird.

"Okay, what's so funny?" Mortuary asked. His trigger-finger was itchy as he readied his Death-Buster gun, aiming it at them. His body was also glowing with necroplasmic energy.

"I don't like this," Draco said, looking at the Deathtrons suspiciously.

"Oh, by the Pit! This is so hilarious!" Blackwing laughed.

"Agreed!" Dreadwind laughed as well, holding his sides. "This is just too much! I always knew that family reunions were festive, but I never knew the feeling up until now!"

Family Reunion? Just what were these crazy Deathtrons laughing about? The Titans were wondering this and Blackbird was looking for a way to escape.

"You apes don't get it, do you?" Blackwing smirked, pointing a claw towards Blackbird. "Notice the family resemblance?"

DT turned to ask Blackbird, "What is he talking about?" Blackbird couldn't answer him.

'_Oh, Primus!_ _Could this be any worse?' _Blackbird thought in fear.

"It's good to see you again…" Dreadwind began sinisterly, "…Sister dear."

"SISTER?" The Titans shouted, shocked by the revelation.

"We always knew you'd defected, but when we couldn't find you…" Blackwing let it trail off. "Anyway, this is a welcome surprise! Together again; isn't it nice, sis?"

Blackbird stepped back, not wanting to look into the piercing red eyes of Blackwing.

"And when you're reprogrammed, the three of us will be the most dangerous force in the galaxy. The H.A.W.K.S., together again after all this time!" Blackwing laughed out. Blackbird fell to her knees, hands on her ears to drown out the menacing laughter. She was visibly shaking at this. Now how were her friends going to react to her now? She looked up and, to her surprise, did not see the look of contempt on their faces. It was determination and no one was showing more determination than Draco and Pluto.

"There's no way you're taking her!" Pluto said defiantly, sword drawn out.

"That's right! A friend, even a new friend, of mine isn't going to go to scum to you!" Draco added. The other Titans nodded in agreement.

Dreadwind was taken by surprise by this display of loyalty and friendship, but not Blackwing. He mocked, "How touching. Well now, we'll just have to beat you apes up. He grinned, "Just like the old man." Pluto's blood boiled. They were talking about Fixit!

"That won't happen!" Pluto said as he drew a card from his deck. The card depicted the golden Right Wing of the Phoenix and it was glowing a bright blue. Wind whipped around him, blowing sand and dirt every where.

"And that goes double for me!" Draco added and drew a card as well. The card depicted a glowing Left Wing of the Phoenix and it was glowing a bright red. Fire whipped around him, in a circle. The Titans close by backed away. The Titans who knew of these cards were grinning, and does who didn't, however, looked on in awe.

"Nice show…NOT!" Blackwing shouted as he flew straight at Pluto. Dreadwind was flying towards Draco. They were moving at blinding speeds. The other Titans shouted for the Knights to hurry up.

Draco's Dragauntlet and Pluto's sword morphed into a gun and a scabbard, respectively, before they slid the cards into their upgraded card readers.

"**SURVIVE!**"

To Be Continued…

A/N: I know that a lot of people HATE cliffies, but I love them. What better way to finish a chapter than with a cliffhanger. And, if you guys already figured it, Draco and Pluto are gonna go toe to toe and neck to neck with the H.A.W.K.S. Also, is anyone wondering what's going on with Shadow and the other Titans in Amity Park? Well, stay tune for the next chapter. Part 20: Conclusions.


	20. PT020: Conclusions

Part 20: Conclusion

Fire whipped around Draco, morphing his armor to Survivor Mode as tornado winds did the same to Pluto. Blackbird watched on in shock and asked, "What is happening?" Jinx and Blackfire grinned proudly.

"The boys just got an upgrade," Blackfire answered, referring to the crimson and gold and sapphire and gold armoured Knights.

Presenting: Draco and Pluto in Survivor Mode.

The Knights' belts, however, had gone through some changes. Their Zodiac Decks and Buckles had merged and the belts had modified themselves. Meaning, the cards were now inside the belt buckle. Their Zodiac Crystals, in the centre of their buckles, glowed as their powers grew. The Knights didn't question this as they prepared for battle.

Pluto pulled out his sword from his scabbard and locked blades with Blackwing as Draco leaned back and kicked Dreadwind into the air.

"Let's take it to the skies!" Pluto shouted as his cape morphed into a pair of batwings. He took to the air.

"Got it!" Draco nodded in agreement. He blasted flames from his feet before leaping into the air.

There was going to be a dogfight of sorts between the Knights and Deathtrons, and who better to commentate than Victor "Cyborg" Stone and Garfield "Beast Boy" Logan, dressed in their sports commentator suits and sitting behind a desk with microphones (See Part 20 of Volume 1 to know what I mean).

"Welcome sports fans to Titans Tower's first air born dogfight!" Beast Boy shouted into his microphone.

"BB, dogfights are always in the air," Cyborg reminded.

"Really? I thought _dogs_ fought in real dogfights?"

"And do you think cats fight in _real_ catfights?"

"Good point."

"What are those two doing?" Blackfire asked, referring to Cy and BB.

"It's a long story," Terra answered.

Draco had just drawn his Shoot Vent card and slid it into his Dragblaster. "Shoot Vent!" The Meteor Bullet option of his card reader activated. He then fired at Dreadwind with super hot and super fast fireballs. Dreadwind, however, with his new upgrades (courtesy of Fixit) dodged and avoided each shot, executing complex aerial acrobatic maneuvers.

"Eat hot plasma!" Dreadwind shouted as panels on his shoulder swung up to reveal 3 mini gun barrels on each shoulder. He then let loose several plasma shots at Draco.

Draco saw this and quickly teleported to avoid the shots. He then reappeared behind Dreadwind and fired another shot, only for an plasma energy shield to erect itself around the Deathtron flier.

"Crud!" Draco swore before Dreadwind turned and flew straight at him. Draco dodged to the side, but Dreadwind used his speed and slashed Draco's chestplate with one of his wings. Sparks flew upon contact. "Ugh!" Draco grunted. He shook his head; his inner Orphenoch, Ifrit, was trying to take over. He wasn't going to let him.

Pluto and Blackwing, in the meantime, were fighting with their blades. Blackwing's blades were now made of a material that could vibrate at high speeds, allowing it to cut through anything. Thankfully, only Soul Metal could cut through Soul Metal, so Pluto was safe.

Pluto had used Guard Vent, giving his scabbard the defensive capabilities of a shield as he used it to block Blackwing's slashes, swings and swipes. Blackwing then twirled in mid-air and smashed his heel into Pluto's side, executing a reverse roundhouse heel kick. Pluto quickly caught the foot before Blackwing could pull it back.

"LET ME GO YOU FILTHY EARTHBORN APE!" Blackwing screeched, flailing about as he tried to pull away.

"Not before I give you the **shock **of your life!" Pluto retorted, sending his electricity through Blackwing through the leg he was holding. Blackwing screamed as he was being shocked by millions upon millions of electrical voltage. Blackwing then pulled away with all his might, his body armor slightly charred and smoking.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Blackwing squawked.

"Would that be cash or credit?" Pluto barked back as they continued their fight. Pluto thrust his sword forward and Blackwing parried with his own blades. Pluto then spun around and threw Blackwing down, following after him with the fast beating of his wings.

Cyborg announced proudly, "It looks like Draco's in trouble!"

Jinx shouted, "BABY!"

"Wait, he's getting his head back into the game!" Beast Boy added. He then took a lot at Pluto, "Oh, and Pluto, the Knight of Dogs, just gave his opponent a shock-literally!"

"GO PUPPY!" Blackfire cheered.

Draco was able to throw Dreadwind back with a telekinetic blast before reaching into his deck. He drew out a new card and slid it into his Dragblaster. "Random Vent!"

"DIE!" Dreadwind shouted as he readied a photon blast from his cannon. He fired.

"Shoot Vent!" A pair of familiar shoulder mounted cannons that belonged to ARMS appeared on Draco, he then countered Dreadwind's blast.

"Wow!" Cyborg whooped, "What an upset!"

"What the heck just happened, Cy?" Beast Boy asked.

"Pluto told me that, in Survivor Mode, Draco has access to a card called 'Random Vent'. It will then turn into any of the cards belonging to any of the Zodiac Knights." Cyborg added, "It's also very random, hence the name, so Draco never knows what comes next!"

"Now that's random!"

Pluto blasted at Blackwing with electrical bolts that the Deathtron dodged. The flier then dove down and flew back up, catching Pluto from under his arms. He then decided to dive back down, taking Pluto with him.

"So long, ape!" Blackwing laughed. Pluto wasn't in the mood to laugh, but instead drew a card and slid it into his sword.

"Nasty Vent!"

Darkwing flew into the scene, summoned by the card, before transforming into Darkraider. The newly transformed (and upgraded) bat let out a loud screech targeted towards Blackwing. Blackwing's audio sensors (ears) were overwhelmed, so he let go of Pluto to close his ears. Pluto then drew another card and slit it into his sword.

"Blast Vent!"

Darkraider stopped its infernal screeching and flapped its wings. The turbine in its wings spun and blew tornado winds straight at Blackwing. Blackwing was blown away but the extreme turbulence.

"Talk about getting blown away!" Cyborg shouted.

"And this guy is gonna get burned," Beast Boy said as he turned his attention to Draco.

"Sword Vent!" Draco's Golden Dragon Blade extended from the barrel of his gun. He discarded the Giga Cannons. He deflected all of Dreadwind's plasma and photon shots with the blade and flew straight at the Deathtron. He swung the blade down and Dreadwind…just vanished! "Huh?"

Blackwing, now tired of the winds he was caught in, vanished as well. Pluto looked around, confused. "What the hell?"

"What just happened?" Jinx asked Cyborg and he shrugged.

"It looks like they vanished into thin air!" Beast Boy announced.

Or did they?

Draco got shot in the back and then in the arms, legs and chest. The shots were mild, but painful, and the Knight of Combustion grunted in pain from the small explosions on his armor. "Ugh! What the-Urgh! What's going-Arg!"

Pluto was suffering similar complications as sparks flew from his armor, like he was being attacked. He felt a swipe of several blades on his happening in several short seconds, but couldn't place their origin.

"Are they invisible?" Draco questioned his comrade through the communicator in his helmet.

"I don't think so!" Pluto shouted back, getting a hit in the chest, causing him to yelp, "I think they're moving fast!"

"No kidding!" Draco shouted as he got a powerful shot in the chest.

"Remember those upgrades?" Pluto grunted from a slash spark.

"Yes," Draco nodded. "Let's do it."

"**CLOCK UP**!" They both shouted in unison, pressing a button on their Excel Watches. Like the Deathtrons before, they just vanished.

(Look to MY profile to see what Clock Up is about)

* * *

Jinx and Blackfire were bewildered, as were the other Titans and Blackbird. The Knights seemed to have vanish after shouting out the words, "CLOCK UP!" The two Knights' girlfriends' hearts pounded in worry. Where had they gone?

They hadn't gone. In fact, there were just going too fast for the human eye to see.

Pluto and Draco fought the Deathtrons in their own battle zone, playing at their own game. The H.A.W.K.S., though shocked, were not going to be intimidated by mere 'copycats'.

"DIE HUMAN!" Blackwing shouted as he flew at Pluto at high speed.

"EAT PHOTONS!" Dreadwind shouted as he fired upon Draco with his rifles.

The Knights, now more inept at speed, were dodging their opponents strikes and shots with ease. This time, the Knights were going to finish the H.A.W.K.S. off.

To our four combatants, time froze around them, making the Titans look like statues. Things were moving at a near standstill as they fought. Sparks flew, but then froze in mid-air where they had momentarily had been.

The Knights were going to level the playing field pretty soon.

Pluto and Draco floated next to one another as Blackwing and Dreadwind did the same. Pluto spoke, "You can give up now, if you want. We're clearly more than a match for you."

"Don't think you've won, apes," mocked Blackwing, "We're just getting started." He turned to look at Dreadwind and his brother nodded.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Draco asked.

"Wait and see!" Dreadwind announced before the two Deathtron brother shouted in unison:

"BLACKWING AND DREADWIND-COMBINE!"

To the Knights' surprise, the two Deathtrons began transforming. Dreadwind changed into a large pair of legs with his head becoming a sort of belt buckle and his arms becoming laser blasters. His wings and cannon were left unchanged. Blackwing, on the other hand, changed into a robotic upper body, his head folding in to form the chest as his body expanded. His arms lengthened as well as his blades, becoming claws. His wings, like Dreadwind's, remained in their spot.

The two brothers, now two halves, combined, forming ONE humongous figure nearly 11 feet in height. A new head popped up from the body's shoulders, looking like a hawk's head with a Native American headdress. The hawk's beak opened to reveal a fact that had a red visor covering the eyes. The combination was complete.

"**DREADWING**!" Dreadwing was the combination of Blackwing and Dreadwind. He had four large wings and large and long sharp claw blades. Photon rifles were on his hips. He looked to be an imposing figure, standing at 14 feet in height.

The two Knights were shocked.

"**Like it?**" Dreadwind's voice boomed, sounding like a combination of Blackwing and Dreadwind's voices. "**It was a little something we picked up when we used that old man's stuff to fix ourselves. Pretty handy, don't you think?**" The two combined Deathtrons were referring to Fixit again and this enraged Pluto. Pluto, in his blind rage, flew at Dreadwing. "**Hah, pathetic,**" Dreadwing said before firing at Pluto with his hip blasters. The shots slowed the Dog Knight down enough for Dreadwing to swipe at him with his claws. Pluto got hit and sent flying away. Draco caught him.

Pluto said, still angered said, "They used the plans that created the T-Robo to upgrade themselves." Draco realized that he was right.

"**Time for your demise!**" Dreadwing shouted before firing at the two Knights with his hip rifles.

Draco drew a card and slit into his Dragblaster. "Guard Vent!" Dragonzer morphed into Dragonrizer and flew around the two Knights, forming a barricade against the shots. Dreadwing then changed tactics and swiped with his claws, only for Dragonrizer to catch them in its jaw, biting down with its sharp teeth.

"**LET GO!**" Dreadwing shouted, trying to shake the Zodiac Beast off. Pluto saw this and used the chance to activate a card of his own.

"Add Vent!" he summoned Darkraider and the beast clawed at Dreadwing's face. Not only did he have to take care of a meddling dragon, but also a pesky bat.

"Time to divide and conquer," Pluto said as he drew a card. Draco, upon seeing its image, knew what it was and drew a card as well. They then slid them into their card readers, activating them.

"**Survivor Final Vent!**"

Dragonrizer and Darkraider left Dreadwing to regroup with their Knights. Dreadwing then watched, arrogantly, as the two Knights executed their Final Vents.

"DARK TORPEDO!"

"DRAGON METEOR FIRESTORM!"

The two Knights and their monster bikes smashed into the giant. Dreadwing held them back with his powerful hands, not allowing them to break through. However, the Knights were much more powerful than the Deathtrons realized. This was proven when Pluto drew a card from his belt and slid it into his sheathed sword.

"Focus Vent!"

With explosive force, the two Knights smashed into Dreadwing, splitting him back into Dreadwind and Blackwing.

"DIE!" enraged, Blackwing let out a loud cry and swung his arms, sending several energy blades in Pluto's direction. Pluto then drew his sword and raised up his scabbard as an electrical energy field formed around him and the blades harmlessly bounced off. Enraged, Blackwing decided to go medieval on Pluto's butt. Pluto anticipated this and with a quick draw, activated a new card.

"Trick Vent!"

Once there was one Pluto, now there were four, moving around Blackwing just as fast as he was. This confused the Deathtron, for he had no clue which one was the real Pluto.

The answer: as far as it was concerned, they ALL were REAL.

The 4 Plutos let out a harmonic battle cry as they flew straight at Blackwing at full speed, swords charged with electricity. Blackwing only crossed his arms over himself to block from the slashes. Several flashes and slashes rained on the Deathtron. When it was over, the Pluto duplicates vanished, leaving the REAL Pluto to sheathe his sword. "It's over," he muttered.

Blackwing turned, but then realized something was wrong. His blades suddenly shattered and they weren't the only ones as his wings shattered to bits, clean cut off his back. "SLAG!" he swore.

Draco, meanwhile, was still fighting Dreadwind. They both fired shots at one another, neither one letting down. Draco's Pisces Power of Clairvoyance kicked in, allowing him to see the shots before they were made, enabling him to dodge each of Dreadwind's photon shots with ease. Draco drew his DRA-Blaster from his belt. Together with the Dragblaster, he fired precision shots at the two rifles mounted on Dreadwind's forearms, damaging them severely and making them utterly useless. Dreadwind was shocked as his primary weapons had been disabled. However, he still had the cannon on his back. He screamed, in anger (which was unusual for him for he was known to be calmed. Maybe the stress was getting to him?), "EAT HOT SLAG!" he powered up his cannon. Draco saw this coming (literally) and put his blasters back on his belt before he quickly teleported away before the blast hit. Dreadwind, angered and confused, looked around for his target. "WHERE ARE YOU? SHOW YOURSELF!" he demanded shrilly.

Draco reappeared in flamed, right behind Dreadwind. He then grabbed Dreadwind's wings and put his feet in the Deathtron's back. With all his Ox Power induced super strength, his legs pushed as his arms pulled. Dreadwind screamed as his wings were RIPPED RIGHT OFF! He then felt his cannon freeze over before shattering to pieces, courtesy to Draco.

"See you back on the ground," Pluto and Draco said in unison before grabbing their opponents by the waist and bringing them to the ground at high speeds. Their Deathtron opponents screamed before they SMASHED into the ground HARD, creating a tremor and a large crater within the surface of the island.

"CLOCK OVER!" an internal computer in both Excel Watches announced.

* * *

There was a dust cloud of sand that billowed all around, obscuring everyone's vision. Who had won, the Titans could not tell.

"Puppy!" Blackfire called, "Yoshi! Are you okay?"

"Baby!" Jinx called, "Ryuki, please answer me!"

"Hey Plutes! You there?" Cyborg called.

"Yo, Leo! Where are you?" Mortuary called.

The Titans attempted to call out for their friends. The sand cloud was causing communication interference with the communicators. When the cloud began to dissipate, they heard two familiar voices:

"We're over here!" That was the Dragon Knight's voice.

"Yeah, what he said!" That was distinctively the Dog Knight's voice.

The Titans heard this and rushed towards the large crater. They looked down and rising back up, without their armors, were Pluto and Draco, carrying Blackwing and Dreadwind, respectively. The two Deathtrons appeared to be unconscious, not dead. Blackbird was relieved and DT…he was impressed. He had seen the Knights defeat Magnus, but seeing their power again was a magnificent sight indeed.

But how was he going to write the report? He was wondering on that as well as what to do with Blackbird.

"I can't believe these guys caused us this much trouble," Pluto said as he threw down Blackbird's damaged and unconscious form.

"I agree," Draco nodded, gently laying Dreadwind down. "Gomen," he apologized.

"Good job you two," DT said as he approached the two. He then kneeled down and placed a strange device between both Deathtrons. "Please step back," he told the two and they did. The device activated and an energy field, in the shape of a bubble, formed and the two Deathtrons were trapped inside.

Pluto, impressed, asked, "What is this?" he was always interested in new types of technology.

"It's a stasis energy field bubble generator," DT answered, changing back to human form. "It's designed to keep prisoners in suspended animation." The two Deathtrons were floating inside the large bubble. Draco poked it a bit.

"It doesn't seem too strong though," Draco stated.

"It was designed to be flexible," DT replied. He then turned to Blackbird. "Now, as for you..."

"What are you going to do to me?" Blackbird asked fearfully.

"I'm not going to capture you, is that what you think," DT said to her. "According to what Cyborg told me, they found you in a Sabretron stasis pod, correct?" she nodded. "Well, that would mean you defected from the Deathtrons, right?" she nodded, sadly. "So, you're not guilty of any crime as far as the Sabretrons are concerned." She smiled with relief. "However, neither can be said for your two brothers."

"I know, and I apologize for their behaviour. They enjoy chaos and destruction far too much and I finally got tired of it. That was why I chose to defect and become a medic, to make up for all the damage I caused."

"I see."

"I hope you can at least try to reform them."

"I promise," DT nodded.

"Thank you."

"However, my mission is still to bring you over to the Sabretron City-not as a prisoner, but we need more medics like you in the city, just in case. Also, we will need your stasis pod."

"Why is that?" Cyborg questioned.

DT didn't know if he should tell them this for this was classified information, "Well, off the record, the Sabretrons are going all over the world looking for stasis pods that went missing on Earth during the last war. We've already tracked down 15 so far, including Blackbird."

"And how many of these pod-thingies are still missing?" Beast Boy asked.

"An estimated 200 pods," DT replied nonchalantly, not noticing Beast Boy's shocked expression. "Give or take."

Blackfire, in her surprise, whistled, "That's a lot of pods."

"Agreed," DT nodded, "So, if you find anything, let me know."

"Will do, DT," Cyborg shook hands with the Sabretronian Titan.

"By the way, how is Fixit?" DT asked. Pluto and Cyborg's eyes widened.

"SHIT! I forgot!" Pluto swore. He flipped open his DOG-Phone and commanded, "T.I.T.A.N., disable defence grid!"

"Affirmative," T.I.T.A.N. answered.

* * *

Back inside the Tower's infirmary, Pluto pressed a few buttons on the computer, allowing the nanotech fluid to drain out. The down swung open, letting out a cloud of steam.

"Ah, I feel much better," said an aged and wise voice. When the cloud dispersed, Fixit was good as new and there was no evidence of injury left on him. He regarded Pluto, "Thank you. Your machine is quite remarkable and I would very much like to study it." At that, Pluto smiled.

To Be Continued…

New card used:

Focus Vent: This card can only be used by Pluto. When using this card it allows the user to become faster and stronger by slowing the rest of the world down.


	21. PT021: Camping

Part 21: Camping

( Titans Tower)

It was morning and the Titans were getting up and ready to go about the day. They were all in the common room except for Mortuary. The young necromancer had been in his room, polishing his gun and reflecting on his time with the titans. Over the past few weeks Draco and Mortuary were starting to become really great friends, sometimes Mortuary would even forget that Draco was an Orphenoch. The other Titans had actually started to warm up to him as well. Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Pluto would provide him with a laugh from time to time, he always had Terra to talk to, he could always have an intelligent conversation with Shadowcobra and Raven, Robin was someone to train and talk leadership with, Starfire could put him in a cheery mood, Blackfire was someone cool to hang out with, and Jinx was now convinced that Draco wasn't in any danger so she befriended Mortuay as well.

A sudden knock at the door broke Mortuary's train of thought he opened the door to find Draco on the other side

"Hey Leo, did you need something?" Mortuary asked

Draco smiled, "Just wondering why you're not out here with the rest of us."

"Oh." Mortuary blinked. "I was just giving the Death Buster a good polish. I'll be out there soon though."

Draco noticed in the tone of Mortuary's voice that something was wrong. "Is everything ok?" he asked.

Mortuary nodded, "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

Draco just shrugged, "I dunno. See ya out there ok?"

Mortuary just nodded again and Draco walked back to the common room. When Mortuary was alone again, he began coughing. He covered his mouth and when he looked at his palm, he saw blood mix with necroplasm. He sighed sadly to himself before continuing on with his work

* * *

(Later…) 

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Ichijyo groaned.

"What can I say?" Gar grinned, "We can be very persuasive."

"How long is this trip anyway?" Ichijyo asked Vic, who was driving.

"Just a half hour. Don't worry, Ichijyo, we'll be at the campsite before you know it."

Ichijyo said sarcastically, "I can't wait."

The 7 Titan boys were in their civilian disguises and riding inside the T-Car. This weekend they would not be Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Draco, Shadowcobra, Pluto and Mortuary; they would be Tim Drake, Vic Stone, Gar Logan, Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, Ichijyo Amakusa, Yoshiyuki Takada and Craig Smith. Gar was riding shotgun next to Vic, leaving the other 5 in the back. A very cramped ride, but they managed.

"This is so exciting," Ryuki said cheerfully.

"Maybe for you, Leo," Ichijyo said to his pyrokinetic friend, "But not me."

"Why can't you lighten up?" Takada asked.

"Maybe because I was forced on a camping trip I never wanted to go in the first place," Ichijyo hissed. Takada backed away.

"Forget I asked."

"Ichijyo…we're doing this to bond as a team, okay?" Tim said to his third in command, "So why not try and have some fun? Besides, you might enjoy yourself."

Ichijyo scoffed, "I seriously doubt it." The other boys groaned, except Craig. Behind the T-Car was a trailer that had Gar's moped, the Knight's Z-Riders and Tim's R-Cycle. The 3 Knights we're gonna ride around the forest, motorcross style.

"Hey Craig, would you mind shutting up? You're talking way too much," Takada said sarcastically trying to get Craig to talk.

"Sorry Takada, I'm just not in the camping mood. It really hasn't been my thing for a while. I kinda feel like heading back to the tower," Craig stated.

Ichijyo put his hand on Craig's shoulder. "Craig you're my hero now, sir"

Craig smirked, "Yup, I'm everyone's hero"

The team finally reached the campsite and their jaws dropped.

"What the…?" Vic blinked.

"Not exactly what I was expecting," Tim added.

The whole area was full and every available spot was already taken. Ichijyo took out a pair of binoculars and looked around with it.

"Well, looks like there isn't any available land." Ichijyo pocketed the binoculars. "Let's go home."

"Wait a minute, hold on!" Vic exclaimed, "We came here for a camping trip and we're getting a camping trip!"

"How genius?" Takada said to Vic, "There isn't a spot here. The whole place is packed. I hate to admit it, but the snake is right. Let's go home."

Ryuki had been looking forward to this camping trip. He wanted to spend time with his friends. Then, he had an idea. "Hey guys, I got an idea of a good camping spot."

"Where?" everyone, except Shadow, whirled their heads and asked him.

"I'm not sure, but maybe I can have Brainstorm scope out the area so that we can find at least one good camping spot," Ryuki said to them.

"Do it!" Gar jumped up and down impatiently.

Ryuki drew out his Brainstorm card and threw the card into the air. The card glowed for a second before morphing into the trusty blue condor known as Brainstorm. The large blue condor perched itself on a nearby branch.

"Maybe we can have Darkwing help too," Takada said as he drew a card and threw it into the air. The card expanded and morphed into the bat Darkwing.

Ryuki asked nicely, "Do you mind looking for a camping spot for us?"

The bat screeched while the condor squawked. They then flew into the air. Takada and Ryuki pulled out their SB-Cells.

"Now…we wait," Ryuki said as he looked at the screen on his DRA-Phone, seeing everything his Brainstorm was seeing. Takada did the same with his DOG-Phone. Ichijyo leaned against a tree and crossed his arms.

"This is a big waste of time. Let's just head back to the city," Ichijyo complained.

"Lighten up!" his 5 friends shouted in unison. Ichijyo rolled his eyes.

"Whatever…" he went to the trunk and popped it open, pulling out his guitar and decided to strum it for a bit. Craig pulled his harmonica out from his pocket and began playing some tunes with Ichijyo.

Tim whispered into Ryuki's ear, "He's always been this grouchy, hasn't he?"

Ryuki replied, whispering as well, "Ever since I met him." His phone beeped, "Hey, I think I got something."

Vic went into the T-Car first, followed by the others and Ichijyo reluctantly went in as well. "Follow that signal!" Vic voiced out loud.

They drove to a campsite that was pretty far away from the others, which was actually perfect.

"Alright guys," Tim started. "Let's set up"

With that the boys started pitching their tents and digging a pit for the fire. The rest of the day had gone by pretty fast and it was already starting to get dark. They needed to get some firewood for the night so Ryuki and Craig volunteered to get some.

"You know, it's kinda good to be out of the city," Ryuki said

"I guess so," Craig said with no emotion in his voice

Ryuki could feel that something was wrong with his new friend.

"Are you ok? You've been distant the whole day," Ryuki said

Craig shook his head. "It's nothing to worry about, just a little problem I need to get through. That's all."

Ryuki shrugged. "If you say so, but know that I'll help if you need it"

Craig gave a faint smile, "Thanks, Ryuki"

They had finally reached the forest and began collecting the wood they needed. Ryuki had noticed that something was physically wrong with Craig in the way that he walked. Something just wasn't right.

"Craig," Ryuki spoke up

"Yeah?" Craig asked

"Maybe I should take all of the wood back. You might want to take it easy."

"Take it easy? Nothing's wrong with me, I told you that already."

"The way you're walking and everything doesn't look right. If you're sick or something it's ok."

"I'm not sick!"

As if on cue Craig suddenly covered his mouth as he began coughing out a mix of blood and necroplasm. Craig suddenly lost strength in his legs and fell to his knees.

"Craig!" Ryuki called out in shock

"I'm ok, just give me a couple of minutes and it'll pass, it always does," Craig said while breathing heavily.

"What's wrong with you?" Ryuki asked worriedly.

"Dr. West called it Necrosickness. It's actually a type of cancer from Nekron. By the way it's spreading I've only got two years left if I'm not cured."

"Is there a cure?"

"There might be."

"I hope there is. I don't want anymore of my friends to die."

"You don't have to worry, Ryuki. I refuse death"

Ryuki smiled at that statement.

With all of the wood finally gathered, Ryuki and Craig headed back to campsite until they heard a scream. Ryuki and Craig arrived in time to see an Orphenoch attacking a family of campers. The Orphenoch looked like it was based on a bear and had sharp claws. They noticed a little boy walking towards them until he fell over and turned to ashes.

"You see why I hate these things?" Craig said

"This one doesn't even deserve life!" Ryuki said in an angry tone. Seeing this Orphenoch kill an innocent child enraged him. This time, he would show no mercy.

"Let's go!" Mortuary shouted. Ryuki whipped out his Zodiac Deck. A metal belt with a space in the centre formed and wrapped itself around his waist.

"Empowerment of the Zodiac Dragon! Henshin!" He slid the Deck into the centre of his belt to form the buckle. A red energy field swept over his body, encasing him in his armor. The reformatting did not just change the belts and decks of the Knights. For some Knights, it also changed their armors as well.

Ryuki's Zodiac Knight Draco armor looked the same except that the torso armor was no longer red but black except for the chestplate, which retained its silver color. The silver parts of his gauntlets and boots turned black and his helmet was now black, bearing a silver dragon symbol on top. The faceplate held a silver visor that was grilled horizontally, obscuring the large round eyepieces underneath. The eyepieces were no longer the same emerald green as before but now crimson red.

As Ryuki was transforming, Craig did a little a transformation of his own as he placed both hands over his face. He cast a small spell to give his face the appearance that it had been painted on like a skull. Ryuki and Craig were now Draco and Mortuary.

Mortuary quickly shot two necrobolts that hit the Bear Orphenoch dead on and knocked it back. Draco then pounced on the Bear Orphenoch while it was on the ground and began to furiously punch it in the face until the Bear Orphenoch threw Draco off. As the Bear Orphenoch was getting up Mortuary rushed at it and started to throw every kick and punch he had, that is until a familiar type of cough was coming. The Necrosickness had brought Mortuary to his knees again. The Bear Orphenoch took advantage of its opponent's handicap and gave Mortuary a very heavy blow to the head, which sent Mortuary flying a good twelve feet. When Mortuary landed his eyes rolled back into his skull as he lost consciousness. Mortuary's vision went to total blackness.

"Craig!" Draco cried out. With a roar of fury, he charged at the Orphenoch and smashed his fist against the Orphenoch's chest.

While Draco was fighting the Bear Orphenoch, Mortuary was dreaming…Or was he?

* * *

Mortuary was in a graveyard of some sort. Standing before him were several headstones that were atop graves. It was dark so it was hard for Mortuary to make the names out, but when he did, he gasped in surprised. These were the graves of his old team, the Templars. Just why was he having this nightmare and what was he doing here? He then heard a male voice speak: 

"You failed to save them." Mortuary whirled around and standing before him was a golden and crimson armored figure with a long billowing cape and a staff with ornaments in the shape of a dragon, a tiger, a phoenix and a turtle.

"Who…who are you?" Mortuary tensed up, drawing his Death Buster and encasing his free hand in necroplasm. "Did you bring me here?"

"My name is Libra," the Guardian replied, "And yes, I did bring you here."

"Why?' Mortuary asked.

"Because I want to show you that there are still lives you can save despite your failure to save your friends," Libra answered him. "You have great power, but I think you need a little more."

"What do you mean?" Mortuary asked, confused at this Knight's answer. Libra produced a black card case that had a slot in the side and a crystal imbedded in the centre. Libra walked over to Mortuary and calmly handed the Zodiac Deck over to Mortuary. Mortuary stared at it. On closer inspection, there was the symbol of Aries within the crystal. "This is…"

"It's yours. Now, I know that you're slowly dying, so I'll let you decide if you want to use that power to do the right thing or not." Suddenly appearing and standing before Mortuary now were four humanoid monsters that were based off gazelles with their large horns. There were the Gigazelle, Negazelle, Megazelle and Omegazelle. The Gigazelle was black and blue with a pair of long and thin sharp horns atop its head. The Megazelle was green and black with sharp horns as well, the Negazelle was green and brown with a pair of curled horns like that of a mountain goat, and finally the Omegazelle that was purple and silver with a pair of sharp bullhorns. They all had blades on heir forearms and armed with pole-arms that had prongs on the head designed much like their horns. Mortuary tensed up, thinking these beasts were going to attack him, but they then kneeled down and bowed their heads. Libra explained, "Calm down. These four monsters before you shall be your Zodiac Beasts and partners. They will aid you in the battles ahead. Now go and use your new power now to do what you must," Libra said before Mortuary covered his eyes from an intense flash of bright light.

* * *

Back in the real world, Mortuary's eyes snapped open. The battle was still going on as Draco was fighting the Bear Orphenoch with his bare hands. Mortuary shook his head to get the cobwebs out. 

"Was that a dream?" He said to himself and then he saw in his hands a familiar looking card case with a glowing symbol of Aries on it. "It was not a dream." He heard Draco shout as he was smashed into a tree, breaking it in half and causing it to fall. The force of the impact knocked the Dragon Deck out of his belt and his armor shattered away. Mortuary went over to his friend. "You okay, Leo?" Ryuki groaned.

"I think so…" he picked up his Zodiac Deck and then saw the one in Mortuary's hand. "Can't be…" his eyes widened as he looked up at Mortuary. "You're a-" he was cut off by a loud bellowing roar as the Bear Orphenoch charged at them.

"MOVE!" Mortuary shouted as he roughly pulled Ryuki up and flung them over to safety. The Bear Orphenoch slashed its claws and made a few marks in the trees. Mortuary asked Ryuki, "Can you still transform?"

Ryuki groaned. His Orphenoch healing factor hadn't kicked in yet so he was still in pain. "I don't think I can do much even if I did. My ankle's been sprained." Mortuary looked at his own Zodiac Deck and knew what he had to do. He stood up and faced the Orphenoch who seemed ready to kill him like he did to the family of campers.

"You want me?" Mortuary challenged, bringing up the Deck, "Come and get me!" The metal belt formed around Mortuary's waist and for some reason, he knew the transformation command and shouted it out, "Empowerment of Aries! Henshin!" he slid the Aries Deck into the centre of his belt and the crystal flashed. The Orphenoch shielded his eyes as Ryuki's own eyes widened with shock and amazement. The golden energy swept over Mortuary's body, encasing him in the armor.

Ryuki knew one thing as the crystal of his own Zodiac Deck flashed.

A new Zodiac Knight had been born.

* * *

**Draco: **

It used to be pretty simple for me, Ryuki Leonard Hasuma a.k.a. Zodiac Knight Draco. Well, maybe not _that _simple. It was usually this: transform, enter the Mirror Dimension and kill evil monsters. Well, there were other monsters in the real world. There was Plasmus then there was Overload. I guess Cinderblock could be considered a monster. However, these monsters were considered criminals. I've also heard of this monster called Kardiak. Believe me, I've never encountered Kardiak, but when I read his file I couldn't believe it. A giant beating disembodied heart? Well, I think…I knew that I could take down Kardiak. It wasn't really human.

Okay, rewind a sec. Let me start from the beginning. A few years back, when I turned 15, I rummaged through my ottosan's stuff in the attic. That was where I found this rectangular metal case with a slot. It had cards inside. Well, most of the cards were blank. At the time, I sure as hell didn't know what I was getting myself into. I found out there was a world called the 'Mirror Dimension' (Or Mirror World. Whichever you want to call it) and that monsters inhabited it. I tried telling my friends, but they all called me crazy; one of them even suggested I write a book. Not a bad idea, if I was just imagining the whole thing, which I **wasn't**.

Fast forward, I became a Zodiac Knight. Well, I thought it was simple. Just go and fight monsters, protect people y'know. Then, I found out from Takada and Ichijyo that it wasn't really so simple after all. Those who became Zodiac Knights were destined to fight one another until there was only ONE remaining Zodiac Knight. Why? All I knew that the LAST Knight will receive a great power and a wish that could change all reality. Well, with a prize like that, which was tempting…very tempting, I guess it wasn't so surprising, huh? I mean, to wish for whatever you wanted with no strings attached. Of course, to do so, a Knight had to defeat all the other Knights, usually by killing. I've always been against killing, still am. I didn't like this rule. Then again, I didn't have anything to wish for…at least not in the beginning. I continued to fight the monsters and tried to stop the Knights from fighting one another. Well, I got Takada and Ichijyo to stop and join me, but I still feel that they REALLY wanted that wish. They had their own reasons for fighting and I think those reasons are what still drives them to this day. We met some bad Knights, but nothing we couldn't handle together. We met Tazuka, who was the Zodiac Knight of Pisces, Jawz. He and I became the best of friends. Sure he was weird and well, he was a fortune teller, but he was good company. He also didn't want the Knights to fight one another saying that it would be better to work together and fight to protect people. Well, Takada warmed up to him, Ichijyo was just being Ichijyo, but I think he was accepting Tazuka as part of the group.

Of course tragedy struck when Asakura, an extremely dangerous criminal who could give the Joker a run for his money, became a Zodiac Knight. He was utterly evil and unreasonable. He…he killed Tazuka (he killed another Knight called Striker before) and I defeated him, destroying his deck and sending him back to prison. I knew from the way he was staring at me that he was plotting his revenge. All I cared about at that time was mourning over Tazuka.

Of course, that wasn't the end of it. I found out my own sister was a Zodiac Knight, the evil Cat Knight who'd been trying to kill us this whole time. Well, after two years of endless and meaningless fighting, I snapped. We fought, I lost, I ran. I ran to Jump City, but I couldn't abandon my duty. I still wanted to protect people. I ran into the Titans and it all started again from there. New beginnings, right? But, as always, the past would always come to follow us. Soon, the Knights were fighting in Jump City, California, USA.

Remember when I said that I fight to protect people? I wasn't being completely honest there. I also fight to find out the truth about my father's death and his past. I found my Dragon Deck in a box of his old stuff and I wanted to know how and why. Did he really die when I was three, or…?

Wow, thinking too much. Oh, you want to know what's happening right now? A new Zodiac Knight was being born. How do I know? I'm watching it right now.

To Be Continued…

**Zodiac Knight Mortuary **

Real Name: Craig Smith

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Zodiac Power: He can create duplicates of himself.

Other powers/Abilities: A sharpshooter with his Death Buster gun and can generate and manipulate necroplasm.

Zodiac Beasts: Gigazelle, Megazelle, Negazelle, and Omegazelle. (All are humanoid gazelles/deer)

Card reader: Right kneepad.

Mortuary's Vent Cards:

Add Vent Gazelle (5,000 AP): Summons Gazelle herd

Strike Vent (3,000 AP) Gazelle Stabber. A double drilled weapon mounted on the right arm.

Final Vent (6,000 AP): Call of the Herd. All of Mortuary's Gazelle monsters attack the target and Mortuary lands a final fatal strike to finish it off.

Bio: Young Craig Smith was born never knowing who his real parents are. Craig is actually a clone of an ancient sorcerer named Joachim Xell; Craig was the only perfect clone in what was dubbed Project: Xell. Craig was raised to have no concept of right and wrong he was only trained to carry out orders for his superiors. Craig's superiors are the secret organization called Dark Cronos whose soul purpose is to create clones of warlords, mad men, and sorcerers. Dark Cronos has only succeeded in cloning Xell, but unaware to Dark Cronos was that Craig could not fully control his power. During a training session Craig had totally lost control which ended in the destruction of the Dark Cronos lab with Craig being the only known survivor. He was found wandering in the near by woods by Vincent Harker. Craig had totally lost all memory of the incident and has since become Vincent's ward. Craig had it made by living with Vince, but he just wasn't into the rich life style so he decided to leave and work as a lab assistant for Dr. Herbert West at Miskatonic University in Arkham Massachusetts. In Arkham he also met Terra and decided to leave Dr. West for a while and form a team with Terra called the Red Wolves. Due to internal conflicts the Red Wolves broke up, afterwards Craig was sought out by a man who only calls himself "One" to form a team of monster hunters called the Templars. The Templars were getting very successful in their job until a powerful Orphenoch killed the entire team and left Craig fatally wounded, after being treated by Dr. West, Craig sought revenge. Craig believes that Zodiac Knight Draco was the Orphenoch that killed his team and tracks him to Titans Tower. Mortuary breaks into the Tower and tries to kill Draco, but is stopped by the Titans and is talked out of it by Draco.

On a camping trip with the male members of the Titans, he is given the Aries Deck by Libra to fight the Orphenochs.


	22. PT022: Aries

Part 22: Aries

**Draco: **

It used to be pretty simple for me, Ryuki Leonard Hasuma a.k.a. Zodiac Knight Draco. Well, maybe not _that _simple. It was usually this: transform, enter the Mirror Dimension and kill evil monsters. Well, there were other monsters in the real world. There was Plasmus then there was Overload. I guess Cinderblock could be considered a monster. However, these monsters were considered criminals. I've also heard of this monster called Kardiak. Believe me, I've never encountered Kardiak, but when I read his file I couldn't believe it. A giant beating disembodied heart? Well, I think…I knew that I could take down Kardiak. It wasn't really human.

Okay, rewind a sec. Let me start from the beginning. A few years back, when I turned 15, I rummaged through my ottosan's stuff in the attic. That was where I found this rectangular metal case with a slot. It had cards inside. Well, most of the cards were blank. At the time, I sure as hell didn't know what I was getting myself into. I found out there was a world called the 'Mirror Dimension' (Or Mirror World. Whichever you want to call it) and that monsters inhabited it. I tried telling my friends, but they all called me crazy; one of them even suggested I write a book. Not a bad idea, if I was just imagining the whole thing, which I **wasn't**.

Fast forward, I became a Zodiac Knight. Well, I thought it was simple. Just go and fight monsters, protect people y'know. Then, I found out from Takada and Ichijyo that it wasn't really so simple after all. Those who became Zodiac Knights were destined to fight one another until there was only ONE remaining Zodiac Knight. Why? All I knew that the LAST Knight will receive a great power and a wish that could change all reality. Well, with a prize like that, which was tempting…very tempting, I guess it wasn't so surprising, huh? I mean, to wish for whatever you wanted with no strings attached. Of course, to do so, a Knight had to defeat all the other Knights, usually by killing. I've always been against killing, still am. I didn't like this rule. Then again, I didn't have anything to wish for…at least not in the beginning. I continued to fight the monsters and tried to stop the Knights from fighting one another. Well, I got Takada and Ichijyo to stop and join me, but I still feel that they REALLY wanted that wish. They had their own reasons for fighting and I think those reasons are what still drives them to this day. We met some bad Knights, but nothing we couldn't handle together. We met Tazuka, who was the Zodiac Knight of Pisces, Jawz. He and I became the best of friends. Sure he was weird and well, he was a fortune teller, but he was good company. He also didn't want the Knights to fight one another saying that it would be better to work together and fight to protect people. Well, Takada warmed up to him, Ichijyo was just being Ichijyo, but I think he was accepting Tazuka as part of the group.

Of course tragedy struck when Asakura, an extremely dangerous criminal who could give the Joker a run for his money, became a Zodiac Knight. He was utterly evil and unreasonable. He…he killed Tazuka (he killed another Knight called Striker before) and I defeated him, destroying his deck and sending him back to prison. I knew from the way he was staring at me that he was plotting his revenge. All I cared about at that time was mourning over Tazuka.

Of course, that wasn't the end of it. I found out my own sister was a Zodiac Knight, the evil Cat Knight who'd been trying to kill us this whole time. Well, after two years of endless and meaningless fighting, I snapped. We fought, I lost, I ran. I ran to Jump City, but I couldn't abandon my duty. I still wanted to protect people. I ran into the Titans and it all started again from there. New beginnings, right? But, as always, the past would always come to follow us. Soon, the Knights were fighting in Jump City, California, USA.

Remember when I said that I fight to protect people? I wasn't being completely honest there. I also fight to find out the truth about my father's death and his past. I found my Dragon Deck in a box of his old stuff and I wanted to know how and why. Did he really die when I was three, or…?

Wow, thinking too much. Oh, you want to know what's happening right now? A new Zodiac Knight was being born. How do I know? I'm watching it right now.

* * *

(Back at the campsite, normal POV)

"I still can't believe you just gave your brother the suit," Tim said to Ichijyo.

"What's not to believe?" replied Ichijyo. "He did earn it, remember? Besides, it was going to be his anyway." Tim just rolled his eyes.

Gar was playing with a GBA as Vic was checking in on the girls back at the Tower, Takada was looking up into the night's sky. Noticing that it was getting dark and that Ryuki and Craig still hadn't returned, he asked, "Hey, where are those two anyway? We're gonna be needing some firewood right about now. It's getting dark."

"So you don't get attacked by 'man-eating-bunnies' again?" Ichijyo quipped.

"That happened and you knew it!" Takada retorted sharply.

Ichijyo, who was strumming his guitar a bit, said, "Maybe I should give Leo a call." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his SNK-Phone. As he was about to flip it open, his pocket began to glow. Takada's pocket was also glowing. "What?"

"Hey, what's happening?" Tim asked as he noticed the strange glowing coming from the Knights' pockets.

"Yeah, why are your pockets glowing?" Gar asked as well, turning his attention away from his GBA.

The Knights reached into their glowing pockets and pulled out their Zodiac Decks.

"The Decks," Ichijyo began, "They sense something." The Zodiac Crystal in his Deck was glowing and so was Takada's.

"And this glow only shows up when there's a new Knight close by," Takada stated. He then realized. "There's a new Knight out there!"

"Right," Ichijyo nodded.

Gar abandoned his video game and asked, "Need some help?" Takada shook his head.

"No. I think you three should stay here. Me and the Mutt will check it out," Ichijyo told them before turning to a grumbling Takada. "Let's go, Mongrel!"

"Right behind you, Poison-Lips," Takada said to him before they went into the forest.

* * *

Craig…Mortuary's NEW Zodiac Armor was primarily brown and black and worn over a black bodysuit with the Symbol of Aries resting on his black chestplate. Mounted on his right knee was a kneepad that looked like a gazelle's head/skull. His helmet was silver and brown, with vertical slits where the eyes would be and with a blue diamond shaped jewel in the centre. There were a pair of brown horns attached to the sides of the helmet that jutted upwards. His shoulder pads held two curved spikes on each. There was a silver mouthpiece on the helmet.

Mortuary looked at his brown and black gauntlet covered arms curiously. "Wow," he managed to breathe out before he was tackled by the Bear Orphenoch and smashed into a tree. The tree fell upon impact, uprooted by the sheer strength of the Orphenoch.

"Craig!" Ryuki shouted as he picked up his Deck. He wanted to help, but the belt wouldn't come to initiate the transformation. He then heard a familiar voice call him.

"LEO!" it was Takada and following after him was Ichijyo.

"Takada! Ichijyo!" Ryuki called after them.

"We got worried and…" Takada trailed of when his eyes went over to the NEW Knight of Aries who was fighting the Orphenoch. "What the heck is going on?"

Ichijyo looked down at the Snake Deck clutched in his hand. It was glowing. He then answered, realizing, "This must be the new Knight our Decks sensed." He then noticed Craig wasn't with Ryuki and put two and two together, realizing the truth. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yeah," Ryuki smiled. "It's Craig."

"He's a Zodiac Knight?" Takada barked.

"He is," Ichijyo frowned grimly. _'Great, more competition.'_

Mortuary wrestled with the Orphenoch and kicked it away. He then, as he seen the Knights do so many times before, reached for the card deck and drew a card. "Okay," he said to himself, "Let's see how this is done." He slid the card into his right kneepad, which he guessed was his card reader. "Strike Vent!" A gauntlet equipped with a pair of long drills appeared and equipped itself to his right forearm. He then winged it and charged the drills with his necroplasmic energy before striking at the Orphenoch. He yelled out as he stabbed the Orphenoch, sparks flying as he landed each and every blow.

"Go Craig!" Ryuki cheered. Mortuary then demonstrated several kick boxing moves and jumped up to knee the Orphenoch in the face. The Orphenoch fell against a large stone boulder that was in the ground. It turned, grabbed the boulder, and pulled it out before throwing it at Mortuary. The Knight of Aries just stabbed his drills into the boulder as it came hurtling towards him and shattered it.

"Time to die, you monster!" Mortuary yelled out and ran at the Orphenoch before striking it straight in the heart with his drills. The Orphenoch then exploded with blue flames before crumbling to ashes. Takada cheered upon Mortuary's victory while Ichijyo was silent. Ryuki averted his eyes from the Orphenoch's destruction, letting single tear fall from his eyes.

Mortuary then looked at his handiwork and grinned. His armor then disappeared. He looked down into his hand and saw the Zodiac Crystal glow a bit. He smirked, "Things are going to be very interesting from now on."

Craig then slid the Aries deck into his pocket and walked towards his friends. Craig stopped in front of them, "So, how did I do for my first time?" he asked.

"Not bad, not bad at all," Takada started. "Just remember not to get too far ahead of yourself there, hotshot. You'll still require some training now that you're one of us, so don't get cocky like you usually do."

"Alright then, you gonna train me then, Takada?"

Takada shrugged. "I might as well. I've been a Zodiac Knight far longer than most anyone here and there's also the fact of Leo not recovering yet and Ichijyo doesn't have the patience, I'm afraid."

It was true. Seeing Mortuary kill an Orphenoch so easily unnerved the Knight of Combustion, but he had to remember the family the Orphenoch had killed.

The four (that's right, FOUR!) Knights returned to the campsite with the firewood thinking of the other guys' reaction when they find out that Craig was now a Zodiac Knight. Takada and Craig approached the T-Car alone.

Tim and the rest of the guys looked confused at the situation.

"Ichijyo, what's going on?" Tim asked

"Takada is giving Craig a little training session," Ichijyo answered back in annoyed tone. Ichijyo did like Craig, but he sort of saw him as a loose cannon. "He's a Zodiac Knight now, don't ask me how because even I don't know."

Tim just decided not to ask and watch what was going to happen.

Takada approached the T-Car first and turned to Craig, "Alright Smith, are you ready?"

"Always," Craig answer in his usual reassuring tone

They both drew out their Zodiac Decks and held them out in front of the windows reflective surface. The belts then formed around their waists before they yelled out their transformation commands

"Empowerment of the Zodiac Dog! Henshin!" Takada slid the deck into his belt. Blue energy whipped around him.

"Empowerment of Aries! Henshin!" Mortuary slid his deck into his belt. Brown energy whipped around him.

Their armors encased their bodies. Pluto's looked at Mortuary who also turned to look at him. "Lesson 1: handling a Knightrider."

"A Knightrider?" Mortuary questioned, still new to the whole Zodiac Knight business.

"I'll show you!" Pluto leapt into the Mirror Portal that formed in the car window. Mortuary decided to just go with it and followed after him.

"You okay?" Tim said to Ryuki.

"A little," Ryuki said to Tim. He was a bit unnerved by how easily Mortuary took care of the Bear Orphenoch, but not just by that. What scare him was that Mortuary enjoyed doing it a little too much. Ichijyo picked up on Ryuki's worry with his empathy and was having similar worries as well. He knew all too well that power corrupts.

* * *

Earlier, in the same forest, another group familiar to the Titans (but not exactly on good terms) was camping out.

"Why do we have to do this again?" asked a blonde haired teenage boy that was 18 years old. "I keep forgetting the point to all of this."

"Because daddy thinks it's a good idea for us to camp out together. Kinda like an exercise to promote unity," reminded a girl who was 15 and had long platinum blonde hair that was pulled in a ponytail.

"Really, I thought it was because father wanted an excuse to minimize the damage being done to the house."

'_That too…_' the girl thought. "You're thinking too much, Grant."

"Whatever, Rose," Grant said dismissingly. "By the way, where's Kat and Joey?"

"They went to get firewood," Rose replied.

That's right, these guys were Team Tartarus. However, they already dropped 'Team' from the name so now they are simply known as 'Tartarus'.

Unlike the Titans who had to set up tents, Tartarus actually drove an RV. It was quite big, even for a regular RV, and also housed plenty of room and plenty of options.

"I hope that crazed cat doesn't set fire to the woods," joked Grant. He got smacked in the head by Kat.

"I'd set fire to you if you don't watch your mouth, Grant!" Kat hissed as she put some of the firewood down. Her hair was braided and she still had the bow in her hair. Joey was making the fire pit and putting rocks around it. Several logs had been set there to provide seating for the team. "Or do you prefer I stick these sticks right up your-"

"MAMA!" squealed a little girl that looked five years old. She had short purple hair with a little black bow in it and wore shorts with a black shirt. She also had, believe it or not, a purple tail. She hopped into Kat's arms.

"Hey, Cathy!" Kat smiled down at the little girl in her arms. Cathy smiled at Kat and hugged her.

This little girl was actually the same mutant baby that Kat had found and adopted all those weeks ago back in Bayville.

"I can't believe how fast she grew up," Rose said as she ruffled Cathy's hair.

"I can," Grant said evenly. After Kat had found Cathy she was examined both medically and genetically. She had an X-Gene, which accounted for her mutation as well as her accelerated growth rate. She grew about a year for each week, both mentally and physically. Thankfully, her growth rate would slow down to normal when she reached puberty.

Kat put down the little girl and she ran off to look around the woods. Joey went with her. "Don't wander off!" Kat advised. Joey gave her a silent nod and Cathy waved.

"You know, I still can't believe that it's only been 5 weeks," Grant said.

"They grow up so fast," Kat wiped a tear from her eye as she smiled softly. Grant rolled his eyes. He was thinking that Kat was going soft, but knew better than to say this to her. Thinking it was just as dangerous since she was a telepath. Hopefully, she wasn't trying to pick up on his thoughts.

"Remember what happened when you told father if you could keep her?"

"Yeah. I never seen Slade-sama faint, much less look startled before."

What do you think would've happened?" Rose asked. "His apprentice just asked him if she could keep a baby."

"He almost thought you were pregnant!" Grant added. The trio of Tartarus laughed. "It was a good thing, although surprising, that he **did **let you keep her. Personally, I like the little rugrat." It was true. Slade did allow Kat to keep Cathy. The little girl was now known as Catherine Wilson Hasuma. Her codename when she was ready would be Nekokage…Cat of the Shadows.

"As do I," Rose placed a hand on Kat's shoulder. "She's really a sweet kid."

"Thanks guys," Kat smiled. She could always count on her teammates to back her up. Cathy then ran back to Kat with Joey chasing close behind.

((Kat we got a situation!)) Joey telepathically said to Kat. He sounded frantic.

"What's going on?" Kat asked back. She picked up Cathy.

"Mama! I just saw a monster. It was grey and looked like a bear!" Cathy said frantically, looking scared as her tail swished about. She temporarily turned invisible in her panic.

"Hush, now," Kat hugged her daughter. Yes, Cathy was Kat's daughter. Adopted or not, she was Kat's daughter no matter how you see it. She looked to Joey.

((Actually, I think the thing Cathy saw was that Orphenoch thing your brother turns into)) Joey explained. ((But there's something else! Your brother and his friends are here too!))

"The Titans are here?" Kat exclaimed with surprise.

((Actually, I didn't see the girls, just the guys.))

"I should've known," Grant said as he kicked a pebble. "Just our luck."

"Who are the Titans, mama?" Cathy asked.

"They are bad people that don't like us," Kat answered. She hated to lie to her daughter, but she wasn't really lying to her daughter. Technically, the Titans didn't really like Tartarus and vice versa. To Slade, they were thorns to his plans. Saying the Titans were 'bad' was a bit of a stretch, but Cathy needed to be raised to believe that if she was ever to encounter them.

"So what now?" Rose asked. "Do we fight them or do we go?"

Kat was about to reply, but was then interrupted by a familiar ringing sound in her ear. The same ringing sound came to the ears of the others, except for Cathy since she wasn't a Zodiac Knight like the others. She asked Joey, "Did you see anything else?"

((That new guy, Mortuary…he's a Zodiac Knight now too.)) Kat's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting that.

'_Damn!_' Kat thought. She was thinking among the same lines as Ichijyo. '_Even more competition. Gotta get rid of him while he's still new!_'

"Now the Titans have four Zodiac Knights on their roster! As if the Titans didn't already outnumber us!" Grant shouted in frustration. That was true. With the number of Titans increasing more and more, even honorary members as well as operatives from Smart Brain, the Titans were becoming more of a threat to Slade than he originally realized. Despite the number of villains that Slade knew, the Titans were adding more members to their ranks. Additionally, the Knights had become reserved members of the Justice League like the other Titans. The Titans were also being backed up and funded by Smart Brain Corporation. This wasn't exactly good news to Tartarus. Now with the addition of Mortuary and the fact that he had achieved Zodiac Knighthood, the Titans were becoming an even more dangerous threat to Slade and his plans.

"Grant, you come with me," Kat ordered, putting Cathy in Rose's arms. She asked her, "Do you mind watching Cathy for a while, Rosey-chan?"

"What are you going to do?" Rose asked with Cathy in her arms. Kat reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her Cat Deck, grinning at her girlfriend and daughter. Grant understood and took out _his_ green Taurus Deck from the pocket of the vest he was wearing.

"We're gonna give this new Knight a _nice_ little welcome," Kat smirked dangerously. She and Grant stood in front of the RV windows and held out their Zodiac Decks at their reflections. Their Zodiac Belts formed around their waists.

"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC CAT!"

"EMPOWERMENT OF TAURUS!"

"**HENSHIN!**" Kat and Grant slid the decks into their belts and their armor formed over their bodies. Cathy watched this and smiled. Her mama and her friends were so cool. The Zodiac Knights Copycat and ARMS leapt into the Mirror Portal that formed in the RV windows.

* * *

Both Mortuary and Pluto, after jumping into the T-Car's mirrors, were transported to a crystallized room and there awaiting them were two Knightriders. As Pluto approached his the roof of it had opened up and he then mounted it. Mortuary had just followed exactly what he was seeing.

"You know how to ride a motorcycle, right?" Pluto asked. Mortuary nodded. "Then let's go," Pluto ordered

They both rode off till they jumped out of a portal and into the Mirror Dimension. It looked like they were back at the campsite, but they were really in the Mirror Dimension, a reflection of the real world. When they found an open field, they stopped and then dismounted from their Knightriders.

"Ok," Takada spoke up "Now I'm going to teach you one of the most important things about being a Zodiac Knight. That thing is the code."

The **CODE** of the Zodiac Knights:

1. A Knight must not invade the domain of another Knight.

2. A Knight must not reveal the identity of another Knight to outsiders.

3. A Knight must accept a challenge from an opposing Knight.

4. A Knight must accept and uphold the terms of the challenge.

5. A Knight must fight in order to survive.

6. A Knight must fight until the end.

Mortuary had heard the entire code and was now ready to start his training. He began by drawing a card and then lifted his knee before he placed the card into his card reader. "Strike Vent!" A brown light then covered Mortuary's lower legs and feet. When the light vanished, he had adorned large spike covered boots that went up to his knees. These were his Strike Vent, the Horned Greaves. "Nice," Mortuary admired.

It was then Pluto's turn to draw a card before he slid it into his sword. "Sword Vent!" Pluto's Wing Lancer landed in Pluto's hands. As soon as both knights had their weapons they began striking at each other. Pluto was surprised at how fast Mort could kick and jab he could see that Mort was an accomplished kick boxer and was able to keep up with him. Pluto's swings and stabs were being either dodged or countered by Mortuary's speed, agility and acrobatics. '_Must be the influence of his Zodiac Beast, whatever it is_,' Pluto thought.

"Getting tired yet?" Mortuary asked his new trainer in his usual 'I'm better than you' tone.

"Haven't broken a sweat yet, oh modest student," answered Pluto, matching wits with his student.

Mort kept on kicking and puching until he decided to surprise Pluto with a necrobolt, but Mort was the one surprised when Pluto deflected the bolt back with his lance. The bolt connected with Mort's chest and toppled the Aries Knight over. Pluto was about to drop kick into Mortuary's chest until Mort did a handstand which made Pluto land on the soles of Mortuary's feet. Mort then used his legs and pushed Pluto up into the air. While Pluto was airborne Mort took it as an advantage and launched himself into the air and kicked Pluto back down to the earth. Pluto landed with the help of his cape. Pluto quickly got himself back up and as soon as Mort was nearing the ground, he swatted him down with the lance. It was a very forced blow and Mort had a hard time getting back up after it.

"Alright, I think you've had enough for today," Pluto said.

"I'm not ready to stop yet," Mortuary said as he got into a ready stance. Suddenly, there was a sound of a gunshot (BANG!) and Mortuary let out a yell as sparks flew from the back of his armor.

"MORT!" Pluto yelled.

"I'm…fine," Mortuary said, still in a little pain but was slowly recovering.

Pluto then looked for the direction of the gunshot. He then saw a familiar pair of Zodiac Knights. He glared at them, one in particular. "Kat…" he growled.

"Is this a private party?" Copycat began as she cracked her whip, which was now a cat-o-nine-tails with knives attached to the whip tips. "Or can anybody join in?" she purred. A red visor with horizontal grills formed over her eyepieces. ARMS stood next to her, gun aimed at the two Zodiac Titans.

Pluto turned to Mortuary, who had recovered, "Ready for your next lesson, Mortuary?"

Mortuary nodded, understanding what Pluto meant. "Yeah."

"Right!" Pluto shouted, "Let's go!" he charged at the two Tartarus Knights. Mortuary yelled and followed after him.

"Let's play!" Copycat cracked her whip and charged back. ARMS followed after her, his trigger finger getting itchy.

To Be Continued…

Mort's first fight as a Zodiac Knight. How will he fair? As always, I'd like to credit my friend Zombi 138. He also wrote some of this chap. Thanks man.


	23. PT023: Tagged

Part 23: Tagged

Ryuki, Ichijyo, Vic, Gar and Tim were at the camp site. The sun had set and the stars twinkled in the sky. The campfire had been lit (by Ryuki with his powers since they forgot to bring matches or lighters) and the 5 of them sat around it. The others chatted amongst themselves while roasting marshmallows. Ryuki was silent as he watched his marshmallow turn golden brown. Ichijyo noticed this and said to his friend, "_What's_ _wrong_?" he was talking in Japanese

Ryuki was shocked out of his reverie as he made eye contact with Ichijyo. He smiled, "_Oh, nothing's wrong, Ichijyo-san_," he replied. "_Why'd you ask?_"

Ichijyo knew he was lying. He then pointed out, "_Well, your marshmallow is on fire by_ _the way_." Ryuki's eyes widened as he dropped the flaming marshmallow and stomped on it frantically, trying to put out the fire. When the fire had been put out, Ryuki picked another marshmallow out of the bag, stuck it to another stick and began roasting again. "_So, what's wrong, really_?" Ryuki sighed. "_Is it about Mortuary_?" He nodded.

"_Well, I'm glad we have another Knight on our side, but…_" Ryuki trailed.

"_But_?"

Ryuki continued, "_It's just that, I know Mortuary enough to know what he's going to use that power for_."

"_Judging from the first time we met him, we **all** know what he's going to use that power for_."

"_Exactly._ _What if he starts killing off Orphenochs_?"

"_And is that a bad thing_?"

"_It depends. I know some Orphenochs may deserve it, but I know that Mortuary hates Orphenochs enough to not care if they were either good or evil_."

"_What about you?_ _He seems to accept you._"

"_I think he only accepts my human side_."

"Hey, dudes," Gar said to them. "What are you guys talking about? We can't understand you!"

The two Knights looked at the confused and disguised changeling. Ichijyo smiled, "Nothing Gar, just reminiscing. However, we often get so caught up that we start talking in Japanese."

"Gomen," Ryuki apologized.

"What does that mean?" Gar questioned.

"I'm sorry," Ryuki replied.

"Yeah, what did 'Gomen' mean?" Gar asked again. He thought when Ryuki said 'I'm sorry' he was asking Gar to repeat the question again.

"I'm sorry," Ryuki repeated.

"Yes, what does 'Gomen' mean?" Gar repeated in exasperation.

"I'm sorry," Ryuki said again.

Gar was about to ask again but a hand slapped on his mouth. It was Ichijyo's and he explained, "Gomen is Japanese for 'sorry'." He removed his hand from Gar's mouth.

"Oh…Why didn't you say so?" he asked Ryuki. Ichijyo shook his head in frustration.

Tim checked his watch and looked at the T-Car, more specifically the windows. "Shouldn't Takada and Craig be back by now? How long are they going to train?"

"You know, Tim, I've been wondering that too," Vic added.

"Hold on, I'll go check," Ichijyo said as he stood up and looked into the windows. As a Zodiac Knight, he had the ability to look through the Mirror Portals and see the Mirror Dimension on the other side.

* * *

(Mirror Dimension)

"This can't be good!" Mortuary complained to himself as he had run into the forest to avoid from ARMS' shots. The heavy armored mercenary followed after him and aimed at Mortuary with his deadly submachine-gun (or SMG for short) and began shooting at him rapidly. Mort used his newly gained agility to avoid the shots, which hit the trees instead. Mort hid behind the trees and looked over to see what ARMS was doing. A shot went over the Knight of Aries' head. "That was close." He whistled. He reached for his Death-Buster gun that was attached to his belt. "At least I still have my gun. This guy's too dangerous with his gun to fight head on and he's too fast with the trigger for me to charge necroplasm in time." He drew the gun. "Time for an old fashioned gunfight." He cocked his gun and spun into ARMS view.

"EAT LEAD!" ARMS laughed as he fired at Mortuary with his gun. Mortuary hid behind the tree again and shot at ARMS from a distance. ARMS got shot in the leg. He groaned and leapt behind a large boulder to avoid another shot from Mort. He said, "So, you like to play with guns too, huh?" ARMS drew a card from his belt before sliding it into his gun. "Shoot Vent!" Mortuary looked and saw ARMS aiming at him with a large rocket launcher. ARMS fired. The rocket hit the tree and it exploded, sending Mortuary flying. ARMS aimed at the airborne Knight of Aries. "Bye, bye."

Mortuary fired at ARMS with several necrobolts. The bolts hit ARMS in the chestplate and arms, causing him to drop his launcher. Landing back on his feet, he decided to engage in melee combat with the heavy armored mercenary.

* * *

Meanwhile, Copycat had called on her Psycho Slasher and attacking Pluto for all it was worth. Pluto used his own Wing Lancer to parry her swings before. Their weapons clashed, sending sparks flying. They were fighting in the river, jumping from rock to rock as the fast current of the water moved beneath their feet. Despite her disdain for water, Copycat did not run. She let out a snarl and slashed at Pluto's chest. Sparks flew from the impact and sent the Dog Knight falling into the shallow part of the river. Copycat then jumped up and dropped back down, holding the tip of her spiked lance down to impale him. Pluto instinctively drew a card and slid it into his sword. "Nasty Vent!" Darkwing flew off Pluto's back and let out his Supersonic Screech. Copycat screamed in pain as the screech caused her to lose focus and she fell into the stream. She got up on one knee, propping herself up with her lance, and glared at Pluto who was standing on the riverbank. His hand was in the water and Copycat knew what was coming next.

"Crud," she groaned before Pluto let his electricity loose in the water, shocking her. She let out a shriek as electricity coursed through her body. He turned off the voltage and took his hand out. Copycat dropped her lance and fell face first into the water, her body smoking and crackling a bit from the electrical strike.

Pluto thought to himself, '_I hope I didn't kill her. Although she did deserve it, but she's still Leo's sister_.' He carefully walk towards her prone form, Darkwing flying overhead at a same distance to make sure its Knight was safe. Pluto kicked over Copycat's body so she lay on her back. She wasn't moving. This worried Pluto since he knew that, despite her being evil, Ryuki still cared about her like family. Muttering something, he kneeled down and decided to jump start her heart.

That was a big mistake on his part.

Copycat's clawed hand thrust up and grabbed him by the throat. Darkwing screeched as it flew down to help its Knight, but was knocked down when it was tackled by a black armored monster wearing a metal hockey mask. It was Psycho-Rogue.

"Have a taste of your own medicine!" Copycat snarled before shocking Pluto with electricity. She knew he was immortal and would survive this, but it didn't mean he couldn't feel pain and that she couldn't enjoy inflicting said pain. She squeezed his neck harder, listening as he choked for air to breathe. She smirked under her helmet as she got up and strangled Pluto. She reached down to his belt and removed his Deck before dropping him. His armor dematerialized. Takada looked up, hand on his throat, as he coughed. He glared at Copycat who had his Dog Deck clutched in her claws. Without it, he would surely be trapped in the Mirror Dimension and, immortal or not, would surely vaporize and die without the protective armor.

"Give…it…back…!" he growled at her, but his demand was met with a swift kick to his solar plexus and another one in the gut, forcing him back on his knees as he held his painful midsection. She tilted her head to the side. She may have had some feelings for him, but that was all in the past. Right now, she just wanted to kill him.

"Sayonara, Takada-sempai," she said in mock pleasantness before she prepared to destroy his deck and kill him. But this would not happen as a shot from an unknown source knocked the deck out of her hand. She let out a shout and clutched her wrist. "Who dares?" she snarled. She looked up and to her surprise there was her twin brother sitting in his Knightrider with the canopy up and the DRA-Blaster aimed at her. He was in his black and silver armor and wearing the Excel Suit underneath. Takada used the chance to grab his Dog Deck. He felt a tingling sensation and he knew it wouldn't be long before he vaporized in the Mirror Dimension. He summoned the belt and slid in the deck, transforming once again to Zodiac Knight Pluto.

"You!" Copycat snarled at Draco as he dismounted from his vehicle.

"Takada, are you okay?' he asked his friend, ignoring his sister, which enraged her even more.

"Never better," Pluto replied as he drew his sword. "You're late, by the way."

"Gomen." Draco turned to his sister. "Oneechan, you've gone too far."

"Have I?" she swung out her cat-o-nine tails and the whip knocked Draco's DRA-Blaster out of his hand. "Not yet I haven't." she swung her whip again and allowed the knife tips of her whip to grab the DRA-Blaster before she pulled it back and deposited the weapon into her waiting hand. "Now, we're even." She threw it over her shoulder.

Draco clutched his hand. Those knives on her whip tips were sharp and if he was unarmored he knew that he would have a few less fingers now. Draco looked at Pluto. Despite getting back into his armor, the Dog Knight of Invincibility was still starting to vaporize. The armor bought him some time, but if he stayed here too long…

"Takada, you should get out of here," Draco said to him. Pluto started to protest but, looking down at his fizzling hand, he knew Draco had a point. He sheathed his sword and gave Copycat one last dirty look before walking back towards the nearest Mirror Portal. The reflective surface of the water would do just fine. He then disappeared and reentered the real world.

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about the mongrel," Copycat remarked. She drew a card and slid it into her whip. "Strike Vent!" her Feline Claws equipped themselves to her forearms. "Let's fight!"

"Oneechan, we don't have to do this. Like me you can leave Slade and-" Draco was unable to finish as his sister lunged and swung down her claws. He dodged to the side and a rock was sliced to pieces.

"Stop talking and fight me!" She roared before charging again, swinging and thrusting out her sharp and powerful Feline Claws. Draco dodged the vicious slashes and stabs before somersaulting away. He landed away from her and drew a card before sliding it into his Dragauntlet.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mortuary was having troubles of his own. ARMS may have been slow with his heavy armor, but what he lacked in speed he made up for it with endurance. He did knock away ARMS' Giga Launcher, but despite activating both of his Strike Vents (Gazelle Stabber and Horned Greaves), ARMS was overpowering the necroplasmic powered Aries Knight. Mortuary knew that he had a Zodiac Power, but he had no idea how to use it. Mortuary's drills stabbed into ARMS, but ARMS grabbed the spinning drills in his hands and broke them with little effort. Mortuary reached down to draw a card, but was grabbed by the wrist. ARMS gave him a vicious head-butt, followed by another one and another one. Mortuary would probably get a concussion as well as a splitting headache from this. ARMS got out his gun and shot Mortuary in the chest, sending him flying into a tree. It broke in half from the force of the impact. He groaned.

"Time to finish you off," ARMS said as he reached for his deck.

"Damn…" Mortuary groaned as he struggled to get up. He then felt a strange tingling sensation. He looked down at his hand and found that his armor was fizzling. "What the hell?"

"Speaking of Hell," ARMS paused, "That is where you'll be going." He activated the card. "Final Vent!" Gigataurus rose up in front of ARMS. The Knight of Taurus placed the barrel of his gun behind his Zodiac Beast and it revealed its hidden cannons and missiles. Mort saw this and struggled to get up, but began coughing. He was having another necro-sickness attack as he coughed violently. "See you in the…" ARMS pulled the trigger, "….END OF THE WORLD!" Gigataurus fired ALL of its cannons, missiles and lasers at Mortuary. This was it for Mortuary…

Or was it?

* * *

Rose and Joey were looking at the RV windows intently, clutching their Zodiac Decks. Cathy used her finger to at least touch Rose's deck. It was a known fact that anyone that had direct physical contact with a Zodiac Deck could see into the Mirror Dimension. Right now, they watched as Copycat fought with Draco.

"Mama…" Cathy said worriedly as she watched her 'mother' fight for her life.

Ever since she could remember, Kat was there for her. There was also Papa Slade, Uncle Grant, Uncle Joey and Aunty Rosie. Cathy did not understand why she had a tail, but her mama had told her that she was special because of it. Her mama had been nothing but good to her. She wanted to be strong like her mama and help her fight the bad people (Titans). She did not want her mama to leave and she did not want Rose to be sad.

"Mama…please be careful."

* * *

The two Hasuma twins were fighting each other hand to hand, or should I say claw to claw. Activating his own Strike Vent card, Draco had summoned the Black Lion Claws of Razorclaw the lion. Despite being smaller than Copycat's Feline Claws and only covering his hands and not the entire forearms, they were still as tough as hers.

The twins slashed and stabbed at each other while blocking the other's hits with their claws. Sparks flew as the claws clanged against one another. They snarled and roared at each other, fighting both viciously and expertly. None of them traded words as they fought; they were letting their hands do ALL the 'talking' they needed. A direct, powerful and precise swipe of her claws made contact with her brother's chestplate, sending his flying as sparks flew. He crashed upon a boulder, breaking it into several pieces. He shook his head. Focusing his Power of Capricorn, he threw the boulders at Copycat with geokinesis, but the Cat Knight sliced the boulders and rocks apart with her powerful Feline Claws.

"That the best you can do? She taunted as she lunged at him.

"No," his eyes glowed. "But this is!" A geyser of water sprung out in front of Copycat and formed into a dragon. This was new, even to Copycat.

"How?" she demanded, shocked at her brother's new ability.

"Slade taught me a thing or two about my powers. I can generate ice and manipulate it and as long as I thought of water as melted ice…well, I think you can guess the rest." He sent the water dragon after her and she ran away, not wanting to be eaten by the blasted thing.

"I HATE WATER!" she screeched, running from the water dragon's snapping jaws.

* * *

A destructive and powerful explosion erupted due to ARMS' End of the World Final Vent. Trees were destroyed and small embers littered the ground. Smoke was everywhere. The spot where ARMS attacked was now a clear field of nothing more but grayish soil where trees had been. ARMS cockily thought that he had finished Mort for good and turned around to walk away.

"Leaving so soon?" a familiar voice hissed causing ARMS to freeze in his tracks. "I thought you wanted to fight. I guess I was wrong."

ARMS whirled around, "YOU!" he exclaimed. When the smoke started to clear, standing before ARMS was none other than Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra, already with his activated Excel Suit. He held the Cobra Hood Shield in his hand. Mort was standing behind him, completely unharmed. Of course, Mort's armor was still vaporizing.

Shadowcobra turned to address Mortuary, "You better get out of here or you'll die. I'll take care of this trigger-happy-idiot for you." ARMS fumed at the insult.

"But…" Mortuary started.

"I said **GO**!" Shadowcobra shouted at him. Mortuary knew that Shadow meant business and quickly ran to find the closest exit portal into the real world. Shadowcobra lifted up his shield to block a gunshot from ARMS. He turned to glare at the Knight of Taurus, "It's been a while hasn't it, ARMS?"

"Not long enough!" ARMS went to attack but was suddenly slashed in the chest by a fast moving blur. The blur then slashed Shadowcobra across the chest as well before leaping away. It didn't take a genius for them to realize it was a monster.

"Bothersome monster," Shadowcobra said in annoyance before pushing a button on his SB-Watch. "Clock Up!" The Watch exclaimed, "CLOCK UP!" activating the Clock Up system. "Excuse me," he said to ARMS before vanishing.

* * *

It took Copycat several minutes of running before she remembered her ability to copy powers. Now, there were two water dragons wrestling with one another, biting and snapping at one another with their powerful jaws and razor sharp teeth. Both Copycat and Draco controlled the dragons before the beasts smashed into each other. There was a powerful crash and eruption of water. The two water dragons had destroyed one another, causing droplets of water to rain down on the Knight of Dragons and the Knight of Cats.

Copycat snarled and ran at her brother, slashing with her Feline Claws. Draco then fired a freeze beam at her claws before shattering them with a powerful roundhouse kick into a nearby wall of earth. She slowly picked herself up. She felt the tingling sensation and did not need to check if she was vaporizing or not. She already knew the answer to that.

"Oneechan, you better stop. You're running out of time," Draco said to her, but his words fell upon deaf ears as she drew her whip.

"SHUT UP AND FIGHT ME!" she screeched before lashing out with her whip. The knives on the tips gleamed as they rushed towards Draco. The knives slashed at Draco's armor but he caught the whip in his grip. He then activated the Dragblade, the blade popping out of his Dragauntlet, and brought it down on the whip, slicing it in half. Cat pulled back a ruined whip as the half with the knife tips fell by Draco's feet. Despite slowly vaporizing, she was too stubborn to give up. Dropping her now useless weapon, she rushed at Draco with her fingers bent and claws out. In her rage, she did not notice that Draco had pulled the DRA-Blaster into his hand telekinetically. However, before he could do a thing, her claws imbedded themselves into his chestplate. He grunted. She was beginning to vaporize faster and if he didn't do anything to get her out of the Mirror Dimension soon…

"Gomen, Oneechan," he said to her before shooting her with a stun ray from the DRA-Blaster, knocking her out. Her body became rigid and then went limp before she fell into his arms. There were slash marks on his armor. Shaking his head, he took her to the closest exit portal before she ceased to exist.

To Be Continued…

Next chapter: Mortuary is going to find out a little more about being a Zodiac Knight and the Mirror Dimension. Also, Tartarus is planning on ambushing the Titans. Will the Titans survive the night? Stay tuned for the next chapter. Part 24: Ambush!


	24. PT024: Ambush

Part 24: Ambush

"CLOCK OVER!" was exclaimed by the SB-Watch before Shadowcobra slowed down to normal.

Shadowcobra was done with the monster and was ready to leave the Mirror Dimension, when suddenly his trusty 6th sense warned him of an impending attack. He turned his head to the side in tine to see a missile rocketing towards him. With his amazing reflexes, he jumped out of the way before the missile struck him. The tree behind him, however, wasn't so lucky, as it exploded from the missiles impact and combusted, sending flaming wooden splinters flying. Shadow rolled on the ground and got on one knee. Who had shot him? With a hiss, he got back to his feet and got out his scepter.

He looked straight ahead and focused his eyes from behind his visor. The dust cloud and smoke cleared away to reveal who had shot him. The shooter was clad in silver and green armor, nearly robotic in design. He was holding a very large rocket/missile launcher that had to be at least 10 feet in length. The shooter was at least 6 feet tall. He was male, based on his armor's design and had a pair of fold horns on his helmet. Around his waist was a belt similar to Shadowcobra's. It held a green crystal orb that held the power of Taurus within. Attached to the right side of his belt was a sub-machine gun.

"Remember me, snake boy?" the green clad Zodiac Knight asked, aiming his launcher.

"I could never forget the face of the person I dropped in the water," Shadow replied with a hint of humor in his voice. Beast Boy must be rubbing off on him. How could he forget about ARMS?

ARMS, enraged, opened fire. Shadow created a shadow shield and blocked the shot the best he could. The missile exploded and shattered his shield, throwing him into a wall and causing it to break. He then got up, drew a card and slid it into his scepter. "Sword Vent!" His Snake Coil Saber appeared in his hand. He activated another card, "Nasty Vent!" Genosnaker appeared and spat out its venom and acid at ARMS. ARMS held up his launcher and the corrosive substance hit it, melting it in the processed. Unarmed, he then drew his gun and shot at Shadow. The Snake Knight used the yellow blade of his spiral sword to deflect the bullets as he ran towards ARMS. He ran fast and was now close enough to ARMS to engage in melee combat. ARMS attempted a punch to his face, but Shadow leaned back and avoided the swing. He went back to position and stabbed the tip of his sword into ARMS' chestplate. ARMS staggered back and kicked out his leg. Shadow blocked it with his arm and then trapped it with his hands before giving a twist, causing ARMS to fall flat on his face. Shadow then swung down his blade.

"Guard Vent!" A shield materialized and ARMS turned around to catch it and block Shadow's sword swing. Caught by surprise, Shadow almost didn't avoid the leg sweep under him. He jumped up and landed a few feet away before ARMS flipped back to his own feet. ARMS shot at Shadow repeatedly with his SMG. Shadow, even though he didn't like it, had to make an evasive retreat, using the sword to deflect the bullets. He ran deeper into the forest, ARMS, following close behind.

Shadow then dropped his sword and drew out a new card. He slid it into his scepter. "Add Vent!" With a grunt and a roar, Metalceros was summoned and charged towards ARMS and rammed into him, smashing ARMS against a tree. ARMS was pinned against the tree, but still had his arms free. He slammed his fists onto the monster's head repeatedly to make it let him go and, with a grunt, kicked Metalceros away with all his might. ARMS slowly drew out a card slid it into his gun.

"Add Vent!" Gigataurus appeared and aimed its cannon, shooting Metalceros away. The rhino monster roared and went to engage battle with the robotic minotaur, who obliged. The two monsters wrestled. ARMS cracked his neck and went to chase after Shadow. He activated another card, "Shoot Vent!" The two shoulder mounted cannons, the Giga Cannons, appeared and he fired. Shadow barely avoided the shots of energy that came at him. ARMS followed after him, shooting and blasting as he went. Some more trees were hit as well as some boulders, which blew up into when the blasts hit.

Shadow, using his invisibility, caught ARMS off guard and slammed him in the back using the Metal Strike Horn mounted on his right arm. ARMS turned and swung his fist, but Shadow caught it in his left hand. ARMS then fired with his cannons, throwing Shadow into a large stone wall. Shadow looked up and raised up his hand, firing a shadow blast. ARMS barely dodged and the blast hit his cannons, destroying them. ARMS ran at Shadow and drew his gun. He aimed his gun at Shadow's face, but Shadow slammed the weapon away with his own.

"Unarmed, ARMS?" there was a pun there and Shadow knew it. He laughed to himself as he crushed ARMS' hand in his. ARMS, however, was not entirely defenseless. ARMS kicked Shadow as hard as he could and the Snake Knight was thrown into several large rocks with a loud smash. He hissed in pain. He swore a bone had been broken or something; or at least sprained.

ARMS retrieved his gun and drew a card before sliding it into his weapon. "Trap Vent!" A greenish force field bubble erected itself around Shadow, trapping him. He was unable to phase through. This was ARMS' Force Bubble Trap Vent.

"This isn't good," Shadow muttered.

"No, it isn't," ARMS responded, drawing his card. It was his Final Vent. Shadow saw this and drew out his own card. ARMS slid the card into his card reader and Shadow did the same.

"Final Vent!"

Gigataurus rose up in front of ARMS and the green Knight of Taurus placed the barrel of his gun into the back of his monster, he pulled the trigger. He was about to execute his 'End of the World' Final Vent.

"Medusa Vent!"

However, nothing happened as Gigatuarus was paralyzed and was as stiff as stone due to the effects of Shadow's Medusa Vent card. ARMS was bewildered and shocked, "What? What's going on? Why isn't this working? Damn it!" He kicked the back of his monster's legs in frustration, totally ignoring Shadow.

Shadow then drew another card and slid it into his staff. "Confine Vent!" He was now free of the force field bubble as the Confine Vent card had cancelled it out for him. He drew _his _Final Vent and activated it. "Final Vent!" Stingdiver flew in and Shadow jumped aboard the stingray, riding it like a flying surfboard or to be more precise a hover-board.

"STINGRAY SURF!" Shadow and Stingdiver rammed hard, right into ARMS. But the mercenary held up his shield to defend himself. He was thrown into a few bushes. Shadow jumped off Stingdiver and landed on his feet. ARMS staggered to his feet.

"Not done yet, I see," Shadow hissed. ARMS, with a yell of rage, aimed his gun and fired at Shadow. Shadow, however, went intangible, allowing the bullets to fly harmlessly through him. He drew a card and slid it into his scepter. "Final Vent!"

Genosnaker slithered into the scene as Shadow ran towards ARMS. The giant king cobra hissed as it slithered after its Knight. Shadow then leapt up and did a back flip before Genosnaker catapulted him towards his target in a stream of venom and acid. Shadow kicked his legs wildly, "GENOCIDE CRASH!" The kicks smashed into ARMS at an incredible force, pushing him back. Each kick felt like a burning shot from a gun but intensified. The final smash of Shadow's legs slammed ARMS out of the Mirror Dimension.

ARMS was violently thrown out of the Mirror Dimension and rolled down a hill, his armor shattering off and disappearing. When he rolled to a stop, Ichijyo appeared in front of him, wearing a cocky smirk. Ichijyo dusted off his clothes.

"Looks like I win," Ichijyo said proudly. Grant got up and threw a punch at Ichijyo. However, his fist never connected. Why?

"I knew I'd find you!" Kat hissed. She was tugging Grant by the ear, "Let's go!"

"Kat! Ouch! Hey! I was only! Ouch! Stop pulling my ear!" Grant yelped as he was being dragged by the Cat Knight by the ear.

Kat looked over her shoulder and said to Ichijyo, "I'm sorry about Grant. He's still obsessed about beating you since you threw him into the water. I'll try to keep this moron out of your hair and on a leash."

Ichijyo was confused, "Thanks…I think…" He then decided to return to the campsite. Tim and the others needed to hear about this.

* * *

Grant shouted at Kat angrily, "What was that about? I almost had him!"

"It didn't look like it from where I was standing," Kat retorted, not looking back at him. Her back was facing him as they made their way back to their campsite. Kat's steps were a bit wobbly as she staggered while walking, looking ready to trip and fall, and she looked like she was limping. Grant noticed this.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She hissed at him.

"I'm fine!" Of course, she wasn't fine. Once again, Draco had defeated her. He even dishonored her by rescuing her and taking her out of the Mirror Dimension before she died due to vaporization. Even though she was thankful to be alive, she would rather prefer going down fighting. It was the honorable thing to do. She winced a bit, holding her stomach. That stun shot had hurt. Pain at least reminded her that she was still alive and in this case it was a good thing. She had a few cuts and bruises and her skin was a little singed from Pluto's lightning shock. Grant did not question her. He did offer to help, but she insisted she was fine, snapping at him as she did. He just let her be, rolling his eyes.

"Mama!" Cathy called out as she ran towards Kat. Despite her pain, Kat grabbed the little mutant girl and hugged her, carrying her in her arms. Cathy's tail was wrapped around Kat's waist. Grant smiled. Despite her rough edges, Kat could be a nice and loving person…but only to a certain select few and that circle was _very_ small. Then Kat realized if she did die, she would be leaving Rose and Cathy. That thought her hurt more than any wound or injury.

"You're back," Rose said as she stood up. When Kat got closer to the light of the fire, Rose gasped. "Kat, you're hurt!"

Kat snickered, but even that hurt, and assured Rose, "I'm fine. These wounds are just superficial." However, Kat's shaky stance proved otherwise. Rose took Cathy from Kat and put her down.

"You should sit down and rest," Rose said to her. Kat complied as she never could say no to Rose. Rose checked Kat and found bruises on Kat's body. There were also some cuts and singed skin. "We better get those cleaned before they get infected.

"Okay…" Kat sighed.

((By the way, what happened?)) Joey asked.

"We…got or butts kicked," Grant admitted. His eyes narrowed with hatred as he remembered the snake's cocky grin. He punched his open palm.

"The Titans are becoming too strong now," Kat said as she winced while Rose applied some antiseptic on her wounds. "We have to take them out before they can get any stronger."

"How mama?" Cathy asked as she handed Kat a bottle of water. Kat ruffled her daughter's hair and took a swig of water.

"We wait till tonight," Kat grinned evilly, "And strike!" she pounded her fist on her knee and winced in pain. "Itai…"

"But only after you get better," Rose said to her.

"Yes dear."

Grant snickered, making a 'ker-whish' sound while waving his hand, "Whipped." Kat glared at him dangerously. He gulped. "Uh…" Joey chuckled silently as he prepared dinner after sending a report to Slade via e-mail.

* * *

Cathy's POV:

I was scared when Mama was fighting the bad person. They fought so fierce…much more angry and want-hurt then when Mama fights with Uncle Joey and Uncle Grant and Aunty Rose. Mama fought with the mean person even fiercer than she did with Papa Slade's metal human-thingies, but the mean person didn't fly apart and shatter like they do when Mama fights them.

The mean person hurt Mama. I know coz when I was happy hugging Mama, she wriggled around me kinda funny like she does after she fights a lot of Papa Slade's metal human-thingies all at once. She told me not to squeeze her too tight after fights like that, but sometimes I forget and squeeze her anyway. Then she wriggles around and uses a funny kinda pained voice to tell me to stop squeezing.

She didn't talk when I was hugging her that time, so I didn't hear her pain-voice. But when she wriggled, I remembered to stop squeezing so hard and she stopped wriggling so it was ok.

Anyway, when Aunty Rosie was taking care of Mama, I saw the same purpley patches on Mama's skin that only happen when she fights and gets hurt. So I _know_ the mean person was hurting Mama.

When I grow up, I'm gonna help Mama and hurt the mean person back. That'll teach him to hurt my Mama. Mama was nice to me and brought me to this place with Auntie Rose and Uncle Joey and Uncle Grant though Mama usually fights a lot with Uncle Grant and calls him a lot of other names.

But they were all real nice to me and even Papa Slade was nice. At first I thought he was a little scary but Mama likes him and he never yells at me or says any nasty things. So I guess he's ok.

Mama says she and her friends are gonna go after the mean people later coz they're getting too strong or something like that. I hope she'll be ok. If the mean people hurt her and my aunty and uncles again, I'll _really_ hurt them when I grow up.

I wish I could grow up right now so I can help Mama and all her friends. I'd fight so hard, the mean people would all die. WHAM! Just like that. Then they wouldn't hurt Mama and her friends anymore and Mama would be happy and proud of me.

* * *

Kat's POV:

Damn…Damn…DAMNIT!!!!

Damn my stupid brother and that blasted conscience of his!! I can't believe I lost to him!! I can't believe he beat me!!! Grrrrr….I oughtta have torn him apart at birth.

Curse that idiot for a moralistic fool of a weakling! He should have just left me in the Mirror Dimension to die. What'll it take to get the message across to him?! I'm trying to _kill_ him for Kami sake! Or at least seriously injure and/or maim him to the point of insensibility. Is he masochistic or something? He's just begging for punishment by allowing me to live.

Not that I want to die though. Not with Rosie-chan and little Cathy-chan around. I've got a responsibility to that little furball and Rosie would probably kill me if I dared die on her.

But still, _why_ does my stupid little brother have to be such an idealist? Wake up little bro! Twenty first century here, shining knights in armor rescuing damsels in distress are extinct, in case you never noticed.

I'll take great pleasure in crushing his ideals to dust. I'll beat him so bad, he'll wonder how he could even have _thought_ of saving me. No, wait. I'll beat him, but before that, I'll kill his girlfriend. _That_'ll wake him up. He'll fight all the harder later to avenge his sweetheart, and I'll take that much more satisfaction in beating him.

I think I'll go train now. Gotta be in good shape for when we crush the Titans later. All that stuff I stole for Slade-sama should give us an extra edge, and I'm pretty sure Slade-sama's upgraded his robots again so their numbers won't mean anything when we've got an entire army on our side. We'll whip 'em so bad, they'll be begging for mercy.

Not that we'll give it to them. And my own crap-cursed honor be damned, I am _not _gonna go easy on them just coz I owe my bro my life. Slade-sama says it's about time for me to get rid of the thing anyway. He was pretty disappointed in me when I listened to it and went and saved him from Raven's dad.

_This_ time, I'll show no mercy, and this time, I'll show my brother who the better fighter really is!

* * *

Rose's POV:

I hope Kitty Kat is ok. She was pretty badly hurt by the Titans and though the wounds are nowhere near life-threatening and I know she heals really quickly, she must be suffering intense emotional pain right now.

Her brother beat her, and for her, that must be humiliating. Even worse, after he beat her, he saved her from death. Poor Kitty Kat's heart must feel like it's being marinated in salt right now.

Still, I'm glad he did save her. If he hadn't, and Kitty Kat had died…I'd have avenged her...

Unfortunately, saving her was almost as bad. She absolutely _hates_ owing her enemies anything. Till she evens the score by saving her brother, or at least sparing his life, she'll be hell to live with. She'll get sulky and short-tempered, and she'll train like a maniac till her body collapses.

Knowing her, she probably won't even realize how grumpy she's getting and she'll reason that she's only training so she can beat her brother in our next battle with the Titans and not because she needs to vent.

I really hope she doesn't do herself too much damage. Maybe I'll go see if I can make her feel better later after she's finished abusing her body. Anyway, she'll need fresh bandages and if I know her at all, I know she'll "forget" to get them herself if she's left with a choice.

* * *

Grant's POV:

Damn snake! I'll enjoy wiping that smug smirk off his face. Right before I break it.

I've gotta get stronger. There's no way I'll lose to that fucking reptile next time. I'll blast him to kingdom come then get him reincarnated so I can blast him again. I'll fill his body with so much lead, he'll sink when I toss him into the ocean for shark bait. He'll be so full of holes folks'll think he's a fishing net!

I can't wait till we attack the Titans again. This time, I'll be ready. Father has probably upgraded his robots again, so they oughtta be at least a little help in the fight. At the very least, I can use their fuel cells for ammo if I run out.

I just hope that that crazy psycho bitch Kat doesn't destroy 'em all in practice before we even go up against the Titans.

Fat chance.

She got her butt kicked by that Draco guy that she hates so much. Something to do with sibling rivalry I guess. She's gonna be in a lousy mood for the next few days/weeks. I remember the last time she got that cranky; Father had to repair half the mansion after her rampage.

All I did was call her an insane psychopath after she almost stabbed me right through the heart during a training session. A fella's got a right to be upset about something like that, right? I mean, come on! She ripped apart something like a hundred or more of Father's robots, then tried to spear me coz as _she_ said, I was "in the way".

I only survived coz I saw her coming and managed to dodge by a hairbreadth. Then, when I yelled at her, she went crazy and started tearing up the place while trying to seriously kill me!

And all coz I said one simple, well-justified remark.

Pah. Females. No telling what goes on in their heads and Kat is nuttier than most.

Think I might wanna stay out of her way a while. No telling what'll set her off. This is gonna be like living with a walking nuclear bomb that _isn't_ part of my arsenal.

* * *

Normal POV:

"Who were those guys?" Craig asked Ryuki as they made their way back to the campsite.

"I'll explain later, Craig. Right now we should get back. Then, you can get your answers," Ryuki assured him.

"I better."

The two reached the campsite where Takada and Ichijyo had already just returned. Takada was still a little sore despite his invulnerability and Ichijyo was meditating. Tim, Vic and Gar had been waiting for them.

"Glad to see you two back," Tim said. "We were worried."

Ryuki and Craig sat down. Ichijyo cracked and eye opened and then opened both eyes. Now that they were all here, he could explain to Craig more about what being a Zodiac Knight really meant as well as the identity of their adversaries.

"Good, now I know you have questions Craig," Ichijyo said to the necroplasmic powered teen.

"You bet I do. I mean, who were those guys. They were Zodiac Knights, I know that, but why were they trying to kill us and how come I was starting to fizzle out in that Mirror Dimension?" Craig asked.

Ichijyo explained, "I shall answer your last question first. The reason you started to fizzle out, as you put it, in the Mirror Dimension was because of the atmosphere. The atmosphere of the Mirror Dimension is quite harmful to those who do not originate in that world and prolonged exposure would kill us via vaporization. The Zodiac Armor allows us to both enter the Mirror Dimension as well as protects us from the harsh atmosphere. However, this has a time limit and the time limit varies."

"What do you mean it varies?" Craig asked.

"I mean that it depends on how much power we have left. The armor draws its power from the Zodiac Crystal. It's powerful, but not unlimited and needs to recharge from time to time. This power is what allows us to travel to the Mirror Dimension and survive there. When the power gets weaker, our armor starts to vaporize, telling us to quickly exit from the Mirror Dimension."

"I see…" Craig nodded in understanding.

"I had to learn that too when I first started since I had no one to guide me at first," Ryuki added.

Ichijyo continued, "As to the identities of the Zodiac Knights we fought…they are known as Tartarus; a fitting name as Tartarus is the name of the underworld prison where the Titans of Greek Mythology were imprisoned. They were originally known as Team Tartarus, but they had dropped the word 'Team' from the title."

"But, who are they?" Craig asked. "And why were they trying to kill us?"

"They are our enemies and they work for a man called Slade," Ichijyo answered. Tim fidgeted a bit as Slade's name was mentioned and his eyes narrowed. Ryuki also had a somber expression, as did the others.

"Slade? Who's Slade?" Craig asked.

Tim answered, "Slade, also known as Deathstroke the Terminator, is our arch nemesis. He is a madman who seeks to control the city and maybe the world. He is also looking for an apprentice, which he already has in Copycat."

"That girl in the cat armor is his apprentice? Wow. She's vicious."

"And there's more…" Tim glanced at Ryuki. "She's also Leo's twin sister."

"SAY WHAT?" Craig exclaimed, looking wide eyed at Ryuki. Ryuki nodded. Craig still couldn't believe it.

"It's true. My oneechan is Slade's apprentice. I was also Slade's apprentice for a short time during my…" he couldn't finish. The memory of himself losing himself to his Orphenoch side was still painful. The things he had done while under Slade.

"And she's totally evil," Takada finished.

"That's not true!" Ryuki protested.

"Leo," Vic said to Ryuki, "You gotta admit that your sister is evil."

"But she saved that little girl from the fire, remember?" Ryuki reminded. "So she's not all bad." He turned to Gar, "Gar, you agree with me, right?"

Gar smiled, "Sure dude." He had to admit that he knew how Ryuki felt. When Terra had been evil and Slade's apprentice, he never gave up on her. Now, she was back for good and he was never happier. He believed that there was still hope for Kat. However…

"One act of goodness doesn't change the fact that someone's evil," Tim concluded. Slade had helped them to defeat Trigon and so did Tartarus, but they knew that had only been a mere temporary alliance and they would be enemies again.

Ryuki narrowed his eyes at Tim, "So what about me? I killed 5 people. 5! Does that still make me good or am I evil?" Craig eyes widened. He knew Ryuki had killed as an Orphenoch, but to hear him say it again…

"But that's different! You were out of control and-" Tim got cut off.

"I WAS AWARE OF EVERYTHING I DID!" Ryuki exploded, the fire rose up as it reacted to his anger. "WHEN I KILLED BLOOD AND RANCID, I SAW IT ALL! I SAW MYSELF DO IT AND COULDN'T STOP MYSELF! I SAW IT! I DID IT! I FELT IT!" Ryuki breathed. "I…enjoyed it…"

"Calm down, Leo," Vic patted him on the back as he handed the Dragon Knight a bottle of water. Ryuki chugged the whole bottle down. "Just relax…"

"It's just that…she's still my sister. She's still family…" Ryuki said slowly. The others were silent at this.

"Sorry, Ryuki…" Tim started. "I didn't…"

"That's okay, Tim. You have every right to feel that way about Slade and my oneechan after all they did to us. I just feel that there's still some goodness left in her."

"Unfortunately," Ichijyo interjected, "Her evil side clouds whatever goodness she has left. She will only commit good deeds if they benefit her in a way."

"She will also do good deeds once she's given an opportunity. She still has honor, Ichijyo."

"And that honor is what's driving her to kill us, if you've forgotten," Takada noted.

Silence.

"Enough talk," Vic grinned. "LET'S EAT!" He had prepared dinner. Of course, there was some tofu and Tim had to stop the dreaded 'Meat VS Tofu' argument before it even began. They were having shish kebabs. The beef, chicken, pork and vegetables were skewered on metal sticks with some vegetables. The ones for Beast Boy had vegetables and (to Vic's disgust) tofu cubes. Well, at least they had some BBQ and soy sauce to make the meal bearable.

* * *

Kat carried Cathy into the RV and placed her in bed. She tucked her daughter in and kissed her forehead. "_Goodnight my little Cat of the Shadows._" Kat whispered lovingly in Japanese. Cathy purred a bit, hugging a black cat doll Kat had given her. Kat then gave one last tender look at Cathy before walking out the RV and locking the door. She drew a card and summoned her monster. "Psycho-Rogue! Come forth!" The card was thrown and then expanded, morphing into the psychopathic, yet loyal, monster known as Psycho-Rogue. Kat ordered, "Guard this place while we're away." The beast bowed loyally. Kat wouldn't be able to use her Psycho Spiral Final Vent with Psycho-Rogue here, but she could still use some of the other Vent cards she had, as well as a few others.

"Are we set?" Kat asked her team, who had put on their masks. Tartarus was already clad in their uniforms. They all gave her nods and thumbs up. They pocketed their decks and checked their weapons. Rose had her machete sheathed on her back as well as her blowpipe on her belt with the various darts on it. Grant had his two Desert Eagles in holsters on his belt. Joey didn't have weapons; he didn't need them. "Let's go."

The Titans would not know what hit them…or would they? A large shadow shaped like a bat flew overhead, undetected by Tartarus.

* * *

Slade's POV:

I had received a report from Joey during their camping trip. Tartarus' most recent encounter with the Titans was…disappointing. I agree with my apprentice's assessment. They are getting far too strong and numerous for my taste. And with the addition of this new Zodiac Knight to their team…

Still, perhaps I can take advantage of this. My sources tell me their newest member has an incredible hatred of Orphenochs. I might be able to use that to manipulate him. He could be a valuable asset to our group. Nowhere near the level of my apprentice of course, but with the proper training…

I will give that more thought in the future. For now, I must focus on our current problem and how to deal with it. My robots have been upgraded but I have not yet created enough of these prototypes for them to be a successful threat to the Teen Titans.

I fear that might take a while as Katherine will undoubtedly destroy more than a hundred of them by the end of this week during her "training" practices. No, I take that back. She would destroy more than a hundred of them by the end of this week if she was being her normal self.

After being defeated by her brother though, she will likely wish to vent. I believe that perhaps two hundred or more of my robots will be irreparably damaged by the time she's through.

It is most frustrating to build and upgrade robots to be used on the Titans, only to have your overzealous apprentice destroy them all during "training". I cannot even discipline her for it as I myself told her to train and get strong.

I simply wish she would not destroy all my robots while doing so.

I believe I'll get Wintergreen to send the blueprints of the upgraded robots to an associate of mine who owns a factory in China. He should be able to build the army for me, and Katherine will not be there to destroy five for every one created.

I am pleased with her progress and the progress of my children however. They are steadily improving their fighting skills, and with their most recent defeat, they should be even more eager to strengthen themselves.

Note to self: Have them practice with the items Katherine stole. They have already trained fairly hard to increase their natural strength, speed and agility. It is time those attributes were augmented and they will likely require time to get used to their heightened abilities.

With their power, and the help of my robotic army, we will crush the Teen Titans, once and for all. Then the world will finally be mine.

To Be Continued…


	25. PT025: Battle Royale

Part 25: Battle Royale

All was peaceful at the Titans' campsite. Well…as peaceful as you can get with a martial artist, a cyborg, a changeling, a mad scientist, a Vampangel, an Orphenoch and a necromancer. They were all sitting around the fire.

"I swear to God that if I hear anyone sing "Kumbaya" one more time, I am going to throw that guitar in the fire and beat you to death with it!" Ichijyo hissed in an agitated tone. He'd had to endure 30 minutes of Takada, Gar and Victor singing 'Kumbaya M'Lord, Kumbaya'. "And not necessarily in that precise order!" It didn't make sense, but would you make sense if you were annoyed by your friends' constant (bad) singing?

"Fine," Takada sighed, not wanting to irritate, agitate or annoy his friend Ichijyo. He put the guitar down.

"How about some scary stories?" Gar suggested. "You probably know some scary stories, Ichijyo."

Ichijyo raised an eyebrow at this. "What is **that** supposed to mean, Gar? Was that a crack?" he glared at his disguised green friend.

Gar put his hands up in defence, "Didn't mean anything by it, dude! Just, well, want to know if you know any scary stories. Lighten up!"

Ichijyo chuckled. "Don't worry, Gar. It was only a joke."

"You never joke that often so it's hard to tell," Ryuki said as he sipped a can of soda.

"I think I can tell a scary story," Tim said.

"Does it involve bats and caves?" Ichijyo joked, earning a glare from Tim. "Sorry, but that was a joke."

Craig looked up into the dark night's sky. The stars were shining and twinkling high above the clouds. He then closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of nature and the spirits. With his abilities in necroplasmic energy manipulation, which was entirely different from ectoplasmic energy, Craig had the uncanny ability to not only communicate with spirits, but to manipulate them as well. He opened his eyes again and took the Aries Deck out of his pocket, staring at the crystal and the Symbol of Aries that was inside. He never thought of becoming a Zodiac Knight. He never knew about the War of the Knights to become the One, but now he did and he had to wise up. Sooner or later, he had to fight Ryuki, Ichijyo and Takada. He looked at his new friends and smiled as they joked about, sitting around the campfire.

"So, scary stories?" Vic inquired. "Who wants to start first? Ichijyo?"

Ichijyo grinned as he leaned over and the light of the fire cast shadows on his face, making him look menacing. "The stories I know will scare the socks and pants right off you."

Vic backed away, and so did most of the others. "Okay, dawg. Not **that** scary," he said nervously. Ichijyo smirked and crossed his arms.

"That's okay. Though I enjoy frightening people to the point of petrifying them, I'll _try_ to make it not so scary-and Takada, NO howling."

"Nuts!" Takada snapped his fingers.

"And that goes for you too, Gar." Gar snapped his fingers as well.

Ichijyo told his story and the others listened. The shadows around him danced with the fire, creating the perfect atmosphere. The sounds of owls hooting and crickets chirping also contributed to the already eerie mood.

"One night, a group of campers, much like ourselves, were camping out in the woods, much like this one. They had heard the rumors and stories that the place they were going to go camping was haunted because a lot of people committed suicide there. Of course, they had no other choice because, like us, there was no other place to camp. They set up the camp site; pitching up the tents and gathering firewood for the campfire. By the time they were done, it had already gotten dark. There was no moon and no stars. In fact, the night was so completely shrouded in darkness that you could barely see your hand in front of your eyes even if you held it up directly to your face. They had dinner, told stories and sang (annoying) camp fire songs and finally went to sleep." The others listened as Ichijyo told his story, captivated by his words and expressions.

"One of them had to go to the bathroom," Ichijyo continued, "So, he got out of the tent and went to the bushes nearby to 'relieve' himself. As he was doing so, he heard a faint whispering sound. Dismissing it as the wind, he ignored it. However, the whispering grew more and more distinct, forming words." Ichijyo smiled, amused that he could sense the arising anxiety in his friends. "He then zipped up and looked around. He then looked up and saw…"

Suddenly, something made a loud BANG and scared the crap out of them. Gar screamed like a girl and Ryuki was ready to burn down the forest if he didn't calm down. Tim had a Bo-staff ready, Vic activated his cannon, Takada's hands crackled with electricity and Craig let loose a shot of necroplasm that blasted a tree in half, much to Ichijyo's chagrin.

"Dudes!" Gar shouted. "What the heck was that?"

"Sounded like gunshot," Tim concluded.

"No, ya think?" Vic commented sarcastically.

"Maybe somebody went hunting?" Takada gulped.

"But this place prohibits hunting of any kind," Craig clarified, his hand close to his Death Buster gun.

Ichijyo closed his eyes. He had dispatched several of his shadow agents in the form of bats, snakes and any small animal he could imagine ranging from small reptiles, insects and mammals. He was going to see through their eyes for their eyes were his and vice-versa.

* * *

"You idiot!" Kat hissed as he grabbed Grant by his suit. Her goggled eyes were staring at his masked ones. "You just gave away our position, you trigger happy lunatic!"

"Not my fault one of my guns went off," Grant defended.

((It's also isn't your fault that you had to light a cigarette and mistook one of your small guns to be your lighter!)) Joey Jericho Wilson glared at his brother, his eyes glowing green on black. That remark was meant to sound sarcastic.

"If you guys don't keep quiet, we'll give away our position anyway," Rose said to her girlfriend and brothers. They (Tartarus) needed to use stealth to ambush the Titans. Unfortunately, the element of surprise was probably gone by now thanks to Grant.

"Do you really have to smoke that now?" Kat said as she placed a hand over her nose. She had a sensitive nose and she hated cigarette smoke; it made her sick.

"Don't like it, tough!" Grant blew a smoke in her face and she was ready to lose it. Fortunately, Rose held her back before she did anything she would regret…well not presently, but she may regret it sooner or later. "Deal with it!"

Joey sighed. No matter how many times Kat had 'punished' Grant, he would still constantly set off her already short temper. He liked Kat and he liked his siblings, but he sometimes wished that he was an only child.

They were nearing the Titans' campsite. It was only a matter of time before they claimed victory and…

"You can stop sneaking around now," the smooth voice of Ichijyo said. "We know you're there, so you can just get out and show yourselves." Tartarus did the classic anime 'face plant on the ground' maneuver with large beads of sweat showing up on the back of their heads as they fell over in a heap.

"Well…TARTARUS, SEND EM TO HELL!" Kat screamed as she and her team launched themselves out of the bushes and into the open. They let out a united battle cry, brandishing their weapons. Well, those who had weapons anyway. Standing in front of them were the Titans, fully clothed in their uniforms (well, Vic/Cyborg didn't have a uniform, but you know what I mean.) and ready for battle.

Kat was curious, however. She asked, "Okay, how did you know we were there?"

Shadow answered without words as a bat made out of shadows latched onto his outstretch arm and hung upside down from it. It was one of his shadow agents.

"I should've known. Your Shadow Agent trick again."

"It's how I know things. Of course, that gunshot I heard was a dead giveaway," Shadow smirked.

Kat stepped on Grant's foot. "This is all your fault!" Grant hopped on one foot and held the one she stepped on.

Shadow rolled his eyes, "Can we just get this over with? We all know what the four of you want so let's just settle this once and for all." He pulled out his Zodiac Deck. Draco, Pluto and Mortuary did the same. The Deck of the Snake, Draco, Dog and Aries shone under the moonlight and the light of the fire.

"My sentiments exactly," Kat grinned as she and her team pulled out their own Zodiac Decks. The Deck of the Cat, Aquarius, Cancer and Taurus held an eerie glow as well.

"You sure you want to…?" Robin began, but was silenced by Shadow's eyes. He nodded. "Good luck."

All 8 Zodiac Knights, four from the Titans and the latter four from Slade, stood in front of the T-Car windows and threw out their deck holding hands. Their Zodiac Belts were summoned as they prepared their transformation calls

"EMPOWERMENT OF…" They called out together

Ryuki: "THE ZODIAC DRAGON!"

Ichijyo: "THE ZODIAC SNAKE!"

Takada: "THE ZODIAC DOG!"

Craig: "ARIES!"

Kat: "THE ZODIAC CAT!"

Grant: "TAURUS!"

Rose: "AQUARIUS!"

Joey: ((CANCER!))

They slid the Zodiac Decks into their belts simultaneously.

"**_HENSHIN!_**" They shouted out together in unison

Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy watched as the armors encased their respective wearers. Red, purple, dark blue, brown, black, green, light blue and gold energy swept over the Zodiac Titans and Tartarus' bodies. Now fully clad in their armors, they leapt into the T-Car's windows and into the Mirror Dimension.

Up above the trees, a gold and crimson clad figure watched the Knights enter the Mirror Dimension. His cape hung down his back before it wrapped around him and he disappeared. However, he did leave behind a golden feather or two.

"Hey, what's this?" Beast Boy asked as he picked up a golden feather. It then exploded into a mass of gold dust. "Weird…"

* * *

8 Knightriders, color coded for their respective Zodiac Knights, raced through the crystal Mirror Tunnel towards their destination. They would do battle and no one was interested in taking any prisoners.

It wouldn't be a simple 1 on 1 or 4 on 4…it would be a battle royale and every man, or woman, for him or herself.

This was going to be intense, with a capital 'I'.

The Knightriders and the Zodiac Knights who rode them leapt out of the portals at the same time, which were located on the Mirror Dimension portal of the T-Car and stopped in the Mirror Dimension version of the campsite. It may have looked the same, but it wasn't. It was similar yet different.

The 8 Zodiac Knights stepped out of their vehicles and prepared their weapons. It was Zodiac Titans VS Tartarus…a fight to the finish.

Someone had to issue the challenge first.

"BY THE CODE OF THE ZODIAC KNIGHTS, WE CHALLENGE YOU TO A ZODIAC DUEL!"

"BY THE CODE OF THE ZODIAC KNIGHTS, WE ACCEPT!"

"**DUEL!**"

The battle was on as they all ran into the woodland area. **This** was WAR…NO prisoners.

With a howl of fury, Pluto swung his sword down upon Scizzors, who blocked with his Scizzor Slashers, the shears mounted on his left forearm and also his card reader. Pluto was then shot by ARMS, twice before the gunman got shot by Draco and Mortuary with their DRA-Blaster and Death Buster. Both Copycat and Aqua intervened by lashing out with their weapons. Mortuary ducked under one of Aqua's metallic fans as Draco rolled out of the way from his twin sister's whip lashes. Shadow then ran at both Copycat and Aqua, swinging and jabbing his staff at them.

This was a free for all.

Very chaotic.

ARMS punched at Shadowcobra, but the Knight of Invisibility turned invisible before elbowing ARMS in the back upon reappearing. ARMS then turned to shoot at Shadowcobra, point blank, which sent the purple armored Snake Knight flying. Shadow hissed and flipped back to his feet. He shot a black shadow ball at ARMS, who countered by first blocking with the T-Car via his 'magnetic personality' before throwing it at Shadowcobra. Shadowcobra leapt over the T-Car as it came flying towards him. The other Knights dodged the flying vehicle as it crashed into a few trees, thrashed. Thankfully, it wasn't the real T-Car and hopefully wouldn't reflect what happened to the real T-Car in the real world. Shadow drew a card and slid it into his staff. "Sword Vent!" Grabbing the Snake Coil Saber, he slashed down upon ARMS.

Copycat decided to go hand to hand and flame to flame with her brother as both their hands were engulfed in flaming red fire. She slashed and swiped at him as he punched and kicked back. He may not want to fight, but Draco did not want to be beaten, and neither did Copycat. The Cat Knight then copied ARMS magnetism and raised the T-Car high into the air and dropping it on her brother. Draco raised his hands up and obliterated the T-Car with a powerful fireball. If Cyborg knew Draco had done that, he would never let Draco hear the end of the possibility of it ever happening to his 'baby'. He then manipulated the campfire and sent the flames at her, only for her to dodge them. Thankfully, nothing caught on fire as Draco extinguished them before a whip lash hit him in the chest and sent reeling by a drop kick from his twin sister.

Mortuary was doing fairly well…so far. Aqua was using her Zodiac Power, which was aerokinesis, and using air currents to push Mortuary back. Mortuary shot her with his Death Buster, but she danced her way around the shots before kicking his weapon out of his hands before slashing at his chest with her fans in an 'X' pattern. Sparks flew as he fans made contact with his chestplate. He groaned. Why hadn't he used his Zodiac Power?

Because he didn't know what it was. He blasted at her with his necroplasm, but she danced her way to safety before slashing at him again.

Pluto and Scizzors fought with so much ferocity. Pluto had no idea that Scizzors was the boy Eri was, or had been, dating, but Scizzors knew who Pluto was all too well. The Cancer Knight turned himself into liquid metal to avoid from being stabbed and then wrapped himself around Pluto. Pluto let loose an electrical charge that repelled Scizzors the Cancer Knight before he charged and slashed at the Crab Knight, who countered with his shears.

Copycat lashed her whip at Shadow, but he slipped into the ground as a shadow before moving towards her and rising up in front of her. Copycat was shocked, but grew even more shocked as an energy blast smashed into Shadowcobra, sending the Snake Knight crashing into the bushes. Looking to where the blast missile had come from, she saw ARMS wearing his Giga Cannons. The barrels of his cannons were smoking.

Draco then activated his Dragblade and then ran at his sister, slashing at her with it. Copycat dodged and avoided each swipe and slash while lashing at him with her whip. The whip cracked on the ground and Draco jumped up to pin her down. However, she kicked him in the chin with her heel before kneeing him in the side. She then grabbed his arm and flipped him over her body, sending him crashing to the ground. He used the Power of Capricorn and several stone spikes rose up to impale her. She teleported out of harms way before narrowly dodging the spikes her brother was throwing at her.

Aqua was now close to a body of water and using her hydrokinesis to attack Mortuary relentlessly. He could not get close enough to use his melee combat skills, so he had to resort to his necroplasmic blasts. She was attacking so quickly, he didn't have time to concentrate in order to use his much stronger skills. He drew a card from his deck, but it got blown out of his hand before he could use it as a blast of water slammed right into him and smashed him against a tree.

Shadow ran in a zig-zag pattern to avoid ARMS' blasts. The Knight of Invisibility tried to go invisible, but that was useless with ARMS' heat scanner. Shadow blasted at ARMS, but the Knight of Taurus had activated his Guard Vent, a shield, to protect him from Shadow's blast. Shadow instead slashed down with his sword, slicing the shield in half before kicking at ARMS' chest.

Copycat's whip wrapped around Draco's neck. He grabbed at it and tried to pull it away from his throat before he suffocated. He pulled harder, but so did she. He also tried to cut it, but to no avail. He then activated the Power of Scorpio, and freed himself by turning into sand before going at his sister to blind her. A blast of wind from Aqua scattered his sand body before he reformed. He drew a card and slid it into his gauntlet. Copycat drew a card and slid it into her whip.

Draco: "Strike Vent!"

Copycat: "Copy Vent!"

Draco's Dragon Knuckle, which looked like his Dragon Flame Cannon, but smaller, adorned his right forearm. A copy of it formed on Copycat's forearm. He sent several large boulders at her. But she smashed them to bits with her Dragon Knuckle. He then charged and punched at her with his Dragon Knuckle.

Mortuary fired a powerful blast of necro-energy at Aqua while she was helping Copycat and sent her into the water. He looked proud of himself, but Aqua rose up on a tower of water and sent several water bombs at him. They would've hit, but Mortuary was as agile as a gazelle and dodged. Not only that, his Zodiac Power finally activated, creating another duplicate of him. He looked confused and so did Aqua as she thought she was seeing double. Mortuary then duplicated some more so that there were now 10 of him and only ONE of her. The Morts charged at Aqua, shooting with their Death Busters and necro-energy as she desperately blocked with her fans, air shields and water shields.

Draco and Copycat's Dragon Knuckles slammed into one another, but only hers shattered like glass as he had activated his super strength. He then smashed his fist into her stomach, and sent her flying. She flipped and landed on her feet. With a burst of incredible speed, after she slid a card, "Speed Vent!" into her whip, she ran at her brother and slammed her fist hard into his face. His helmet cracked at the impact. He then countered with a roundhouse kick to her solar plexus and then head butted her.

"Add Vent!" Shadow summoned Genosnaker and the giant cobra spewed out acid that melted ARMS' Giga Cannons. Undeterred, ARMS drew his gun and fired, charging at Shadow. Shadow kneed the gunman in the gut before giving him an open palmed strike to the chest followed by a chop to the back of ARMS' neck. ARMS, however, was able to endure and remain standing before tackling Shadowcobra onto the ground and punching him in the faceplate repeatedly before shooting him in the face. He missed and only shot the ground as Shadow sunk into the ground as a shadow and rose up to kick ARMS in the back.

Cancer had Pluto in a chokehold and the Dog Knight was forced onto one knee. Cancer wanted to snap Pluto's head off with his Cancer Claws, but the Dog Knight drew a card and slid it into his sword. "Nasty Vent!" Darkwing's wings spread out and knocked the Crab Knight back before it flew into the air and released its powerful 'Supersonic Screech'! It affected Scizzors and forced him to close his ears. Unfortunately, it affected all the others as well and disoriented them for a second.

"Shoot Vent!" ARMS grabbed the rocket launcher and started shooting Shadow like crazy, who turned intangible to avoid the rockets. Aqua was finishing off the Mort copies before she got kneed in the face. Mort had his Gazelle Stabber on and the dual drills were spinning. He struck at her, but she dodged.

It was chaotic as the Mirror Dimension's forest was laid to waste by the Zodiac Knights' fight. Such disorganization had to stop now.

Draco and Copycat blasted at one another, but they missed and got the trees instead. Pluto and Scizzors were slashing at each other with their weapons relentlessly, trying to score a hit on one another as sparks flew. Scizzors activated his Strike Vent and clicked his large claws before trying to snap them at Pluto. Pluto dodged and Scizzors sliced a tree in half with his Cancer Claws. He went after Pluto who took to the air via Darkwing.

But who was going to stop them?

A mysterious armored figure drew a card that held the image of a clock on its face. He slid the card into his ornate staff. "Time Vent!" Suddenly, all the Knights became still, as if they were frozen or petrified. The figure stepped into the light, or at least as much light as possible at night. His armor shimmered and glowed, revealing him to be none other than Zodiac Knight Libra, the First Knight and Guardian of the Zodiac Knights. He then quickly and systematically struck the Zodiac Titans and Tartarus. With a wave of his hand, he restored time. The teenage Knights were flung off their feet and sent to the ground. All of Mortuary's duplicates disappeared too.

"Ow…" Draco groaned.

"Hey!" Mortuary exclaimed. "What gives? What's going on?" Various other exclamations rang around the group, mostly out of fury and dissatisfaction and others out of curiosity.

Libra's voice echoed, "_ME_!" All of the other Zodiac Knights turned their attention towards Libra. They stood at attention. Only a few Knights knew of him, but none knew him personally.

"**I am Zodiac Knight Libra, and I am here to JUDGE you**."

If they knew of his TRUE power, they would know that they were nothing compared to him.

"**Let the judgment begin**!" he tapped his staff on the ground.

* * *

A bus on its way to New York drove into a tunnel. There was extra focus on one individual, dressed in a black shirt, grey jacket, brown cargos, a cap with a spider on it and headphones attached to an MP3 player. He was bobbing his head to the music as he folded an Origami paper crane. Afterwards, he took out a lighter, flicked it open and set fire to the crane. He dropped the crane to the floor of the bus and stood up. As he made his way to the other passengers, he changed into another creature.

He was an Orphenoch.

The passengers panicked and screamed as he began his massacre, killing each and everyone on the bus with out mercy, ruthlessly taking their lives. There was screaming and the bus lost control. The bus crashed in the tunnel, but everyone inside was already dead before the accident. The paper crane had been completely burnt. The Orphenoch, now in human form, stepped out of the bus like nothing had happened as he casually folded another paper crane. It was either he had forgotten about the people he had killed or plain didn't care. In any case, this guy…this monster…was dangerous.

To Be Continued…

Next chapter is Part 25: Tests and Judgments.


	26. PT026: Tests and Judgments

Part 26: Tests and Judgments

The Guardian Knight, The First and Last Knight, the Master of Balance; these were some of the titles and names held by the Knight of Libra himself, Zodiac Knight Libra.

The 8 Zodiac Knights stood stunned against the presence of the Guardian. ARMS, Aqua, Mortuary and Scizzors knew nothing about the First Knight; however, this could not be said about Draco, Pluto, Shadowcobra and Copycat. They had heard of Libra and Draco, Pluto and Shadowcobra also witnessed the power of Libra. He could go toe to toe with a Death Knight without breaking a sweat and it could be correctly assumed that he could beat all of them with his hands tied behind his back and blindfolded.

Now, he was here and he was going to test them. Would they succeed?

…?

Even I do not know that and I'm the bloody writer!

Tapping his staff on the ground, Libra stood regally with his cape hanging down from his shoulders. His green eyes scanned each and every one of the Knights before him. Compared to him, they were mere children.

"I am Zodiac Knight Libra, the First and Last Knight and Guardian. It is my solemn duty to fight the last Knight standing. The one who defeats me shall receive unimaginable power." He then said, "Ready?' Libra said in a calm voice. He then, with a swing of his staff, sent all of the Knights flying. They slammed into the trees with a hard thump.

ARMS picked himself up and glared. He drew his gun. "I'll show you…" he growled. He drew a card. Copycat saw this and yelled out.

"ARMS! Don't!" However, her warning came to deaf ears.

"Final Vent!" Like before , Gigataurus rose up from the ground and positioned itself in front of the Knight of Taurus. Placing the barrel of his gun in the monster's back, the robotic minotaur revealed its weapons, aimed straight at Libra who did not seem to make a move to run. "Sayonara, sucker," ARMS said smugly before pulling the trigger. "END OF THE WORLD!" Gigataurus let loose all its ammunition at Libra, making it look like WW3. The other Knights took cover. Coincidentally, Draco and Copycat ended up behind the same bush.

"Tell me again why the heck you have this trigger happy psycho on your team!" he asked his evil twin sister.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time!" she retorted, placing her hands on her head as a means to protect herself.

The blasts smashed into Libra and blew up, creating a massive explosion. ARMS smirked. He had defeated Libra. "Hah! There's your test!" he laughed.

He had defeated Libra.

Or did he?

The smoke subsided and in the centre of a crater was none other than Libra, holding his Xuanwu Shield Guard Vent and perfectly unharmed. ARMS looked shocked at this.

"No…way…" ARMS gasped. How was that possible? His Final Vent should've blown him to bits. It should have if Libra was an ordinary Zodiac Knight, which he wasn't.

Libra dropped the shield and floated out of the crater. He dusted off his armor. He didn't seem to be fazed at all by ARMS' End of the World Final Vent. ARMS, in his rage, ran at Libra with his gun drawn. Copycat would've warned him not to, but sadly, ARMS was just too stubborn.

ARMS shot at Libra rapidly and the bullets flew towards him. Libra merely raised his hand and like Neo from the Matrix stopped the bullets in mid-air before sending them back at ARMS. The bullets smashed into ARMS and sparks flew where they hit his armor. ARMS, however, kept going and threw punches at Libra. Libra effortlessly dodged each one.

"My turn," Libra said before tapping his finger gently on ARMS' chestplate. This wouldn't have done so much damage, but this was a god we're talking about here. That single tap blew ARMS away and sent him flying through several trees before he smashed into a nearby mountain, hard, leaving a sizable imprint of his body before he fell flat on his face. The other Knights' jaws dropped.

Copycat slapped herself in the face. "I knew that would happen," she murmured.

"Now then," Libra said, crossing his arms, "Would anyone else like to try their luck?"

Why was Libra doing this? Wasn't he their, the Titans, ally?

No, he was a god and he was just doing his job.

Was it a good idea to fight Libra? Wouldn't escaping be better? There was no shame in running, right? I mean, "Those who fight and runs away, lives to fight another day."

Actually, that was not an option. Why?

"And don't think of running off," Libra said. "Until you defeat me, there's no escape." He teleported and smashed his fist into Pluto, sending him reeling. He did the same to Shadowcobra and Scizzors. They barely saw him move and he was on them before they knew it. "So, what's it going to be?" Shadowcobra picked himself up and summoned his staff, Pluto drew his sword, Copycat drew her whip, Aqua drew her fans, ARMS (who had returned) drew his gun, Scizzors got ready with his shears, Mortuary's hands glowed with necroplasm and Draco'sDragblade popped out of his gauntlet. Libra admired, "I see…well now. Let your judgment begin."

"ZODIAC TITANS! CHARGE!" Shadowcobra commanded.

"TARTARUS! SEND HIM TO HELL!" Copycat ordered.

Pluto slashed down his sword, but Libra side stepped it and kicked Pluto away. Shadowcobra jabbed at Libra who stepped back a bit before ducking under a swing before punching Shadowcobra in the gut. Scizzors and Aqua slashed at Libra with their weapons, but he effortlessly blocked with his gauntlets before sending them flying with a telekinetic blast. Mortuary blasted at Libra with necroplasm, but the blasts were blocked by Libra who sent them back at Mortuary. ARMS tried his luck again only to be kicked into the air, screaming. Draco and Copycat attached together. He used his Dragblade while Copycat used her whip and lashed out at Libra. Libra grabbed the whip and blade in his hands. The twins tried to pull back, but Libra's grip was strong.

Libra then let go and the twins tumbled to the ground.

"He's too strong!" Draco said.

"Thank you, Mr. Obvious!" Copycat snapped sarcastically. "Now what?"

"Got any ideas?"

"No."

"Damn. Then we just have to attack him until he tires."

"You mean, if he tires."

"Yes." Draco paused, "We're so screwed."

"Gee, you think?"

Libra yawned and leaned on his staff. "Could you please hurry up? I have an appointment after this and I mustn't keep that person waiting."

"Well, he has to wait longer, doesn't he?" Shadowcobra said as the shadows danced around him. "PLUTO! NOW!" Shadow sent several shadow claws at Libra.

"GOTCHA! EAT LIGHTNING!" Pluto fired several lightning bolts at Libra.

"Not even close," Libra said as he jumped into the air.

"Oh, damn," Pluto said before the shadow claws caught him.

"Bloody hell," Shadowcobra moaned as the lightning shocked him. "Watch where you're blasting!" he yelled out at Pluto.

"Me?" Pluto pointed to himself. "You missed too!" he pointed accusingly at Shadowcobra. They then began arguing and calling each other names.

Draco sweatdropped at this. "Well then," he turned to his sister. "Looks like it's just you and me, huh?"

"You first," she said.

"Okay then. Time to test out this new armor." He drew a card and slid it into his Dragauntlet. "Add Vent!" Dragonzer was summoned. Here I go!" his body glowed red. "ARMOR SHIFT!" Draco shouted as Dragonzer blew flames at him. His black, silver and red armor glowed and began to change, much to the surprise of the other Knights, including Copycat.

"What's going on?" she asked, but no one could answer.

"Bright Flame Form!" Draco announced as his armor had reverted to its original red and silver color. The green eyepieces flashed on his faceplate as the Dragblade popped out of his Dragauntlet. "Let's get ready to rumble!" he then roared and ran at Libra with all his might.

"Weak," was all Libra said before raising his hand just as Draco struck down with his blade. Libra caught the Dragblade, much to Draco's surprise, and kicked him hard in the gut; sending him flying. Draco did a flip and landed in a crouching position. "Is that all?" Libra asked. "I expected more from the Knight who held the most Zodiac Beasts."

"That's not all!" Draco placed his hand onto the ground and several stone spikes erupted from the ground and around Libra. The Guardian Knight harmlessly leapt away. "Gotcha!"Draco focused and sent the spikes flying at Libra.

"What?" Libra's eyes widened as he crossed his arms to guard his body. His cape got caught by the spikes and was torn to tatters. Draco smiled, but Libra said, "So, you know how to control an element besides fire. Very impressive." Libra's body glowed blue, "BUT TRY THIS! ELEMENTAL FORCE OF WIND!" he extended his hand and conjured a massive whirlwind. Draco did not foresee this and was sucked in by the vortex.

"DRACO!" Pluto barked and spread out his wings, but was stopped by Shadow who placed his hand on his shoulder. "Let me go, Shadow!"

"You shouldn't charge in like that. It's foolhardy!" Shadow told him. "You might end up sucked in like Draco.

"Then what do you want me to do, huh?" Pluto retorted. Shadow could not reply.

The whirlwind dispersed and Draco fell to the ground. Was he still conscious?

His green eyes flashed as he shouted again, "ARMOR SHIFT!" this time, Dragblacker flew and gave Draco his power. Draco's armor then changed into a black and blue suit. His eyepieces were hidden under the faceplate and visor and the only clue to their existence was the red glow under his visor. "Dark Ice Form!" he announced as he landed on Dragblacker's back. The black dragon's red eyes glowed before firing ice blasts at Libra. The Libran Knight effortlessly dodged the blasts by warping away as the blasts came close. The last one went straight for him, but he absorbed it into his hand. Draco's eyes narrowed and Dragblacker growled. Dragonzer also flew close by.

"I see you can change your armor. This must be a side effect from drawing power from two dragons; a red dragon of light and fire…" Dragonzer roared. "And a black dragon of darkness and ice." Dragblacker roared. "Well now, isn't this interesting."

Draco's armor shifted back to its normal form. "Interesting? You think this is a game?"

"A part of me does. You see, I came to test you out and so far you're the only one who has come close to even impressing me. Congratulations."

Draco felt his anger rise and his eyes glowed white. He was about to change into his Orphenoch form. Taking in a deep breath, he calmed down before drawing a card and sliding it into his gauntlet. "Trick Vent!" Activating his Multiply Trick Vent, 6 more Dracos, wearing identical armors, appeared around Libra. They then said at the same time. "I'm not here to impress you. Just beat you."

"Let's see you try," Libra dared. He watched as the Dracos drew their cards and slid them into their Dragauntlets.

"ADD VENT!"

The cards called forth the rest of Draco's Zodiac Beasts; Razorclaw the black lion, Wildcat the tiger, Overbite the red shark, Hardhead the buffalo and Brainstorm the blue condor. The Beasts were flying thanks to their Knight's power. The individual Dracos rode upon their individual beasts and looked ready for battle.

"ATTACK!" Draco shouted as he, his duplicates, and his beasts attacked Libra simultaneously. However, they ended up crashing into one another when Libra warped away. Draco fell to the ground, but landed safely. Libra floated down after him.

"Is that the best you got?" Libra said.

"No," Draco said as he called his Zodiac Beasts back into their cards. He drew a card and slid it into his gauntlet. "XL-Vent!"

Shadowcobra, Pluto and Copycat saw this and did the same, sliding the XL-Vent cards into their readers. "XL-Vent!" ARMS, Aqua, Scizzors and Mortuary prepared to fight. Copycat's Excel Suit was now white with blue patterns that were similar to her brother's.

They drew their Final Vents, minus ARMS, and activated them all simultaneously.

"**FINAL VENT!**"

"DRAGON COMBUSTION KICK!"

"DEADLY IMMORTAL'S DRILL!"

"GENOCIDE CRASH!"

"DARK NOVA CRASH!"

"SCISSOR CLAW ATTACK!"

"TORRENTIAL TERROR!"

"CALL OF THE HERD!" Mortuary's Final Vent was executed by the summoning of his herd of Gazelle type monsters. The 4 Gazelles attacked in unison, performing acrobatic punches and kicks. Mortuary finished up by jumping at Libra and slamming his knee as hard as he could in Libra's faceplate.

The Final Vents struck Libra simultaneously. However, the results were not as expected. Libra was still unfazed and undamaged.

"What the…?" Mortuary said with shock.

"Not even a scratch," Aqua added.

Libra yawned, "Is that the best you got? Although I'd like to battle you all, the 4 of you aren't my main concern," Libra said and with a wave of his hand, ARMS, Aqua, Scizzors and Mortuary vanished.

At seeing Aqua disappear, Copycat shouted accusingly, "What have you done to them?"

Libra said calmly, "Don't worry yourself, Cat. They are safely outside of the Mirror Dimension. Now, I can focus on you." The 4 Knights activated their Excel Gear. Pluto was armed with the DOG-Katana, Shadowcobra was armed with the SNK-Gunblade, Draco was armed with the DRA-Blaster and Copycat was armed with the CAT-Tonfa.

"Attack!" Shadowcobra shouted as he slashed at Libra, who blocked with the blades on his gauntlets. Pluto swung with his sword, but Libra warped away, causing Pluto to slash Shadowcobra instead. Draco fired with his DRA-Blaster, but the blasts were defelcted when Libra spun his staff around. Copycat slashed and stabbed with her tonfa blades, but they were parried by the staff before he countered with a leg sweep.

"He's toying with us," Shadowcobra hissed.

"Well, duh," Pluto said.

"We got to give him all we got!" Draco said.

"Well, let's make mincemeat out of him," Copycat agreed.

Libra thought, '_My children hate each other, but will work together for a common goal. There might be hope for them yet_.'

At this time, Shadowcobra activated his cards. "Fusion Vent!" His monsters combined to form Genocide. "Final Vent!" he ran at Libra and smashed his feet into the Knight with a drill kick. Libra was sent flying into the vortex in Genocide's chest. However, Libra was not beaten. Drawing a card, he slid it into his staff.

"Add Vent!" A blue Chinese dragon roared and slammed into Genocide, causing the composite beast to fall. Libra landed harmlessly on the ground.

"Now!" Shadowcobra shouted, activating the SNK-Double Scope as Pluto activated the DOG-Torch. They leapt into the air.

"Excel Charge!"

The purple and blue energy drills slammed into Libra, but Libra smacked the drills and the Snake and Dog Knight away. Draco fired his own energy drill, but Libra warped away. He ended up in the air.

"Say hello to my little friends!" Copycat exclaimed before muttering to herself, "I've been hanging around ARMS too long." She was armed with the CAT-Sky Attacker and opened fire with lasers, photon blasts and missiles. Libra flew out of the smoke cloud and sent Copycat falling towards the ground with a well aimed kick.

"I gotcha!" Draco said as he caught his sister.

"Thanks," she muttered. "Now, let go!" he did so.

Libra went on the offensive and began to attack the Knights at warp speed. This forced them, except Copycat, to activate…

"CLOCK UP!"

Moving at hyper speed, the Knights attacked the Guardian with all their might. However, Libra fought the three of them effortlessly and skillfully. A powerful blow to each one of them sent them flying and caused Clock Up to power down.

"CLOCK OVER!"

"Well then, I see you 4 are more than I bargained for," Libra said to them. "But I am yet to be impressed."

"Well then, let's impress ya!" Pluto drew out his Survivor Card and slid it into his scabbard. "SURVIVE!" he transformed to Survivor Mode. Drawing his sword, he leapt into the air. His batwings spread out.

"He has the right idea," Shadowcobra drew his own Survivor Card and slid it into his staff. "SURVIVE!"

Draco did the same as he slid his Survivor Card into his Dragblaster. "SURVIVE!" his Survivor Mode armor was still the same, except with the grilled visor having golden edges, the red eyepieces underneath and a pair of golden antennae.

Copycat watched her brother with envy. She didn't have a Survivor Card, so she had to rely on her Sky Attacker's capabilities…for now at least.

Pluto flew at Libra, whoa activated his card, "Sword Vent!" the Zhuqiao Blades were summoned and Libra blocked Pluto's sword with his claymores. Shadowcobra to his chance and slashed down with the blades of his staff. Sparks flew from the impact, but Libra smashed Shadow away with Pluto. Draco fired with both the DRA-Blaster and Dragblaster, but Libra deflected them with his claymores. Copycat opened fire, but her target warped away and then behind her. To her surprise, he slashed her Sky Attacker to pieces. She remained in the air by mimicking the flight powers of her brother as flames shot out of her feet.

"NOW!" Shadowcobra shouted as he, Pluto and Draco blasted Libra with shadows, lightning and fire. Libra's was sent crashing towards the ground. He flipped onto his back to see the Knights upon him again.

**"SURIVOR FINAL VENT!"**

"DARK TORPEDO!"

"DRAGON METEOR FIRESTORM!"

"VENOMOUS TAKEDOWN!" Genosnaker transformed into Venosnaker and like Dragonrizer and Darkraider transformed into a motorcycle form. Shadow leapt upon his motorized monster and zoomed towards the target.

Libra only stood stationary as the Survivor Final Vents hit him. He thought back to the conversation he had with Fuji.

* * *

(Flashback…)

"You want me to judge them?' Libra asked his friend. "Now?"

"It is to see if they are the worthy for the challenges ahead," Fuji said as he handed four cards to Libra. "Cyclops already finished the Legend Cards. Here."

Libra took the cards and looked at them. The cards depicted the four Holy Saint Beasts: Seiryu, Suzaku, Genbu and Byakko. These were the Legend Cards that were to be given to "The Four". "So, all I have to do is test them?"

"Yes?"

"Why me?"

"Because you're the First and Last Knight, the Guardian."

"Alright then." Libra sighed. "But you know that The Four must protect The One, right?"

"Yes, and I hope you choose right."

"What if I choose wrong?' Libra said with a bit of uncertainty.

"You won't my friend."

(End Flashback…)

* * *

There was a huge explosion. However, instead of Libra being sent flying, it was the Knights as they flew out of the fire and smoke cloud before their Survivor Armors shattered as they fell upon the ground. Libra just looked totally unharmed. How tough was this guy?

Copycat saw this and gasped. Libra had survived, no pun intended, the Final Vents of three Survivor Mode Knights. '_Maybe fighting him wasn't such a hot idea…_'

Libra just sat on a stump and yawned. "Is that the best you got?" he taunted. "I've seen better. Your predecessors were more of a challenge. You're not even close."

"This isn't over…" Shadowcobra said as he balanced on his staff. Pluto and Draco slowly got back to their feet as well. They drew their cards simultaneously and struck luck

The Evolution cards.

They slid the Evolution cards into their readers and simultaneously activated them.

"**EVOLUTION!**" Cards were flying around before fusing with their owners.

"DRACO EMPEROR MODE!"

"PLUTO CYBER MODE!"

"SHADOWCOBRA VAMPANGEL MODE!"

Libra quirked an eyebrow under his mask and looked amused. "Well now," he said, getting up. "Maybe you three are a challenge after all."

The Knights didn't reply and attacked. Draco swung down with his Emperor Dragon Sword, Pluto's arms changed into an electric sword and cannon, and Shadowcobra's hands glowed with darkness and light.

"ULTIMATE DRAGON SLASH!" Draco roared.

"ELECTRO SLASH AND SHOT!" Pluto howled.

"DARKNESS AND LIGHT!" Shadowcobra hissed.

They unleashed their attacks, but Libra had his own.

"SAINT BEASTS REPEL THE ENEMY!" Libra raised his staff and the beast ornaments flashed, firing energy blasts at his assailants. They were thrown back and shocked out of their armors, leaving them in human form and unconscious. They were also badly injured. With a tap of his staff, he teleported them away to safety before sighing. He noticed Copycat who was shaking. "You should go. Your friends are waiting for you." And with that, he warped away.

Copycat fell on her knees, distraught. She had thought her brother and his friends as well as the other Knights were her only obstacles. However, she was proven wrong as Libra showed her what true power really was.

How was she going to beat **that** kind of power on her own and survive?

She got up and went to the nearest portal to get the heck out of the Mirror Dimension. She needed time to think.

She needed…to get…stronger…

* * *

New York City…

The Orphenoch that had killed the people on the bus before was in a night club. Teens and youths were just having fun, dancing to the music within the dark space. Lights flickered. Bodies gyrated and shook to the music. He stepped in front of the DJ, his back facing the DJ. Again, like before, he took out a paper crane and set it on fire before dropping it.

He changed into his Orphenoch form. He was seen much clearly in his Orphenoch form now. Spikes jutted from his legs and arms and there was what looked like a mixture between messy hair and webbing on his head. His face looked like the white silhouette of a spider upon a black background. One black cycloptic eye was set in the centre of his face.

In this form he was known as the Spider Orphenoch.

Like before, on the bus, he began killing people. He threw them around, broke their necks and did everything and anything he could to take their lives. No one would escape his rampage, everyone was his target. To him, all humans would die and deserved death. He didn't care. He loved to kill.

He stepped out of the night club as the paper crane burnt to a crisp, signifying the end of the massacre.

* * *

In the Ghost Zone, or to be more specific Clockwork's Tower, the wise old Ghost Master of Time was having a game of chess over a cup of tea with none other than Libra himself.

Clockwork shifted into a baby form as he watched the various Time Screens. "I saw what you did, Libra," he told the Guardian Knight.

"It's completely impossible to hide a thing from you, is it?" Libra said as he moved a chess piece. Clockwork moved a piece in response.

"Checkmate." Libra groaned. Clockwork laughed as he shifted to his adult form.

"Even all this time I still can't get the hang of chess."

"It takes years of practice, my friend."

"Not all of us have ALL the time in the world, Clockwork-sama," Libra joked lightly.

Clockwork smiled as he ran a hand through his beard in his old man form. "You didn't use all your power that time, did you?"

Libra smiled. "If I did use ALL of my power, I could've killed them. I barely used even 5 percent." He took a sip of his tea. Clockwork nodded.

"Of course, I know you care about your children and…" Clockwork began.

Libra sighed. "Clockwork-sama, right now I can't let my personal feelings impair my judgment. I have to become an unbiased judge, even to my own son and daughter."

"I understand." Clockwork nodded.

"Another game then?" Libra set up the chess pieces telekinetically.

"I'll just beat you again," Clockwork said.

"There's always a first time, Clockwork-sama," Libra replied. "Let's play."

To Be Continued…

So, how was THAT? Well, this took awhile to write.


	27. PT027: Reflections

Part 27: Reflections

Draco groaned as he sat up from his lying down position, "Ow…what hit me?"

"Libra," was the simple answer he received. Draco looked around. He was back in the real world. He looked down at his hands. He was no longer in his armored form. He was now in his human form of Ryuki. Breathing in deeply, he started to recollect of what had happened a while ago.

Libra had come and beat them. But why? Wasn't he their ally? He did help fight that Death Knight Gregor, right? Tests? What tests? What judgment for that matter? This was starting to confuse the young dragon Knight. His eyes and head were beginning to spin with confusion.

"Glad to see you're awake," Craig said as he polished his gun, the Death Buster. Craig was relatively unharmed. Then again, he was thrown out of the Mirror Dimension much earlier than Ryuki was.

"Hey, Craig," he then saw that 5 of their numbers were missing. "Hey, where are the guys?"

Craig answered, "They went to look for those Tartarus guys. I don't think they did since I haven't heard any fighting yet, or they're just too far away. Then again, I think I would've be able to hear a brawl if it was concerning the guys. With Vic's cannon roaring, I think aliens in space could hear it." Ryuki gave off a laugh to Craig's joke.

"Not to mention Takada zapping them and Ichijyo trying to keep him in check," Ryuki said jokingly.

"That too." Craig then turned serious as he put down his gun. "Leo, who was that?"

"Who?" Ryuki asked back.

"That guy in the golden armor. Libra. Who is he?"

Ryuki eyes went wide. How was he to answer? The truth; or at least what he knew so far. "Libra, or Zodiac Knight Libra, is the Guardian of the Zodiac Knights…at least as so I've heard from Ichijyo and Takada. He's one of the three gods who are watching over this battle. The other two are Fuji and Yoshido."

Craig raised an eyebrow. He vaguely remembered a figure that looked like Libra and then gave him his Aries Zodiac Deck. Could it be the same guy? It was dark so Craig wasn't so sure. He took the deck out of his pocket and stared at it. "So, who are Fuji and Yoshido?" he asked.

Ryuki shook his head, "Never met them personally. Saw them once or twice and heard about them, but that's about it. All I know is that Fuji is supposed to be the good guy and Yoshido is the bad guy. Gomen." He would've elaborated that Fuji was the one who had chosen Pluto and Yoshido had been the one to choose Shadow, but that was a tale for another time.

"Oh," Craig then asked, "About this tournament thing…what is it about?"

Okay, this was when Ryuki's back stiffened. He lay back on the ground. Actually, he lay back on a sleeping bag. It must've been laid out. "The Zodiac Tournament is the final chance for the Knights' to attaint their hearts desires. It is in this tournament that the Knights will battle it out until there is only ONE." Ryuki sighed, "The ONE will gain whatever they want, including unimaginable power. That's why a lot of us became Zodiac Knight; to have all our dreams and wishes realized."

Craig blinked. He hadn't known Ryuki for too long, but that was uncharacteristically deep and insightful for the normally dense Dragon Knight. Then again, he wouldn't expect an Orphenoch to act so…he shook his head. He had to stop thinking of Ryuki as an Orphenoch, the thing he hated. It was one thing to hunt and destroy them, and Craig felt no remorse in doing so, but Ryuki was different. Ryuki didn't act like any of the Orphenochs he had encountered and destroyed. Ryuki acted more human, if he could say that, than any other human, despite no longer being human. Then again, Craig had turned Orphenochs into a stereotype; forgetting that, like humans, they were all different from one another. Of course, the only Orphenochs he had met had lost their 'souls' and tried to terrorize humans. Those Orphenochs met their end at his hands.

He would not forget the night he met Ryuki, believing him to be the same Orphenoch that had killed his team known as the Templars. Even if he wasn't, Craig would've still killed Ryuki for being an Orphenoch…a monster. But seeing as the Titans, especially his old friend Terra, had defended Ryuki, and that Ryuki was willing to let Craig do him in, he came to realize that maybe, just maybe, not all Orphenochs were bad.

Of course, it was going to take more than just one Orphenoch to change the way that he though. He only acknowledged Ryuki's human side. To him, Ryuki's Orphenoch side was still dangerous and if Ryuki ever lost control…

Craig looked down at his Death Buster gun. Would Craig be willing to do him in?

He thought of the Tournament again and asked, "So, why did _you_ become a Zodiac Knight?"

"To protect people," was Ryuki's simple answer. It was too simple, for Craig at least. There had to be something more. There just had to be.

"That's it?" Craig asked, and then Ryuki had a sad look in his eyes.

"It used to be, but I'm not so sure anymore," Ryuki told him, averting his eyes. "I used to believe that, as long as I protected people…this power…" he didn't know how to finish. He suddenly sat up "I just…now it's just so messed up!" he balled his fists. He remembered back, two or three years ago, when it all began…

* * *

(Flashback)

Ryuki was 15 and it was the summer holidays. It was after his 15th birthday and he was in his third and final year of Junior High. He lived with his mother and grandparents in a huge mansion. His mother was the famous fashion designer, Emiko Narukawa Hasuma. His father had died when he was three. He also had a twin sister named Neko Katherine Hasuma, but she preferred to be called Kat, her nickname. He preferred to be called Leo, his nickname, for some reason. His middle name was Leonard and since he was born under the sign of Leo, it made sense, sort of.

He was in the attic of the mansion. He loved to come here as a child and had only come here once in a while as a teenager, soon to be reaching adulthood. His straight braided auburn hair was being covered by cobwebs, but he didn't care. Blowing off the dust from the top of the trunk, he pulled it out of its hiding place. He had been shown this trunk by his mother, but she never found the key. The trunk had belonged to his father and held all his possessions. Ryuki wanted to know all about his father and now was the time.

The reason his mother never found the key was because he had it with him all this time. He put the key into the keyhole, turned it, and with a 'click' the trunk unlocked. He smiled and lifted the lid and looked inside. There were various memorabilia, like pictures, journals and old scrapbooks as well as a few knick-knacks here and there. But what really caught his attention was a red case that shone even in the darkness of the attic. He reached into the trunk and pulled it out. Gazing at it with his emerald green eyes, he found a slot and pulled something out. It was a card, but a bit strange. It was unlike the trading cards he collected. It was completely blank and held the words 'CONTRACT' on top. He pulled out another card and the picture on it looked like a black hole that had purplish swirls around it and with the words 'SEAL' on top.

(End Flashback)

* * *

Ryuki sighed. Sometimes, he wished he could just turn back the hands of time and go back to that day and never found the Zodiac Deck of the Dragon. It brought him nothing but pain and trouble since day one. He had lost friends, had to lie to his mother, keep secrets from her…the list went on and on. However, when he came to think of it, if it wasn't for that day, if he hadn't become a Zodiac Knight, maybe he wouldn't have met the Titans, maybe he wouldn't have met Jinx.

Then again, maybe Tazuka/Zodiac Knight Jawz wouldn't have died and his sister wouldn't have become his greatest enemy and maybe he wouldn't have become…become…

He looked at his hands. He had cleaned them so many times, but the blood was still there. He could still smell it, feel it, taste it; it disgusted him to no ends that he enjoyed it.

But he did.

And that frightened him.

He was a monster and he was afraid…of **himself**.

If he had not picked up that deck, then he wouldn't be living this life right now. He wouldn't be a monster, he wouldn't be fighting for his life, he wouldn't be…

He wouldn't be able to have met Jinx and fall in love with her.

Sighing and breathing deeply, he couldn't help but imagine that Jinx/Jen was the only light he had in the darkness. If he ever lost her…he didn't know what he would do. His friends would be there for him, that was for certain, but if Jinx would be hurt because of him or even worse…he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for not being able to save her.

Maybe, THAT was his reason for being a Knight: protecting Jinx.

But what about living?

Being an Orphenoch meant having a short lifespan and, despite his courage, he was afraid to die. He didn't want to die! He wanted to live, damn it!

* * *

Kat walked back to her campsite, slowly and steadily. The experience with Libra had an adverse effect on her psyche. She was, to say the least, completely and utterly messed up.

To think there was another Knight that was more powerful than she was. She wasn't ignorant; she knew of other beings more powerful than she was. Trigon was a good example, as was Yoshido and any other celestial and hellion out there. Libra was a Knight and yet he was something else.

Libra was too powerful and Kat doubted that she could take him on her own.

She remembered the day she became a Zodiac Knight like it was yesterday.

* * *

(Flashback…)

It was night and her brother had returned home late. He was slightly bruised and his clothes were dirty, but she didn't care, at least not much. She wanted to know what he had been doing and what secrets he had been hiding from their mother. His grades had been slipping, he didn't get enough sleep, and he came home barely after curfew.

This strange behavior had started since that day he went up to the attic. For some reason, he never went up there again. What had happened? Also his new friends, Takada and Ichijyo, would often cover for him. She knew something was up and her mother was starting to catch on.

She was jealous of her brother. She was the first born, but he had been chosen as heir of the Hasuma School. The dojo and all its branches would be his and because of what? Because he was the first born **son**? She was more worthy than he was. She was more skilful and powerful! She could bring honor to the school!

Kat watched and smiled as her mother spoke to him, holding a test paper. He had gotten a very low score. He was ready to explain, but then something happened.

There was an explosion and it came from the front door. Her brother ran towards the front, followed by his mother. She ran after them, wanting to know what was going on.

There, standing where the front door once was, which had been reduced to a large smoking hole, was a black armor clad figure. The bodyguards came immediately to subdue the intruder, but he dispatched them quickly. Kat then saw her brother stand between the being and her mother.

That was when she heard a voice. It was calling her towards the attic. Automatically, beyond her control, she teleported to where the voice was calling her, despite what was going on.

She stepped towards the trunk and opened it. She reached down into it and pulled out a case similar to what her brother had found, only this one was black. She grinned with satisfaction for some reason.

She went back downstairs and saw a red and silver armor clad figure fighting with black one. Somehow, she knew it was her brother and her anger rose. His power, that power, should be hers as was everything else.

With this deck of cards in her hands, her dreams would come true.

(End Flashback)

* * *

Not sooner after that, Yoshido had recruited her into the Black Knights Guild. However, her instability (not to mention insanity) had her kicked out just as fast. She hissed with anger.

She would always hate her brother, even if a small part of her still cared and loved him. Her hatred and jealousy of him was the only thing still driving her to become the best fighter she could be. That was why she joined Slade-sama in the first place, to become stronger!

Glancing into a puddle, she looked at herself. She looked tired and haggard. Must've been all that fighting she'd done tonight. Laughing, she then walked back to camp.

A droplet of water hit her nose, then another one hit her cheek. She looked up. Clouds were collecting together. It was beginning to rain. Despite knowing how to swim, she still hated water; she wasn't in the mood. Covering her head with her arms, she ran back as fast as she could towards the campsite.

When she arrived, she saw that they were already busy packing. Then again, it did make sense. The Titans knew they were nearby and no doubt would be trying to come and arrest them. She saw Psycho-Rogue standing nearby to Cathy. Cathy yawned and rubbed her eye, holding a little cat doll Kat had given her. Upon seeing her mother, the cat girl squealed and ran towards her. Kat caught the little girl in her arms.

"What took you so long?" Grant asked.

"Had some thinking to do," Kat said. "We're leaving so soon?"

"With the Titans around, we can't camp out any longer. We gotta go back to Jump City."

Kat shrugged. She saw Rose put out the campfire and put away some of their stuff and into the RV. Joey was checking just in case they left anything behind. He had a list in his hands. They were in a hurry, but that was no excuse to leave anything behind.

Kat would often think of what could've been if she never listened to that voice, which she figured was either Yoshido or the deck's. If she hadn't become the Zodiac Knight of Cats known as Copycat, she would not have become so hell bent in killing her brother and becoming evil. She wouldn't have lost friends in the process as well. However, if it wasn't for that day, she would have never met Slade and would not have met Rose…and maybe not have found Cathy either. What fate would've befallen Cathy if Kat had not taken the mantle of Zodiac Knight Copycat?

She didn't want to think of that.

Grant, Joey and Rose had already packed up everything into the RV. Grant was at the driver's seat, Joey sitting shotgun. Rose went in and called for her and Cathy. Calling back Psycho-Rogue, she went into the RV, carrying a sleeping Cathy in her arms.

They drove out of the site and towards the main road. Kat placed Cathy in her bed and tucked her in. She stroked the little mutant girl's head tenderly, singing a sift lullaby her mother had sung to her when she was little. Cathy was soon in the land of nod.

Kat sighed. Libra had come to test them. However, he had purposely allowed her, Draco, Pluto and Shadowocbra to stay in the Mirror Dimension to both witness and experience his power. Why? What was his purpose?

She would find out soon enough as she yawned. Exhaustion and the need for sleep were beginning to overwhelm her. She then kissed Cathy on the forehead and went over to one of the bunk beds, falling asleep as her form touched the mattress. She was out like a light and purred. Rose looked at Kat and smiled, kissing her. Kat smiled wider.

"Goodnight, Kitty-Kat." She then kissed Cathy on the cheek, "And goodnight, Kitten."

* * *

The Titans returned to the campsite and despite their searching could not find Kat or Tartarus.

"Didn't find them, huh?" Ryuki smiled, despite his friends' disappointment. For some reason, he was glad that they didn't find his sister and her team. Of course, he wasn't going to let them know that.

"No sign, dude," Beast Boy said, yawning.

"Not one single trace of em. It's like they just vanished," Cyborg added.

"Well, I'm tired," Pluto yawned.

"Agreed," Shadowcobra agreed, which was a rare thing since he was agreeing with Pluto of all people.

"Let's just turn in, team," said Robin. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Now tired, Ryuki was going to go sleep in the tent. They would all return home soon. From the phone call he had received, Brimstone was a bit more of a handful for the girls than he thought. He was looking forward to fishing, but he couldn't wait to be with his girlfriend and pet again.

* * *

Libra watched his children as they dozed off to sleep. He was still in Clockwork's Tower and drinking a cup of tea his friend had prepared for him. Most of the time portals were interesting, but one gave him an ominous feeling.

He just hoped **that** future never came to be.

To Be Continued…

ZK Chromedragozoid: How was that? Nice huh? Anyway, there was no fighting in this fic, but you were able to find out just exactly how Draco/Ryuki and Copycat/Kat became Zodiac Knights. Next, the story will skip a few days. Draco has a mission in New York and he is once again partnered with his friend Jake Long the American Dragon. And also, who is the Spider Orphenoch? Stay tune for this answer and more in the next chapter…Part 28: The Big Apple.

And thanks for all the reviews. I really appreciate it! Also, read the fics written by Dr. Evans and Angel17712 and leave a review for them, kay?


	28. PT028: The Big Apple

Part 28: The Big Apple

…Also known as New York City.

The large black and silver jet landed on the airport runway. This was one of many of Smart Brain Corporation's jets, not just used to transport cargo but people as well. The passengers that were allowed on, of course, had to be of VIP status. No one, and I mean NO ONE, else was allowed onboard. The only people allowed were the pilots, flight attendants, Smart Brain executives and…Special Smart Brain Operatives. In the case of allowing exceptions onboard, the exceptions in question had to be associates/friends of the Operative or executive, which was why Jennifer Wilcox/Jinx and Craig Smith/Zodiac Knight Mortuary were allowed onboard since the Operative in question was none other than Ryuki Leonard Hasuma/Zodiac Knight Draco.

The trio exited the jet and went towards the arrival gate where their luggage would be checked. They were dressed as civilians (I'll let you decide what they are wearing) Ryuki took his backpack as well as the pet carrier that was holding Brimstone. It was made of solid steel to make sure the hellhound puppy would not escape and cause havoc. Letting Brimstone loose was a bad idea as the teens had learnt from experiece.

Mortuary wasn't allowed to bring his gun for obvious reasons, which was why it would be delivered to him later. A large black limousine is there to welcome them upon leaving the airport. Their luggage would be delivered soon to the place that they would be staying at. In the meantime, they would be meeting someone. The two motorbikes were unloaded from the jet and parked near the limo. Ryuki strapped on a backpack and slowly put Brimstone inside after taking his pet out of the carrier. The puppy fitted snugly inside the bag and Ryuki smiled.

"So, who is this person we're meeting?" Craig asked as he was finally given his Death Buster back. He discreetly slid it into its holster.

"Just a friend of mine," Ryuki answered, giving a helmet to Jen.

"You don't know him, but let's just say he looks up to Ryuki like a brother," Jen further explained. Jen had put a glamour spell on herself to look like an Indian girl. She was from India and was born of an American man and Indian village girl. This was what she had looked like before her powers manifested. She had dark skin and jet black hair as well as normal brown eyes. Her hair was down. However, she did allow some pink streaks to show in her hair. She did this so she wouldn't stand out. New York was one of the many places that wasn't so tolerant of mutants and her unusual appearance would have people mob her, accusing her of being a mutant. She was a witch, not a mutant, but not many could tell the difference.

Craig merely blinked in confusion, _'Come to think of it, I don't really know anything about Leo's family.' _Ever since he became a rogue Orphenoch Hunter, he always told himself to ignore who the Orphenoch once was, including the Orphenoch's life and family. All that didn't matter much to him as long as he killed the Orphenoch, thinking he was doing a service to the Orphenoch's family in getting rid of a freak. He looked to Ryuki who was smiling and laughing a bit. He had never forgotten what Ryuki really was, and would be prepared if Ryuki would one day turn to an evil Orphenoch. He gripped his fists, which glowed with necroplasmic green energy.

"Yo, Craig," Ryuki called, snapping Craig out of his thoughts.

"What?" Craig asked abruptly.

"You zoned out a bit. I asked you if you wanted to get anything before we leave. There's a Burger King nearby." Craig shook his head.

"No, I'm not hungry. Are you?"

"Me neither. I got full on airplane food. I just thought you might be hungry."

"I'm fine," Craig strapped on a helmet. "Let's just go."

Ryuki got on his bike and Jen got on behind him. Ryuki said to Craig, "Just follow my lead." Craig followed him, revving up his engine and both bikes raced away from the airport.

* * *

The bikes stopped and pulled up in front of a electronics shop on Canal Street. Craig asked in bewilderment, "Is this the place?"

"Yeah," Ryuki answered, "It's been a while."

"You've been here before?" Craig asked.

"It was recruitment mission and one of the new recruits comes here a lot." They then heard an explosion, accompanied by a loud, "AIYAH!" Ryuki chuckled, "Looks like he's here." Brimstone got freaked out by the explosion, but Ryuki pulled him out of the backpack and pet him reassuringly, hugging the puppy. "It's okay, boy. Nothing's going to hurt you here."

"What the heck was that?" Jen asked.

"Maybe Fu is helping Jake make a potion and that yell was his grandfather, Lao Shi. I'll introduce you," Ryuki went to the door and turned the knob.

Craig muttered something, "I swear that my life just gets weirder and weirder." The necroplasmic powered teen followed them in.

Ryuki went to the countered and rang the bell. Immediately, a short Chinese man in dark purple robes walked down the stairs. He had a long white beard and held a lot of wisdom. This man was Luong Lao Shi.

"Greetings, how may I be of service?" he asked.

"Lao Shi-ojiisan," Ryuki chuckled, "It's me, Leo!"

"Ah, Leo!" Lao Shi finally recognized him. He shook hands with the Dragon Knight. "It's you. I barely recognize you. I'm really glad you're here." He then saw Jen and Craig. "Who are these people with you?"

"Lao Shi-ojiisan, these are my friends, Jennifer Wilcox and Craig Smith. They are also my teammates," Ryuki introduced. Jen bowed respectively and Craig nodded politely. Lao Shi knew of Ryuki being a Teen Titan from his grandson, Jake Long the American Dragon. Lao Shin could be trusted with any secret and he would always keep his mouth shut about secretive matters, most regarding the magical world. Lao Shi smiled.

"Welcome to my shop. Please, walk this way," the old Dragon Master led them up the stairs and when they got to the top floor, were not prepared for the sight that they would behold.

To put it simply, the place was an absolute MESS! I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say that it was a potion that went wrong.

"Hey guys!" Ryuki greeted the familiar faces of Spud, Trixie and Jake!

"LEO!" the three younger teens shouted, dropping the mops, brooms and wash clothes they were holding.

"My man! You came!" said Spud excitedly.

"You bet," Ryuki winked.

"Dude, are we glad to see you!" Trixie smiled.

"The feeling's mutual Trix."

"My dragon-brotha!" Jake and Ryuki did their secret handshake. "Welcome back to the NYC, yo!"

Lao Shi explained to Craig, "They are old friends."

Craig observed, "I can see that."

Fu Dog groaned, holding a father duster, "Yeah, yeah. Leave the dog to do all the dirty work." He rolled his eyes.

Craig blinked, "Did that dog just talk?" he pointed.

"It did," Jen nodded.

Feeling offended, Fu Dog told them, "Of course I can talk. I'm a magical Sher Pai. And I'm a 'he', not an 'it'."

Craig and Jen apologized.

"What brings you here to the NYC, bro?" Jake asked.

Ryuki explained, "We're on a mission." He added, "There was a break in at Smart Brain NY over a month ago and we just found out."

"You don't say…"

"You didn't know about it?"

"I knew something was going down, but the higher ups didn't want to give us any of the info."

"Yes. When Ichijyo found out, he blew a gasket," Ryuki remembered what happened when Shadow/Ichijyo received the news. It wasn't pretty. There had been a lot of cursing, swearing and threats on Ichijyo's end. "That's why he sent me, Craig and Jen to investigate. Also, since you're an Operative here in New York, you're in too."

"Operative Jake Long, ready for duty, sir!" Jake did a mock salute. Spud snickered.

"Dude, he said 'doodie'…" Spud said in his chuckles. Trixie rolled her eyes.

"So, let's go to Smart Brain right now and check out the scene, okay?" Ryuki suggested.

"Let's go!" Jake said.

* * *

SMART BRAIN CORPORATION NEW YORK HEADQUARTERS…

Both Ryuki and Jake entered the building, clad in their Operatives uniforms. They flashed their badges saluted the security guard. They were going to meet the CEO, a Mister Edward Hawks.

In Edward Hawks' office, the skinny blonde and bespectacled CEO sat nervously at his desk, trying to calm his nerves and make sense of everything. When Ryuki and Jake entered his office, abruptly, he nearly spilt his coffee.

"Thank…Thank you for coming…" Edward said nervously. "Please…have a seat…" Ryuki and Jake sat down on the chairs in front of Edward. Edward took in a deep breath of air before continuing, "You must understand that I had the company's best interest in mind. If I allowed this to go public, Smart Brain Corporation would be ruined."

Ryuki disagreed, "However, keeping it a secret from the head office was not really a good idea. You do realize that now, don't you?"

Edward wiped the sweat off his forehead, "Yes, yes I do."

"Could you tell us what was stolen?" Jake asked.

"It is better that I show you," Edward said as he got up. Please, follow me."

They went to the elevator and Edward pressed a button to the top floor, explaining, "Some of our prototypes are kept up here for safe keeping. Only I have access to it since I hold this keycard." He showed them the keycard and swiped it down a scanner. The light on the scanner glowed green and the elevator went up to the top before the doors slid open. The y saw that the scene had not been cleaned. It looked like it had been ransacked. "As you can see, we haven't done anything to the crime scene. This was the way it was found. We didn't even call the police yet…"

"Was the window broken?" Ryuki asked.

"Yes. We had it replaced and…"

"The thief came in through the window."

Edward blinked, "But how?"

Jake said to Edward, "Dude, there are a lot of weirdoes out there who can fly. Don't you watch the news?"

Edward shook his head, "No. I never have the time, really."

Ryuki looked in the opened safe. He asked, "Tell me: Was there anything important in the safe?"

"I'm sorry, but that's strictly confidential," Edward said nervously.

"This confidential item could be used for evil right now!" Ryuki yelled. "Tell us, now!"

"Alright!" Edward reached into the safe and pulled out a brown envelope. "This contains all the information you need."

"Also, can we have a copy of the security tape?" Jake asked.

"Please do. It's yours," Edward said.

"Thanks," Jake smiled as Edward sighed with relief.

"You'll hear from us when we get to the bottom of this," Ryuki reassured him.

"I hope so. My job is on the line here," Edward said to both of them.

* * *

"Can you believe that guy?" Jake asked Ryuki as they walked back to the shop. They were also out of uniform. "He cares more about his job then what the thing that was stolen could do."

"Yeah…" Ryuki agreed. He still had the envelope with him, but hadn't opened it yet. He also held a copy of the security tape in his hands.

"What do you think was stolen?" Jake asked.

"Knowing Smart Brain Corporation, it could be **anything." **

"I was afraid of that…"

They then passed by a Night Club. However, there were police everywhere and yellow police tape barricading the walls. There was also people surrounding the crime scene.

"What's going down, yo?" Jake asked.

"I don't know," Ryuki narrowed his eyes. "But I don't like it." He went over to one of the officers and asked, "Excuse me, sir? What happened here?"

The cop was middle aged and had a graying brown moustache, "Beats me, son. All I know is that no one is allowed in or out."

"Oh, Okay. Thanks." Ryuki walked back to Jake. "I think something bad happened. It smells of death."

"Let me try. I've been practicing my 'Eyes of the Dragon'. Maybe I can use X-Ray vision now." Draco stared at him. "What?"

"Jake, you don't have X-Ray vision. All you got is a dragon's enhanced sense of sight and seeing heat signatures…" Ryuki blinked, realizing something. "That's it!"

"What?" Jake asked.

"Let's get back to the shop! I have to send Pluto these and then review those security tapes." He smirked, "Then, we find out what's going on."

* * *

Thank goodness by the time Jake and Ryuki returned to the shop the top floor was clean.

"What you got there, Leo?" Spud asked.

"You wouldn't understand, Spud," Ryuki said to his not-so-bright friend. "Just some documents regarding what was stolen from that safe in Smart Brain NY." He placed the items on the table. "And a copy of the security tape that night." He opened the envelope and pulled out the papers. He looked at them critically. "Okay, now I know something."

"What?" Jen asked with keen interest.

"I don't understand a word of this! Too much technical mumbo-jumbo! Pluto's the engineer; I'm just the martial artist!" he said with disappointment. The documents were blue prints as well plans and some other stuff Ryuki couldn't understand, like the description of what had been stolen and what it could do. Spud looked them over, rubbing his chin. Ryuki asked, "Spud, what are you doing?"

"It looks to me like a special belt-like device that would allow the user to generate a full suit of technologically advanced battle armor that would not only increase the wearer's strength, but speed, agility, reflexes and mind power. The suit uses battle data from you Knights and is made from nanotech that will generate a Soul Metal and Soul Fiber suit. Says here there are two of them. They are codenamed: The Emperor Belts," Spud explained. He looked up to see Ryuki staring at him. "What dude? Do I have something on my face?" he placed a hand on his face. "Get it off dude! Get it off!"

Ryuki blinked, bewildered, "No…It's just that….**You** understood all **that**?" Spud nodded.

"I couldn't have guessed it," Jen said and then thought, '_He acts and looks like a stoner a lot_. _Who knew he was **that** smart_?'

Jake placed a hand on Spud's shoulder proudly, "Our Spud-man here is a regular technological genius."

Craig commented, "It seems that you really can't judge a book by its cover."

"Okay, we know **what** was stolen," said Trixie, holding the tape, "Now let's see **who** stole it." She slid the tape into the VCR and turned on the TV. The scene played out in front of them.

"Is that Spider-Man?" Spud asked, looking at the webslinger. "What's he doing there?" The others hushed him.

_"Drop in for some late night shopping_?" Spider-Man queried, hanging upside down. The thief turned and snarled. Luckily for her, she had a mask on to hide her identity_. "Let me guess…Catwoman…or are you related to Black Cat?" _

_"Not exactly bug boy," _the thief sneered. Her eyes glowed as she grinned. She leapt up and stuck to the wall, facing him. Spider-Man raised an eyebrow,_ "My name's Copycat, guess what I can do?" _she shot out a line of webbing that Spidey dodged.

'_Copycat?_' Ryuki. '_Masaka. Could it be…Oneechan?_'

_"You can copy powers, right?" _Spider-Man said as she lunged at her. Her eyes glowed green as she phased through the wall. He slammed into the wall face first.

'_Yep, that sounds like her…_' Ryuki thought regrettably.

_"You know…for a guy with Spider sense, you did not see THAT coming!" _Copycat laughed. She phased right out of the wall and her eyes glowed green.

_"Lemme guess, Ghost Powers?" Spider-Man rubbed his head. _

_"Got it in one_," she shot out an ecto-blast that shattered a table apart. Spider-Man shot out a web line and he swung over Copycat. Copycat turned her claws into adamantium blades and cut through the web line. Spidey subsequently landed on the wall and crawled up to the ceiling. Copycat rolled her eyes,_ "This is the best _ _New York__ has to offer? Please…the Titans were more of a challenge!" _

_"You do not diss the Spider-Man!" _Spidey leapt down and his foot crashed into Kat's face. Kat staggered and rubbed her face.

_"Is that any way to treat a lady?" _she asked.

_"Trust me, you ain't no lady!" _Spidey swung out a fist and dodged under it before giving Spidey's chin a violent uppercut, followed by a reverse spinning heel kick that sent him crashing into some more lab equipment.

_"You're right!" _she growled_, "I am woman, hear me roar!" _she then went over to the safe and phased her hand through it. She grabbed onto something and pulled it out. It was a briefcase. Spidey pulled it out of her hands with a web line.

_"You shouldn't take what isn't yours!" _Spidey shook his finger in a scolding way, _"Bad kitty." _

Kat snarled and took out her whip. She lashed it around and slashed Spider-Man across the face with it. Despite his Spider Sense, he still got hit and was sent reeling to the floor. He dropped the briefcase and it slid towards Copycat's feet.

Copycat picked up her bounty and draped it over her shoulder._ "See ya!" _she flew up and phased through the ceiling, but not before spraying webbing all over Spider-Man, just to add insult to injury.

Spider-Man groaned_, "Okay…this is embarrassing." _The tape was paused.

Ryuki, Jen and Craig looked at it with open jaws.

"Was that…" Craig began, but got a warning look from Jen.

"That was your s-nemesis, Copycat," Jen added, trying to hide the fact that Copycat was Draco's sister. It was known that Jake, Spud and Trixie did not know who Copycat really was and Draco wanted it to stay that way.

"That would mean Deathstroke has the Emperor Belts," Ryuki said. He took out his phone and dialed Pluto. "Pluto, I'm gonna send you something."

"Okay," Pluto answered from the other end. Ryuki went to the table and scanned the documents with his DRA-Phone before sending them to Pluto.

"Got that?" Ryuki asked.

"Yeah, got it. What's going on?"

"Trouble. I'll send you the contents that was on the tape too," Ryuki said. He took out his DRA-Cam and hooked it up to the VCR. He copied the contents of the tape into the Video Camera. He then connected his phone to his camera and sent everything to Pluto. "Got that?"

Pluto answered, "Yeah, I got it! I'll see what I can come up with."

"Okay, Arigato Pluto. Ja ne." he then looked to Spud, "Spud, if what you said is true, we might be in a lot of trouble."

And Ryuki was right, in more ways than one.

To Be Continued…


	29. PT029: Webs

Part 29: Webs

Later that night, both Ryuki/Draco and Jake/The American Dragon were out on a stakeout, both clad in their SB uniforms. Jen/Jinx and Craig/Mortuary were back at the shop with Lao Shi, Fu, Spud and Trixie. Jen was busying herself by helping about around the shop as well as reading some of the books Lao Shi had about the magical world and its inhabitants. Craig was not the best person for a stakeout as he, according to Draco's experience, had the tendency to 'barge in with guns blazing'. Also, Brimstone was left at the shop and sleeping soundly after being fed. He did not want to bring the hellhound puppy. Jen and Craig would be their backup, just in case.

Since they knew Spider-Man was at the scene of the crime, they were going to catch the infamous red and blue wall-crawler and have a little chat with him about his encounter with the thief, Copycat. It was pointless, at least to Draco, as he knew that Slade was planning something. All he wanted was to talk with Spider-Man.

Also, he wanted to check out the night club that had been crawling with police previously to find out what was going on. There was an eerie feeling of familiarity and he questioned himself if it was even a good idea to go and find out. A part of him wanted to go in and scope the place out while another part of him wanted to stay the hell away from there. It was pretty conflicting in his head thus far.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Jake asked. Draco was suddenly out of his reverie, barely registering Jake's question.

"Yes, it does," Draco replied. Deciding to make conversation, he asked, "How are you and June?" he then noticed that Jake frowned a bit.

"We broke up, bro," Jake answered, sighing sadly.

"Broke up? Why?" Draco asked with shocked bewilderment. June and Jake appeared really close. What happened?

"Well, it's just that…It didn't work out," Jake added, "We weren't right for each other. Also…"

"Let me guess," Draco interrupted, "_Rose_, right?" Jake nodded. "I see."

"It's just that…I still miss her Leo," Jake sighed. "I mean, June's great, but…I don't know. Rose is just…I can't describe it."

"Love is confusing that way." Draco admitted, "It took me a while to sort out my feelings for Jinx."

Jake replied, "Yeah, at least June's okay. She's dating this Marcus guy who she's been crushing on for a long time."

"Good for her then," Draco smiled. "Anyway, about you and Rose? Have you found her?"

"No," Jake lowered her head. "I don't know where she is. I mean, I've tried looking, but there aren't any clues, at least not good ones. And besides, do you think she still cares about me? I mean, she's in the Huntsclan and they were born to hunt down and slay dragons, not to mention every other magical creature out there."

"Quite the dilemma," Draco nodded. "Do you mind if I give you some advice?"

"Yeah?" Jake looked up to Draco expectantly.

"The most logical thing to do is move on." Jake slumped at this. "But," Draco continued, "If you love this girl, don't give up. Who knows, you might just find her if you don't give up. Even though she belongs to an evil organization, it doesn't mean that she's evil herself. I mean, look at me and Jinx."

"Thanks bro," Jake smiled.

"No problem," Draco smiled back. Suddenly, they heard an alarm. Looking down, they saw a jewelry store being robbed. There were 2 men wearing ski masks. "Figures someone would try to commit a crime at a night like this. No cops in sight too."

"So, we gonna stop 'em?" Jake asked expectantly, allowing his dragon wings to come out.

Draco was ready to pull his goggles over his eyes when something crossed his line of vision. With a smile he said, "Not yet." He then saw a red and blue blur whiz by on a web line. "There's our target. Let's go." He pulled his goggles over his eyes and launched his grappling claw.

As Spider-Man was done taking care of the two robbers and was about to leave, he was halted. "Stop where you are!" Spidey saw two teens dressed in black jumpsuits. "We got some questions for you, Spider-Man."

"Sorry, but I'm kinda busy. Do you mind waiting another time?" Spider-Man shot out a web-line, but it got cut by a stream of fire. Spider-Man turned in shock. "Okay…?"

"Listen, dude," Jake said. "We don't wanna fight you, believe me."

Spider-Man scoffed, "Heard that like, about a _hundred_ times." His tone was sarcastic.

"We just want to talk. I have a few questions for you," Draco reached into his pocket, "The first question is…" Spidey tensed up. "…Can I please have your autograph?" Draco asked excitedly, holding out a pen and notepad and causing Jake to facefault anime style.

"WHAT?" Jake exclaimed, getting back up.

"Uh, sure?" Spidey said as he took the pen and notepad and signed. "There." he gave them back to Draco.

"Arigatou!" Draco thanked Spider-Man and put the items back into his pockets. "Now, seriously…Were you at Smart Brain NY over a month ago?"

Spidey answered with a shrug, "Yeah."

"And did you fight someone by the name of Copycat?"

"Yeah, I did. She told me the name herself. I thought she could've been Black Cat or Catwoman, but she was a cat-themed thief that could, get this, **copy my powers**."

"Hai, she does that," Draco muttered.

"Is that all, coz I don't want to miss my Soaps," Spidey joked.

"Hai, that's all," Draco said to Spider-Man. "Thank you for the autograph." He bowed.

"No problem," Draco waved as Spider-Man swung away.

"Never thought of you as a Spider-Man fanboy," Jake quipped.

"I was always a fan of Spider-Man when I first heard of him, sue me," Draco smirked. "Come on, let's get back to-" he was cut off by his DRA-Phone ringing. He took it out f his pocket and answered, "Moshi moshi? Okaasan? You're in New York? What a coincidence! So am I! Hai! Uh huh. Sure. A charity ball? When? Tonight? Can I bring friends? Hai, Jinxy-chan is here too. You'll have a limo ready? Where am I staying? It's an electronics shop on Canal Street. Remember Jake's grandfather? Hai, that one. Alright, I'll see you there. Ja ne!" Draco hung up. "That was weird."

"Yeah," Jake admitted. "Your mom's here the same time you are. That's a really big coincidence, yo."

"Ichijyo always told me to never believe in coincidences, only in inevitability." Draco sighed, "Let's get back to the shop. I need to tell Jinx and Mort about this. But first I need to check something out."

* * *

Draco and Jake were in front of the night club that had been surrounded by cops earlier that day. Going through the front door was not an option as it had been labeled a crime scene and barricaded by police yellow tape that said "DO NOT CROSS".

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Jake worriedly.

"Something has been bothering me since we passed this place earlier. I got to check it out," Draco replied.

"But, you're like breaking and entering," Jake reminded.

"I know, Jake," Draco replied, "But there's something inside the cops want covered up and I have to find out what."

"It's your call, bro," Jake said. "If this is something you gotta do, do it."

"Arigatou, Jake-kun," Ryuki smiled at his friend before he teleported inside via a vortex of flames.

The inside of the place, as Draco had surmised, was pretty much a dump with the inside being messed up. However, what shocked him more were the state of the 'bodies'…or what was left of them. The police were unable to move the bodies…Why?

Reaching down on one and giving it a poke, the body crumbled to ashes, leaving only clothes behind. Draco's eyes widened when he suddenly had a vision of what had happened just by touching the ashes. This was not good.

After he teleported out, Jake asked him, "So, what did you find?"

"Nothing," Draco lied calmly, not wanting to worry his friend. "Let's get back to the shop." Draco walked off. Jake looked at his friend. He knew something was wrong as Draco's mood had changed. Jake, you have no idea…

* * *

(Back at the shop)

"Your mom's here?" Jen spoke up in surprise. "What a coincidence!"

"That's what I said," Jake added.

Brimstone was in Ryuki's arms and licking his master's face. The Dragon Knight, now out of uniform, said to them, "Hai. She also invited me to a charity ball for endangered species. It's sometime later tonight. She also said I could bring guests."

Craig leaned against a display of TV's. He was very interested to know who Ryuki's mom was, "Leo, who is your mom…really?"

Trixie then spoke up, "Just one of the most famous fashion designer's in the world!" Trixie spoke up, "And Mama-Trixie ain't missin' out on this party thang, you hear?"

Craig looked towards his pyrokinetic teammate, "Never would've pegged you for a rich boy. You don't act all rich and spoilt."

"But, we don't got anything to wear," Spud said, "This is a formal thing, right?"

"Actually, I think my Okaasan already has **that** covered," Ryuki told them. Ryuki was not ready to tell them, especially Mort, of what he had been doing _after_ meeting Spider-Man. Both Jen/Jinx and Craig/Mortuary knew Copycat very well and if she had anything to do with the robbery at Smart Brain…Slade could be up to _anything. _

On another note, he did not tell them about the night club. If he was right, then an Orphenoch was loose in the city and if he knew Craig…The necroplasmic teen with the Powers of Aries would be all around town with guns blazing…LITERALLY!

However, was he doing the right thing by not telling them?

* * *

The charity ball was going to be held at the banquet hall of one of the finest hotels in the whole of New York City. Everyone who was anyone was there to attend; movie stars, entrepreneurs and various donators and representatives of different charities. In short: a bunch of rich people with LOTS of dough.

A black limousine pulled up in front of the hotel. A valet came to open the door. A foot came out from the car, covered by a black show. The person who came out was none other than Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, dressed in a black tuxedo with a red shirt underneath. His hair had been combed through and straightened out in a ponytail. His emerald green eyes shone.

With an arm hooked around his was a beautiful Indian woman in a beautiful black dress and her black hair braided. She wore golden bracelets and a pearl necklace. She wore a mesh shawl over her shoulders and fishnet gloves that reached up to her elbows. She also held a purse with her. This was Jennifer "Jinx" Wilcox, still wearing her glamour spell.

The couple waved at the photographers who had given the description of the various guests and concluded that the red haired Japanese boy was none other than the son of Emiko Narukawa Hasuma, world's famous fashion designer.

Following after the couple were Craig, who had to be forced into a tuxedo and had his long black hair slicked back. Jake, Spud and Trixie were also dressed to impressed, wearing tuxedos and a red dress, respectively. They waved at the cameras.

"I could get used to this," Trixie grinned, arm hooked around Spud's. This may have made them look like a couple, but they were really just friends. Spud was only doing Trixie a favor by being her date.

Both Jake and Craig were dateless. Jake did not want a repeat of what happened back in his Junior High school when he brought a Nix to his dance so he decided to come alone. Also, asking Juniper to be his date would be WAY awkward since they broke up. Jenny (XJ-9) was also pretty busy. There weren't any other girls he knew to ask and anyone at Magus Bazaar was, well, a little bizarre in appearance. Craig didn't really care much to bring a date. He had other important things to think about.

Upon entering the hotel and into the banquet hall, they were amazed at the amount of people whom attended. Spud, however, was amazed at the amount of food laid out. The floor was packed with people and the tables filled with delicious food of every kind from appetizers, main courses, to the sweet desserts. Both Ryuki and Spud sniffed the air. There were also ice sculptures fashioned to look like various endangered species. Jen looked at them with awe, noticing the intricate design of each sculpture. She knew Ryuki had just mastered his freezing abilities and she silently hoped he would make an ice sculpture of her. Various influential guests attended the function like Tony Stark, Wilson Fisk and Norman Osborn.

Ryuki was holding a video camera, his DRA-Cam, and accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh, gomenasai," Ryuki apologized. The person who turned around was a young man with brunette hair and in a tuxedo.

"That's okay," the man said, understanding fully that Ryuki had apologized. He was holding a camera. "No harm done."

"Peter!" called out an elderly man's voice. He had a white and grey crew-cut hair style, a black Hitler moustache and had a cigar in his mouth, "Take a picture of me with Mrs. Hasuma." With him was Emiko Hasuma, dressed for the occasion.

"Sure, J.J." Peter said, sighing with exasperation.

"Ryuki," Emiko saw her son, "You came!" she went over and hugged her son.

"Of course, Okaasan," Ryuki hugged his mother back. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

"She's your mom?" Peter asked with surprised and Jameson put a hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Of course that's his mom. This kid is the son of Emiko Narukawa Hasuma," Jameson whispered into Peter's ear. If you hadn't guessed it, this was Peter Parker.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself," Ryuki said to Peter. "Ryuki Hasuma, but friends call me Leo."

"Peter Parker," Peter extended a hand and Ryuki took it, shaking it. A moment of familiarity passed through their minds but they shook it off. They then bowed to each other.

"Ryuki," Emiko said to her son, "You did bring your friends, right?"

"They are supposed to be around here somewhere," Ryuki said as he tried to look over the various guests for his friends and date.

"And you did bring Jen, right?" Emiko asked hopefully. Seeing Jen and Ryuki together made her eyes sparkle, quite literally. Peter noticed this and raised an eyebrow.

Jen walked up to Ryuki and hooked her arm around his, "Hey, baby," she kissed him.

Emiko blinked. "Ryuki, this isn't-" she then got cut off when her son said to her in Japanese, "_Okaasan__, Jen is a witch, remember? She used a spell to make herself look normal. Don't you recognize her?_"

Emiko looked at Jen and remembered that the girl she remembered had pale skin, pink hair and eyes. This girl, who Ryuki claimed to be Jen, had dark skin, black hair with pink streaks and brown eyes. However, she did recognize the Promise Ring on her finger and looking more closely at the girl now saw the resemblance. Besides, Emiko was no stranger to magic. When she was young and had her crush on her best friend, who later became her husband and Ryuki's father, she had witnessed so many bizarre occurrences.

"So, anyone else you brought along?" Emiko asked, now accepting that Jen was who her son said she was.

"You remember Jake, Trixie and Spud, right?" he told her. "They're at the refreshments table. Also, I brought Craig. He's a new friend."

"I bet he's…_special_," Emiko smiled knowingly. The word 'special' was a code word Emiko used when referring to those with 'special' abilities. IE: Super powers and superheroes.

"Yes, he is."

"I do hope you enjoy the party. There's going to be a slow dance soon," Emiko smiled at her son. "I, however, must mingle!" she kissed Jen on the cheek and whispered, "You make my son happy, and that makes me happy. I hope you do that always."

"I will," Jen whispered back.

Not too far from them was Craig sitting on a chair, arms crossed and bored as hell. He couldn't bring his gun, which would've caused a riot and didn't have anything to shoot at or fight, especially an Orphenoch. He reached into his tuxedo jacket and pulled out his Zodiac Deck, gazing at the crystal a bit. He even pulled at his collar, "Damn monkey suit." Craig had hated these kinds of parties, even back when he was living the rich boy life before forming the Red Wolves. With a sigh, he decided to get himself a drink. As he was getting up he felt a familiar cough coming. He quickly grabbed a napkin off of the nearest table and coughed into it. Looking at the mix of blood and necroplasm, he felt like a part of his life was just coughed out. Craig got startled when he suddenly felt a hand on his back. He turned around to see that it was Ryuki.

"Are you alright, Craig?" Ryuki asked, knowing fully well that when Craig had that cough he wasn't in the best of moods. Ryuki knew that Craig hated it when people would pity him. Ryuki would ask anyway just because Craig was his friend and he was a caring person.

"Yeah, it's just a cough. I think I'll live." Craig took a few steps forward and stopped before saying, "I'm gonna get some air. I'll be outside if I'm needed." With that he walked out to one of the balconies. Ryuki looked at his friend worriedly before going over to join his other friends.

Spud was chowing down and Jake leaned against the table, eating absentmindedly from a plate in his hand. Trixie saw this and said, "Okay, Jake, you're in a funk. What's wrong, Jakie-baby? Maybe Mama-Trix can help?"

"It's just that," Jake sighed, "I miss Rose." Trixie rolled her eyes. "I'm serious, Trix."

"I get it, but Rose is bad news," Trixie told him, voicing out her dislike for the Huntsgirl. Trixie knew Rose wasn't all that bad, but she had been trying to hunt her best friend…one of them really. Spud, was…well…She looked over at Spud and saw his cheeks puffed up with food. He was cute, but seriously needed better table manners.

* * *

A young man dressed in a black shirt with a white spider emblem on it, cargo pants, scarf and cap casually walked into the hotel. He was still listening to his MP3 player, bobbing his head to the music. He was also absentmindedly folding a piece of paper into an Origami crane, red this time. He reached the doors of the banquet hall and was stopped by two men who were acting as security. They were dressed in black suits and sunglasses, like the members of the MIB.

"I'm sorry," a bald African American with a muscular build said, "This is a private party. Guests only. If you don't have an invitation or you're not on the list, you don't get in."

"Please leave," his partner, a Hispanic with a goatee, added.

The MP3 listening man just looked at both men with his cold eyes and grinned.

* * *

The guests were all mingling with each other and some of them even went to the dance floor where a band played a soft song. Ryuki took Jen's hand and they waltzed, much to the surprise of the disguised witch. Her right hand was on his waist and her left hand on his shoulder. His right hand was also on her shoulder, but his left hand was on the small on her back. They swayed and danced gracefully to the music.

"I didn't know you could waltz," she said with surprised amazement. He twirled her around and caught her.

"It's something Okaasan made me do. Aside from my training in the martial arts, she set up dance lessons for me whilst I was growing up. I didn't think it was important then, but now I do," the Dragon Knight said to her with a smile.

"I'm glad you did," she smiled back. "You're a good dancer."

"That's because I have a good partner." His compliment made her blush. He took her by surprise, again, by brushing his lips against her lips ever so lightly. She wrapped her arms around him and he did the same, holding her close to him. She listened to his heartbeat as they danced.

Ryuki's mother held a video camera, sighing and swooning at the sight. Nothing could ruin this moment…Nothing.

The doors to the banquet hall suddenly slammed open and the two security personnel stumbled in. One snobbish rich woman said in annoyance, "What is the meaning of this?"

Suddenly, the two men fell to their knees and their skin turned grey, shocking all the guests there. When they finally disintegrated into ashes, leaving behind their clothes, there were several loud shouts, screams and shrieks.

"Woah," Peter said, surprised, nearly dropping his camera.

"What's going on?" J.J. demanded.

"That's what I'd like to know!" said one of the guests.

Ryuki, Jen, Craig, Spud, Trixie and Jake were witnessing the strange and horrible sight as well. Ryuki gasped out, "No…"

"Orphenoch…" Craig growled.

The man who the security personnel tried to stop casually walked into the banquet hall and lit up the paper crane he had made before. He dropped the burning Origami bird on the ground before he smirked.

"Show time," he said, right before he changed.

It was the Spider Orphenoch, and he was in the mood to kill.

The guests all screamed, including Ryuki's mother as they tried to escape the homicidal Orphenoch. He grabbed one of the guests by the neck and twisted it, killing him before moving on to the others.

Craig was the first to act, taking out his Deck and yelling out, "EMPOWERMENT OF ARIES! HENSHIN!" he transformed into Zodiac Knight Mortuary and leapt up, aiming a drop kick that sent the Orphenoch smashing into one of the ice sculptures and shattering it. The guests took this as a chance to high-tail it and evacuate the hall.

"Ryuki! Come on!" Jen coaxed him, but the Dragon Knight was still out of it from what he had seen.

"Ryuki! What's going on?" Emiko asked. The other guests had escaped to safety.

Jen answered, "That thing…it's an Orphenoch!"

"An Orphenoch?"

"No time! We got to get out of here!"

"But what about Ryuki?"

The Spider Orphenoch summoned a large spiked chakram and threw it at Mortuary. Mortuary leapt up to dodge, only for the chakram to return and hit him in the back. He hissed in pain before dropping back to the ground and looking up. The chakram was coming back to slice his head off, but luckily a web-line came out from nowhere and snagged the flying weapon in mid-air and stuck it to a wall.

"Hey, this is a no fighting zone!" said a familiar wise-cracking superhero clad in red and blue and stuck, upside down, on the ceiling, "Take it outside!"

"That's Spider-Man, dude!" yelled out Spud.

"Spud, let's go!" Trixie yelled as they ran out the door. "Let Jake and the others handle this!"

"DRAGON UP!" shouted Jake as he assumed dragon form and went into the fight. He blew flames at the Spider Orphenoch, who leapt up to stick to the ceiling and threw webbing at Jake from spinnerets on his wrists. Jake dodged and blew flames at the webbing.

"Okay, there's only room for **one** Spider in this place!" Spider-Man called, angered that his gimmick was stolen, as he swung on a web-line and propel himself at the Spider Orphenoch with his legs extended to kick. The Spider Orphenoch leapt away and landed back on the ground, only to get a struck in the face. Mort was using super fast kicks on the Orphenoch as Jake supported with his claws. Spider-Man joined in with his punches too.

Ryuki was still kneeling near the ashen bodies of the two security personnel. He cupped some of the ashes in his hand and let the ashes spill out of his hand.

"Ryuki!" Jen called him, "Snap out of it! Your friends need you!"

"Ryuki!" Emiko called to her son. "You must stand and fight!"

Ryuki heard a yell as Spider-Man was flung into a table and broke it in half. Jake got stuck to the wall via webbing and Mortuary crashed onto the refreshments table. Looking down at the ashes in his hand and balled his fist.

The Orphenoch was not getting away.

Ryuki took out his deck. "EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON! HENSHIN!" he transformed and went into the fight.

The Orphenoch looked up just in time to see a fist colliding with his face. Another fist collided with his gut and then a roundhouse kick hit him in the head, sending him flying. He summoned another spiked chakram and threw it at Draco. A pink hex, however, hit the chakram and reversed its trajectory. It went back to its owner and the Spider Orphenoch leapt away as not to be impaled by his own weapon, which got stuck to the wall.

Jinx, now dropping her disguise and in her uniform via magic, stood next to her boyfriend. Emiko recorded this from behind a tilted up table. She knew it was dangerous, but she was not going to miss her son and his friends in action.

Draco looked at Mortuary and the Knight of Aries nodded. They drew their respective cards. Spider-Man quipped, "What? Is this a card game or something?"

Jake smirked, finally getting loose from the webbing, "You'll see."

"XL-Vent!" Draco's Excel Suit activated.

"Strike Vent!" The Horned Greaves showed up on Mortuary's boots.

"Woah!" Spider-Man looked surprised.

"Told you," Jake grinned.

"I'm Spider-Man," Spidey introduced himself.

"American Dragon," Jake said, "Nice to meet you. I hope you can keep what you saw a secret."

"Likewise. I understand why a super hero needs to keep his identity a secret."

"If you two have finished making small talk," Jinx said to them, eyes glowing pink, "A LITTLE HELP WOULD BE NICE!" She threw a hex at the Spider Orphenoch and sent him flying.

"Sorry!" they apologized. Jake took to the air and Spider-Man swung into action.

Draco used the enhanced power given to him by the Excel Suit to kick Orphenoch butt. Mortuary was using the Horned Greaves to, literally, kick the Spider Orphenoch around. Sparks flew as the Knights struck the Orphenoch's armored skin. He was also receiving punishment from a dragon's claws, Spider-Man's fists and an acrobatic hex-wielding sorceress.

He activated his hybrid Beast form and sent the heroes flying with his extra spider legs.

"No more Mister-Nice-Orphenoch!" he wheezed. His paper crane had burnt to a crisp and by then he was usually done with his massacre. "And for the record, it's Blood Web!" His bybrid beast form was hideous. His lower body was now replaced by the body of a spider, complete with 4 pairs of long spindly spider legs.

"DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" Mortuary yelled out as he fired two orbs of necroplasmic energy that sent the Spider Orphenoch, Blood Web, smashing through a wall and making a sizable hole in it. When the Spider Orphenoch got back up, Draco was preparing for the final strike. He drew a card and slid it into his gauntlet.

"Final Vent!" Dragonzer appeared, much to Spider-Man's surprise, and flew around the Dragon Knight who was preparing his devastating 'Dragon Combustion Kick'. He leapt up and Dragonzer followed before going into a flying kick that sailed towards Blood Web. His extended right foot burst into flames as he was rocketed forwards by Dragonzer's flame.

The Spider Orphenoch, however, was able to dodge the attack much to Draco's surprise. He crashed into the wall with an explosive force. The Spider Orphenoch then saw Mrs. Hasuma hiding under a table. He ran and smashed the other heroes away and made his way towards Draco's mother.

Big mistake.

She screamed.

Draco saw this and his eyes widened and then narrowed with intense rage. With a roar of fury, his armor shattered away only to be immediately replaced by none other than his Ifrit Orphenoch form.

Jake and Spider-Man's eyes widened and, in a flash, the Ifrit Orphenoch ran and tackled the Spider Orphenoch with enough force that would shatter a man's bones. The Spider Orphenoch fell on his 8 legs and looked at Draco with shock. He was also slightly disoriented, but he was still able to say, with immense shock, "You're an Orphenoch too!" Emiko's eyes widened as she continued to record all this. Her son…was a monster!

Draco let out a roar and unleashes his long claws. Running at the now shocked Blood Web, he slashed down with his claws. His claws sliced through Blood Web like a hot knife through butter. Blue flames spewed out of the Spider Orphenoch's body as the other heroes watched while the creature disintegrated into a pile of ashes.

They watched, stunned, in fear of what would happen next. Draco turned to look at them and slowly shifted back to human form, falling onto his knees. Jinx rushed towards him and kneeled next to him, hand on his back. "Baby?" she asked cautiously and then grew more concerned as tears fell from his eyes.

Emiko got out from her hiding place. Ryuki turned his gaze away from his mother. He could not face her now that she knew he was a monster…a freak…a murderer... She would disown him and…

…He felt a soft embrace encircle him and he looked to see, not Jinx, but his mother holding him as if he were a small child. She ran her hands through his hair, cooing, "It's okay, Ryuki. It's okay. Okaasan is here," she cooed and whispered.

"O…Okaasan…" he sobbed. "Gomen…Gomenasai…"

"It's okay…Hush now, you need your rest."

Emotionally and physically drained, Ryuki fell asleep in his mother's arms. She smiled sadly. What had happened to her son?

* * *

The police came, finally, and Spider-Man had to make his getaway. However, Emiko promised to put in a good word for the wall-crawler and he felt grateful. Of course, he knew that Jameson would try to pin this all on him; he always did. Jinx gave Spider-Man a T-Com, just in case he needed help from the Teen Titans. He had helped them so he deserved to be an honorary Titan. He thanked her and swung away, disappearing into the night. Jake, Spud and Trixie were given the 411 on the situation, including Draco's shocking transformation.

The limousine came and the bodyguards who were driving it carried the sleeping Ryuki into it, followed by Jen, Craig, Jake, Spud, Trixie and Ryuki's mother. They stopped at Jake's grandfather's shop to pick up Brimstone, who Emiko thought was adorable even if it was strange for her son to have a dog since he knew him to be more of a cat person. They also dropped Jake and his friends off at their homes since they were on the way to where they were going.

In the limo, Emiko Narukawa Hasuma put on a stern face with her arms folded and asked, "Can you tell me what's been going on?" This question was directed more towards Craig than anyone else. There was something off about Craig. The way he was staring at her son was…unnerving, like murderous intent. She shook her head. She did not need to get herself distracted while getting answers.

Jen, to Emiko's surprise and relief, was the one who answered. It was a pretty long story and took up most of the trip back to the hotel Mrs. Hasuma was staying at. Mrs. Hasuma nodded, understanding her son's plight. She was also shocked to hear that her son had a very limited lifespan due to his transformation. This was all too familiar to her.

"I see." By the time they arrived at the hotel, Mrs. Hasuma said to Jen, "I know someone who can help. You can go see him tomorrow."

"Who?" Jen asked hopefully.

"An old friend," Mrs. Hasuma said, "But first, let's get Ryuki into a bed. He needs to rest for tomorrow."

"Yes," Jen agreed, running her hand through her boyfriend's hair. Brimstone licked his master's face. Craig muttered something unintelligible.

One of the bodyguards, despite being a woman, was able to carry Ryuki on her own. They went up the elevator and then headed to one of the suites Mrs. Hasuma was staying in. The room was lavish and expensive looking. Jen looked amazed and Craig looked impassive. He had seen rooms like these so many times in his past.

The bodyguard carried Ryuki into a room and placed him on a bed after Mrs. Hasuma pulled away the covers. The bodyguard placed the sleeping Dragon Knight on it and took off his shoes before Mrs. Hasuma tucked her son in. She knew he was a teenager, but he would always be her little baby boy. She kissed her son on the forehead and whispered tenderly, "Oyasumi…Ryu-chan." She turned to Jen who was standing at the door. "He needs you right now," she said. After Mrs. Hasuma said goodnight to Jen, the hex caster walked into the room and kicked off her shoes. She went under the covers and snuggled up to Ryuki. Brimstone leapt onto the covers and curled himself up to sleep.

Craig lay on the couch after kicking off his shoes. After giving the door to Ryuki's room one last narrow eyed glance, he closed his eyes to sleep.

Mrs. Hasuma took out a cell phone and made a call, "Hello? Charles? This is Emiko. Can my son come over to the Institute tomorrow? I need…He needs your help."

To Be Continued…


	30. PT030: Bayville

Part 30: Bayville

(Bayville, New York)

Now if one would say that Bayville was a nice and quiet little town…someone had mistaken it for somewhere in the Midwest.

The people that lived not too far from the Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters knew of the school's true nature, as did the rest of the world. It was out there far enough from the public eye but no one had expected of its true nature of being a haven for an evolution of humans called Mutants. However, the truth was revealed a while back during the whole "Sentinel" incident on TV.

The two motorcycles pulled up in front of the large mansion before Ryuki took off his helmet and dismounted from his bike, carrying the backpack that held Brimstone inside. His friends, Craig, Jinx and Jake, watched as he slowly walked up the steps towards the door.

Ryuki pressed the doorbell and seconds later a beautiful African American woman with long white hair answered, "Who is it?" she asked.

"Monroe-sensei?" Ryuki said to her, smiling slightly. "It's been a long time. Konichiwa. Hajimemashite?" he greeted her politely in Japanese.

"Ryuki?" Ororo a.k.a. Storm gasped. "Is that you?" he nodded.

"Hai. Is Xavier-sensei around? I'd like to talk to him," Ryuki said to her. Ororo realized something was wrong. Even though she wasn't psychic, she knew something was up with Ryuki.

"I'll go get him. Please, come inside. Your friends too," she said.

"Thank you," Jen nodded.

"Thanks," Craig added.

"Thanks a bunch," Jake said.

Ororo led the 4 friends into the living room. They saw a few of the students there hanging out. Ororo asked them to leave and they did. The Titans and Smart Brain Operative sat down on the couch as Ororo left them.

"Swank place, yo," Jake whistled.

"I've heard of this place," Jen admired. "Isn't this the Xavier Institute for the Gifted, the place the X-Men live?" she had watched the news and how mutants were exposed. She never knew mutants existed until then. She knew that people with powers existed, of course, but mutants were different from aliens and metahumans since they had the X-Gene. This institute was no different from the HIVE Academy, except that it trained heroes and not villains.

"You've been here before, haven't you?" Craig asked Ryuki and he nodded.

Ryuki explained, "It was about a few years ago after my Okaasan found out about me being a Zodiac Knight. She immediately brought me here to meet with Xavier-sensei about my mysterious powers. That was before the exposure of mutants, of course. I learnt how to hone my powers as well as improve my fighting abilities. I also come here for counseling. The last time was..." he trailed off, remembering how he felt when Tazuka had died.

A bald man in a wheelchair wheeled in, followed by Ororo. Upon seeing Ryuki, he smiled, "Ah, Ryuki. It's been a long time. How have you been?"

"Not so good, sensei," Ryuki replied. "Something happened." he then asked, "Is my room still..."

"Your room is as you've left it," Professor Xavier said kindly.

"Arigato, sensei." Ryuki got up and made his way towards the room without another word.

"Oh dear," he then took notice of the three left in the room with him aside from Ororo. "And you must be Ryuki's friends. I am Prof. Charles Xavier."

"I'm Jennifer Wilcox, Ryuki's girlfriend. Call me Jen"

"I'm Craig Smith."

"I'm his best bud, call me Jake Long."

"No doubt that Ryuki has gone through something traumatizing. Please, could you tell me? I prefer not to read your minds though," Xavier said to them. His institute was worldly known as a school for mutants, so he didn't mind telling them he was a mutant.

"Should we?" Jen asked.

"It's in Leo's best interest," said Craig as he used Ryuki's nickname. "He needs help, so we have to do our part."

Jen sighed and said to the professor, "Alright, it's like this," she told Professor Xavier everything, from the very beginning.

* * *

Ryuki was in his room, sitting on his bed. Brimstone lay at his feet, looking worried. He jumped onto the bed and looked at his master. Ryuki brought up a hand to stroke Brimstone's head. 

The room was just like how he remembered it. There were posters of martial arts movies as well as a drum set at the corner. He, however, was in no mood to play.

The moment played out in his mind like a tape that had been rewound over and over. He had let his rage take over and killed the Spider Orphenoch. It may have been a monster, but a monster that was once human.

"I am...a monster..." he began crying, placing his face in his hands.

Of course, Logan walked by his door and heard him. He said, "The kid's a mess."

* * *

"I see," the Professor said as he looked thoughtful. "I understand." 

"Can you help him?" Jen asked.

"Charles can help Ryuki the best that he can with his problem, but Ryuki needs to do the healing on his own," Ororo answered.

"Thank you," Jen smiled.

"By the way, I want you and Ryuki to meet some of our students while you're here. So you better get yourselves cleaned up and dressed. Call Ryuki, if he is able to come, of course," Xavier said

"Sure," Craig said.

"No problem," Jake smiled.

"I'll do that now," Jen volunteered.

* * *

It was easy to find Ryuki's room; his was the one with the big red dragon sign. She also heard some soft drumming from the inside. She turned the knob and opened the door slowly. She peaked through the crack and saw her boyfriend crying at his drums, gripping the drumsticks tightly. Her heart began to break, seeing him like this. She knew Ryuki had issues, but she didn't know how much. Regardless, she was going to help him out of his funk. 

"You can come in, Jinxy-chan. The door's open," he said. Jinx cursed herself, forgetting that he had sharper senses now. She slowly walked into the room and Brimstone welcomed her with a bark. She smiled before walking over to the bed and sitting on it, followed by Ryuki. Brimstone jumped off the bed to let them have the space.

"You okay?" she asked. A stupid question, but she had to say it.

"I guess," he answered. "It's just..." she used a finger to wipe his tears away.

"You can talk to me, Ryuki..." she coaxed, softly, running her fingers through his auburn hair. He had undid the braid and left his hair a long spiky mess.

"It's just that, a hero is all I've ever wanted to be, you know?" he told her. She nodded in understanding. "My Okaasan always told me about the Kamen Riders and how they fought for truth and justice as well as for the world. Growing up my whole life, they were my idols." he looked at his hands, "But now...Can I still be called a hero?"

"You are..."

"I'm not," he protested. "How can I be when there's a monster inside me? How can I be a hero that protects people when I can't even protect myself?" He clenched his fists. "How...?"

She cooed and leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked over at her, "Jinxy-chan?"

"You're not a monster," she said. "You're not a monster," she repeated and explained, "A monster enjoys destruction and feels no remorse. A monster kills without mercy. A monster is NOT what you are, Ryuki." she then pressed her lips to his for a second. "Believe me, you're not a monster."

"Arigatou, Jinxy-chan," he said to her.

"So, you know the X-Men, huh?" she asked.

"Like I said, I came here when I was younger," he answered. "I still don't get why people still hate them. I mean, they saved the world from Apocalypse." He saw the News Shows and how the X-Men and their allies defeated the ancient and powerful mutant.

"That's just how the world is. It's a messed up place. That's why it still needs heroes."

Ryuki sighed and then Jinx continued, "By the way, Professor Xavier wants you to go outside and meet some of the students."

"Sure, Jinx." he then began to fix his hair, tying it into a braid, but with little success.

"Here, let me," she offered as she redid his braid. "There, finish."

"Arigatou," he smiled at her. "Let's go then."

With that, the two Titans left the room, leaving Brimstone to jump onto the bed and sleep.

* * *

Assembled in the lobby were the members of the X-Men. There was Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler who possessed a physical mutation that made him look like a blue demon and had the power to teleport, Scott Summers/Cyclops (not to be confused with the Immortal sorcery of the same name) who could fire solar concussion blasts out of his eyes, but needed to wear special sunglasses and a visor, Jean Grey who possessed Telepathic and Telekinetic abilities, Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat who could phase through solid matter, Rogue who had the ability to absorb energy at the mere touch of her skin, Logan/Wolverine who had a healing factor, enhanced smell and an adamantium skeleton which included a set of sharp claws, Ororo Monroe/Storm who could control and manipulate the weather, and Hank McCoy/Beast who had a physical mutation that made him look like a large blue ape with enhanced strength and agility. With them were the New Mutants named Tabitha Smith/Boom-Boom, Amara Aquilla/Magma, Sam Guthrie/Cannonbal, Ray Crisp/Berserker, Roberto Da Costa/Sunspot, Jamie Madrox/Multiple and Bobby Drake/Iceman. There were other members (Rahne Sinclair and Jubilation Lee), but they were taken away by their parents/guardians after the day mutants were exposed. However, they returned to the Institute after the Apocalypse Incident. Rahne's codename was Wolfsbane and Jubilation's was Jubilee. New members/students included one Danielle Moonstar/Mirage, Piotr Rasputin/Colossus who was once one of Magneto's Acolytes, Laura Logan/X-23 who was Logan's female and younger clone/daughter and Keith Lockheart/Alchemist. 

They were all in the lobby, waiting since the Professor had called them. Ororo and Logan knew what was going on, but none of the students did.

"What's going on, Professor?" asked Jean.

"That's what I'd like to know too," Kitty added. Everyone else had similar questions too.

"Everyone, settle down," Xavier said and they went silent somewhat. "Now, the reason I had called you here is because we have some very special guests here tonight. Therefore, tonight we will have a special dinner to welcome them." A lot of the younger students cheered. "Anyway, I would like to introduce you too Mr. Ryuki Leonard Hasuma."

Scott and Jean remembered Ryuki well, but none of the other students did. Tabitha began thinking, _'Hasuma? Where have I heard that name before?_'

Ryuki walked down the stairs and gulped as he saw all the people. Jen gave his hand a reassuring squeeze that everything would be alright. Taking in a deep breath and prayer, he walked down the steps towards the lobby. Craig and Jake had arrived at the lobby too and smiled. The other students noticed Jake and Craig and wanted to know who they were.

"Konichiwa," Ryuki greeted in Japanese, "I mean…Hi," he corrected himself.

"These are his friends, Jennifer Wilcox, Craig Smith and Jake Long," Xavier furthered explained.

"What up?" Jake grinned.

"Hi," Craig said grumpily.

"Hello," Jen greeted.

"Leo! Hey! It's been awhile!" Scott said to the young Dragon Knight.

"Hai. Long time no see Scott-san," Ryuki said to the red shaded man. "It is also good to see you too, Jean-san."

"It's good to see you too. How have you been?" Jean asked. For some reason, she could feel that something was amiss.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Ryuki said, smiling weakly. "Just tired, that's all."

"Professor, who are they and why do Jean and Scott know Ryuki?" Kitty asked.

"Ryuki once came here for counseling about 3 years ago when his powers first manifested," Xavier explained. "However, he is not a mutant since he does not possess an X-Gene. His powers came from…other sources."

"Other sources?" Kurt asked, his voice thick with his accent. He was wearing an image inducer, but seeing that Ryuki wasn't freaked out by Beast's appearance switched it off.

"I'll explain later. Right now, you may get to know our guests."

"Can I help during dinner?" Ryuki volunteered. "I can make my famous Curry Surprise."

Scoot and Jean paled and gulped. They remembered very well what had happened the LAST time they had Ryuki's 'Curry Surprise'.

"Maybe later, Ryuki," Ororo said politely, not wanting a repeat of that incident.

"Okay," Ryuki smiled.

Xavier thought, '_At least he's recovering a little bit._' Craig, Jen and Jake had told him of his predicament and wished to help. So far, only the students didn't know what was going on. Xavier shook his head. It was unwise to reveal that just yet.

"Check it, ladies!" Jake smiled cockily. "The AmDrag of the NYC has come to play!" he then said, "DRAGON UP!" and morphed into his dragon form, much to the surprise of the mutants.

"Are you a mutant too?" Kurt asked.

"He's a dragon," Craig answered for him.

"No way!" Bobby didn't believe it. "There are no such things as dragons!"

"Then what do you call THIS?" Jake spread out his wings and flew around near the ceiling.

Ryuki shouted, "Jake! Stop flying around! We don't want you to break something!"

Jake landed and reverted back to human form, "Sorry bro. My bad."

Brimstone padded down the stairs and then leapt into its master's awaiting arms. This got a few squeals from the girls. Since Brimstone had a special collar on, he looked like a Doberman puppy.

"What a cutie!" Tabitha smiled. "Is he yours?"

"Hai," Ryuki answered as he rubbed Brimstone's head. "He's called Brimstone."

"Why Brimstone?" asked Amara.

"It's a long story," Ryuki said to her. Jen was starting to get jealous as some of the girls were getting a bit too chummy with her boyfriend.

"Jealous much?" asked Rogue, her voice thick with a Southern accent. She was a Goth, like Jinx. "Nice threads," she complimented on Jen's clothes.

"Yeah, you too," Jen complimented back.

"So, you got any powers?"

Jen grinned and her eyes glowed pink, "You'll see..."

"So, how do you guys, like, know this guy?" Kitty asked both Jean and Scott, referring to Ryuki.

"Like the Professor said, he came by about 3 years ago to help control his powers," Jean said. "It was before we began recruiting Kurt and you, so you never met him."

"He also came by a few months ago," Scott added, "But that was when you were all at school. You couldn't meet him since he left early."

"What did the Professor mean by counseling?" Kurt asked.

Scott answered, "You'll see." He didn't want to say too much. At least, not yet.

Craig was leaning against the wall, bored. Bobby decided to play a trick on him and fired him with a cold breeze. Craig became startled and whipped out his Death Buster gun and pointed it at Bobby. This caused everyone to go silent upon seeing the weapon. Craig apologized weakly, "Sorry, my mistake."

"You got a gun!" Logan exclaimed, claws out.

"It's for protection!" Craig defended.

"Sure it is," Logan retorted sarcastically, "And I only use **these** for dinner!"

"You should've left it in your bag, Craig dude," Jake reminded.

"I said I was sorry," he put it back in its holster.

"Don't mind Craig," Ryuki said to the others. "The thing isn't loaded." He turned to Craig and asked with narrowed eyes, "_Right_ Craig?"

"Yeah, sure," Craig muttered.

* * *

Later, after their introductions, Ryuki, Jake, Craig and Jen were gonna show the X-Men what they could do in the Danger Room. Or to be more precise, Draco, the American Dragon, Mortuary and Jinx were gonna show them what they could do in the Danger Room. Upon seeing them in uniform, the X-Men finally recognized who they were. 

"YOU'RE THE TEEN TITANS!" Jamie, or Jamies, yelled out.

Most of the other's reactions mirrored the young Multiple's

"Yeah, we are," Ryuki, now Draco, said. "We're members of the Teen Titans." Jinx smiled and Mortuary just shrugged. Jake was with them too, clad in his Smart Brain Operative uniform.

The 3 Titans and 1 Smart Brain Operative went into the large empty steel walled room. The X-Men, New Mutants, the Professor and the Instructors were up in the control room.

"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" Jake shouted.

The simulation started and Jake morphed to dragon form. Draco took commanding lead and shouted, "Let's show them how Titans do it!" He mimicked Robin's battlecry, "TITANS! GO!"

They went into action.

Jinx used her hexes and incapacitated the buzz-saws. A few laser rifles fired at her, but she gracefully somersaulted away. Mortuary took this as his chance to show off and fired green necroplasmic energy at the guns. Jinx followed up with a hex wave that destroyed some more of the weapons.

Draco was doing battle with the flamethrowers. They spewed fire at him, but he easily used his pyrokinesis, but he preferred to call it firebending, to manipulate the flames harmlessly away from him. He then destroyed the flamethrowers with their own flames, blowing them up.

Jake avoided some medicine balls that were fired at him. He flew through the air, dodging. He did a nosedive and used his claws to sever the machine to pieces with one swift slash.

Suddenly, a section of the wall opened and out came a GIANT spiked ball. Draco smirked. "Okay! Jinx! Mort! Like we practiced!" He outstretched his hands. "HEX NECROFREEZE!" Draco fired an ice beam, which froze the ball. Jinx and Mortuary then followed up with their hexes and necroplasm, respectively. The powers hit and shattered the frozen ball to pieces.

Jake hollered, "Can I hear a whoop whoop! Holla!"

The people watching dropped their jaws.

"Woah…" Tabitha whistled.

"Impressive," Xavier smiled.

"He can shoot ice!" Bobby shouted, referring to Draco.

"And fire!" Amara added, hearts forming in her eyes. She was in love.

* * *

Later…again… 

Ryuki was walking down the hallways after attaining a small carton of milk from the fridge. Jen, Jake and Craig were mingling with the other students. Brimstone, the Kaiser puppy that was disguised as a Doberman puppy followed after Ryuki obediently. Ryuki sipped the milk through a straw and would often pour some into his hand before kneeling down and sharing it with Brimstone.

Amara was at a corner, waiting for Ryuki. As a princess of her kingdom of Nova Roma, Amara was royalty. However, it didn't mean she couldn't have fun and nor was she required to marry royalty. She knew Ryuki was dating Jen, but she couldn't help but have a crush on the auburn haired Titan. With her was Tabitha, her best friend. Amara had confided in Tabitha and the girl further encouraged Amara to go talk to her latest crush. Taking in a deep breath, Amara walked out of the corner and waved.

"Hi, Leo," she greeted.

Ryuki smiled, "Konichiwa. Amara, right?"

"Yes," Amara smiled, her cheeks reddening. "I saw you in the Danger Room. That was amazing!" she said to him.

"Arigatou," Ryuki bowed his head politely. "I saw you as well with the other New Mutants. You were great too."

Amara blushed at the compliment. Brimstone tilted his head and walked over to Amara before sniffing her. He sat down and barked happily, wagging his tail.

"How cute!" she picked up Brimstone and the little puppy didn't protest.

"Thanks. His name's Brimstone, by the way."

"Why Brimstone?" she asked.

Ryuki thought, _'If I told you, I doubt you'd believe me.' _"The name just popped up in my head," he told her, not revealing the truth about Brimstone being a demon dog known as a Kaiser.

"Okay." Brimstone licked her face and she giggled. "Aw, that tickles." She hugged the little puppy, "And so soft!"

Amara put down Brimstone and he walked back to Ryuki, who picked him up. Amara then asked, "Are you doing anything? Later, I mean?" she stuttered, "B-because there's something I want to pick up in town and Scott and Jean are out. I need a ride."

"I have my bike," Ryuki offered. "Maybe we could ride there."

Amara smiled, "Thank you!" she beamed.

"You're welcome, Amara-chan," he said to he before walking off and past Tabitha. Tabitha smiled widely and went to her friend.

"It seems you got a hot date, literally!" Tabitha said to her friend.

"I know!" Amara said excitedly, but then remembered Jen. "But what about his girlfriend? She'd hex me if she found out."

Tabitha waved it off. "Relax. As far as Leo is concerned, he's doing you a friendly favor."

Jubilee suddenly ran towards them, waving her arms wildly, "GUYS! Leo is training out in the yard." She added, squealing, "SHIRTLESS!"

"LET'S GO!"

* * *

Ryuki was out doing his katas in the yard, wearing only a pair of drawstring pants and no shoes. His hair had been pulled into a tighter braid and he was wearing wristbands. He was doing a slow practice kata as the girls watched him move gracefully. He was oblivious to their attention. Jen was there too. 

"Oh wow!" Amara drooled, "Look at those muscles!"

Tabitha agreed, "I'll say!" she had a camera and taking snapshots for her collection.

Jen smirked proudly, "Back off girl." She hissed, "He's **mine**."

Ryuki then stood still and began to display a different form of fighting. He did swift and fast punches and kicks, generating fire as he did from his fists and feet. This wowed the girls some more when the fire formed into a dragon. After that he displayed strong punches and kicks, levitating the earth itself and manipulating it in sync with his movements.

"Wow, that's totally like Lance's power," Kitty admired.

"But more refined," Rogue said. "Look at his moves."

"I'm looking at his pecks!" Tabitha grinned. "And buns!" Jen scowled. She knew Ryuki wasn't showing off, but was slightly irked and jealous of the other girls' reactions and attention towards Ryuki's training. Laura rolled her eyes.

"I don't understand why we're ogling at him," Laura said dryly.

"Why are you here then?" Danielle asked.

"I wish to admire his training method. It seems interesting."

"Ryuki is doing something he likes to call 'Bending'," Jen explained to them. "He calls these **Firebending** and **Earthbending**. He's been practicing his powers with these two arts to better use and amplify their effects."

"Eartbending? Firebending?" Jean asked. Yes, she was there too. "Why name them those? Why not pyrokinesis and geokinesis?"

Jen answered, "To be honest, Ryuki can't really pronounce those words that well. He can say them, but not correctly. Besides, he says they sound like an illness or psychosis or something and he prefers the term 'bending' anyway. In a way, it's accurate as he is technically bending the elements to his whim." She saw Ryuki using his ice powers this time. "Like now." And then combining it with his fire powers so he was now moving water to form a dragon around himself. "That's **Waterbending**, girls," Jen explained as he moved in fluid motion, allowing the water to move gracefully around him. He then finished off and a rainbow formed over him. The girls sighed.

"He's quite the catch, isn't he?" Rahne said to Jen with a thick Scottish accent. Jen smiled.

"He's a good man, I can tell," said Danielle.

"And really damn hot!" Tabitha added.

* * *

Ryuki had a clean shirt on and was drying his hair. He met up with Craig and Jake. 

"It seemed that you made quite an impression on the girls, my friend," Craig said to Ryuki.

"What do you mean?" Ryuki asked, not getting it.

Jake added, grinning, "He means that you're a player, bro!"

"A player?" Ryuki blinked.

Craig shook his head, "Never mind."

Ryuki then remembered, "Oh. Amara asked me if I could take her out to town. She wants to pick up something at a shop or something."

Jake raised an eyebrow, "Bro? Is that really a good idea? What about Jinx?"

"I'll tell her first so she knows where I am. Relax, it's no big deal."

Craig muttered, "Dead man walking."

"I heard that," Ryuki interrupted, pointing to his ears. "And it's not like Jinx to be jealous. She knows I love her."

"Whatever you say, bro," Jake said with a snicker.

* * *

To say Jen was jealous was an understatement. Her pink eyes were glowing so brightly and she looked ready to hex the next person who said a word to her. 

A few minutes ago, Ryuki had asked her permission to take Amara out on a bike ride. Jen, however, had heard some of the girls gossiping that Amara had a crush on the Dragon Knight and she (Jen) was not pleased. She did feel touched that Ryuki would ask her permission, even if he didn't have to. But, she remembered that he had been brought up to be a polite individual, Yaminekoryu and Ifrit's influences aside. This, unfortunately, did not fix her current mood. The kiss he gave her when she gave her permission did help a little, but she was still slightly ticked.

Maybe a run in the Danger Room again might help.

* * *

Taking Amara out for a ride was anything but pleasant for Ryuki, nor was taking her to the bookstore she wanted to go. They were getting dirty looks from the pedestrians and customers who knew Amara was a mutant since she went to the institute and they immediately concluded that he was a mutant too, despite not having enough evidence. They kept their distance and muttered obscenities. 

Ryuki sighed to himself. He hated racism, xenophobia and bigotry. They all meant the same thing, but they were all very stupid concepts to Ryuki. In his mind, if you go down to basics, everyone was human. Sure there were aliens up and about, but deep down everyone was the same. Unfortunately, not everyone had the same thoughts. To accept mutants were humans was blasphemous. He had watched those conferences on TV where Graydon Creed condemned mutants as filth and that Reverend William Stryker calling mutants 'Demons'. Ryuki couldn't help but laugh. He knew demons, he was friends with some of them and had a pet demon dog, and mutants weren't demons.

Unfortunately, that didn't mean squat to bigots. They all ran on hatred. He had heard Ichijyo telling him that humans were all cowards and fueled by nothing but hatred. He had said, and quote, "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." He had heard Yoda from Star Wars Episode 1 quote the same thing and it made sense. Nearly everyone on the planet was afraid of those with super powers. He was lucky to still have a family since he also knew that some families disowned their children once finding out they were mutants.

Maybe defeating Apocalypse was a good and a bad thing. It only proved that mutants were more powerful than humans and that scared them. He was also afraid that those Sentinel things would show up again.

It was rather ironic that normal humans thought mutants were monsters. They seemed to have forgotten that some of the worst people in history were humans themselves. Adolf Hitler, Genghis Khan, Jack the Ripper and who knows how many conquerors and murderers were actually humans who fell to the darkness.

He looked into the blue sky. At least he had to remember that there were those who still had good in them. Only a small percentage of humanity, according to his friend Yuusuke, was evil. He thanked Kami for that.

Amara got her books and met Ryuki outside. She even said, "Thank goodness you didn't meet the jocks. They're jerks." Ryuki nodded in agreement.

"Where to?" he asked.

"The flower shop up ahead. The old lady there is sweet and doesn't hate mutants."

Ryuki smiled. Maybe there was hope yet for peace among mutants and humans…

But what about him? He was neither.

* * *

Later, at Dinner Time… 

The front doors suddenly swung open. In came a young man with shoulder length brown hair, a black shirt, brown vest, jeans torn in the knees and black fingerless gloves. With him was a VERY large man with a blonde Mohawk, a slim man with silvery hair, a woman in red with short black and red hair and a scrawny little kid with almost greenish pale skin, yellowing eyes and dirty blonde hair with a stance like a frog's. These were members of the Brotherhood, rivals of the X-Men. With them, of course, was a tall man with orangish red hair. They were named Lance Alvers/Avalance, Fred Dukes/The Blob, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch, Todd Tolensky/Toad and St. John Allerdyce/Pyro.

"BROTHERHOOD IS IN THE HOUSE, YO!" Todd yelled out as he hopped in, followed by the others.

"Alvers! What are you hoods doing here?" Scott demanded.

"We came to party, Summers. Word on the street is that you're gonna have a welcoming dinner or something," Lance said to him.

"You're not welcomed and who told you?" Scott asked and then saw Tabitha waving weakly and nervously, chuckling. "Boom-Boom…"

"Hey, I may be back in Xavier's, but I was Brotherhood babe for a time too, y'know?" she reminded. She was holding Brimstone and the pup loved the attention

Scott groaned and glared at Lance. Ryuki decided to get in between them before any fights broke out. He introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, but my friends call me Leo. Welcome," he extended a hand in greeting and frienship, surprising Lance. Of course, the one to surprise him was none other than Pietro himself.

"Hi, call me Pietro! Also known as Quicksilver! I'm the GREAT leader of the Brotherhood and I'm glad that you feel honored to meet me!" he quickly shook hands with Ryuki. Ryuki had a bemused expression on his face.

Ryuki said to Lance, "Did he just have a whole lot of sugar and coffee or is he ALWAYS like this?"

"Both," Lance answered, deadpan. He smiled, "I'm Lance, by the way."

Ryuki smiled and then bowed respectively, surprising the Brotherhood even more. "I welcome you to the dinner in my honor. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

"Where's the grub?" Fred asked, patting his belly. "I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry, Freddy," Todd reminded his large friend. He hopped over to Ryuki. "So, you the new X-Geek?"

"X…Geek?" Ryuki looked puzzled.

"Sorry, my bad, yo," Todd smiled. "Name's Todd Tolensky, but everyone here calls me Toad."

"It is nice to meet you, Todd-san."

"Leo, can I talk to you?" Scott said before pulling Ryuki away. He then asked, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Inviting them to dinner?" Ryuki answered with a hint of confusion.

"Ryuki! They're the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants who work for Magneto! You know who Magneto is?"

Ryuki blinked and answered simply, "He's Xavier-sensei's friend and he's reformed now."

"A leopard never changes its spots," Scott scoffed. "They're hoods and always will be hoods."

Ryuki narrowed his eyes at Scott, "People can change, Scott-san; even more so than others. It's not what they did in the past that matters, but what they do in the present that counts," Ryuki said sagely.

"Do you know what they did?" Scott said, a little bit angry that Ryuki was defending the Brotherhood.

"No, and it's not important anymore. They haven't done anything to make me dislike or distrust them. I like to get to know people before I make my judgment, Scott-san and despite what they've done I bet they still have some redeeming qualities," Ryuki replied to Scott. He then added, "Besides, everyone deserves a second chance," before leaving him speechless.

All the X-Men and New Mutants were silent as Ryuki mingled with the Brotherhood and loving it. Scott wanted to say something, but was stopped by Jean. He said, "Jean, the Brotherhood is bad news. Now that they have Pyro, who knows what could happen. We can't let Leo…"

"Calm down, Scott. You know Leo's only being nice," she said.

"But does he **really** have to be nice to **them**?"

Ororo stepped out of the kitchen and saw, to her horror, the Brotherhood. Most importantly, she was looking at Fred. "We need more food," she muttered as she went back into the kitchen.

Ryuki noticed this and said, "I think Monroe-sensei needs me. I hope that you stay for dinner."

"Yeah, thanks," Lance said as Ryuki left, followed by Jen. Lance said to Scott, "You know, Summers. I like that kid. He's not as stuck up as the rest of you losers." He added, "Except for you, Kitty."

Wanda noticed the puppy in Tabitha's arms. Tabitha explained, "This is Leo's dog. Isn't he cute?"

"Yes, I guess," Wanda said as she pet the puppy's head, not knowing or suspecting of his true nature. The pup growled contently.

Craig rolled his eyes and muttered, "I have a strange feeling that something bad is gonna happen really soon."

The Brotherhood stayed for dinner and to everyone's surprise (not to mention relief) no fights broke out between the two mutant groups. They was almost a food fight though, but Ryuki put his foot down firmly that he did not want any food to be wasted, especially HIS food; most of the others found out WHY Draco called it his 'Curry Surprise'. They had to drink A LOT of ice water even after a spoonful of that strong stuff. Fred, however, enjoyed it and asked for the recipe and Ryuki happily shared it with him, shocking the teams even more. Some of them felt a little sick after dinner, possibly due to Ryuki's Dragon Fire Chili and Curry Surprise. They were recovering, slowly, of course. The meal had been good, but the after effects were none too pleasant.

Ryuki was in an animated discussion with Pyro. Pyro was taking notes. Ryuki finished, "And that's how you make a fire that can't be put out that easily."

"Crikey mate!" Pyro said gleefully as he jotted down what Ryuki's had said, "You're a genius! I never could've thought of that!"

"Arigatou, Pyro-san," Ryuki smiled.

"This curry stuff is great, not to mention the chili," Fred said between mouthfuls. "How'd you make it?"

"I'll be happy to share the recipe with you, Fred-san."

"Say, Leo, right?" Todd began and Ryuki nodded. "Are you…?"

"A mutant?" Ryuki supplied. Todd nodded, but Ryuki shook his head. "No, I'm not. I have powers, but not because of the X-Gene. I'm an Esper and I inherited my abilities from my family."

"That's cool, yo," Todd said.

"You must be a native of New York, right?"

"Born and bred."

"Jake talks like you too. Of course, I sometimes don't understand a word he says."

"Hey!" Jake exclaimed.

"Gomen, Jake, but it's true!" Ryuki yelled back.

"Hey, Summers. Your new guy ain't so bad," said Lance to Scott.

"Don't even think of trying to recruit him, Alvers," Scott warned. "He's only here for a visit and some counseling."

"Well, at least he ain't as annoying as some of you other X-Geeks," Lance muttered.

Jen and Wanda were talking too, while Pietro tried to flirt, without any success, with Jinx.

"I love that top and necklace," Jen complimented.

"Thanks. I like your hair and eyes," Wanda returned the compliment. "Did you get your hair dyed and contacts?" Wanda asked.

Jen shook her head, "No, this is my natural hair and eye color."

"Nice!"

The Brotherhood left after dinner, leaving the mansion intact, much to the surprise of the X-Men. Many of them were tired and ready for bed. Jake was allowed to stay the night as long as he called his parents (who already knew his secret).

"Why were you being so nice to the Brotherhood?" Scott demanded.

"Scott-san, I've told you before already," Ryuki replied, exasperated.

"But they-"

Ryuki cut him off, "If the circumstances were different and Xavier-sensei never found you, you would've become a member of the Brotherhood yourself."

"That will never happen," Scott said, his eyebrows twitching.

"My friend, Ichijyo, told me that destiny takes many twists and turns that may or may not happen. Who knows what might've been, Scott-san," Ryuki told him. Scott fell silent, thinking. Ryuki was a very empathic person and he was right…even if Scott was too proud to admit it. "Oyasumi, Scott-san."

* * *

Later that night, Craig was in the gym going one on one with a punching bag. Hitting the bag seemed to calm Craig and it also helped his mind wander. He was wearing his kick boxing shorts which were black with white stripes on the side and also had his last name on the sides. He also had his hands and feet in wrapped in bandages. He had been at it for hours and could probably go for a few hours more. Craig had a lot on his mind. One of his thoughts being the attack that led him into his one man war against the Orphenochs. To him that attack seemed more like an elaborate trap. The mission was supposed to be a simple zombie hunt and they were supposed to arrest the amateur voodoo shaman that raised them. When they arrived at the scene, there were no zombies and there was no voodoo shaman, just a surprise attack that the Templars weren't ready for. Every member of Craig's team was killed right in front of him and then the Orphenoch finally came after him, brutally beating him till he almost died. Craig escaped death by jumping off a cliff and, lucky for him, landed in a river. When Craig awoke on the river bank, he gathered enough strength to make it to Dr. West's lab where his mentor was able to bring him back to health. But, when Dr. West examined him, he discovered the Nekronian cancer which was killing Craig to this day. The disease didn't depress Craig one bit; it only motivated him to move faster in his Orphenoch slaying.

Craig then started to think about Ryuki. He was the very thing Craig hated and yet they were friends. This got him to thinking, _'What if he loses it one day? Am I the one who's_ _gonna__ have to put him down?'_ Every time Craig thought of Ryuki's evil side it made him angry. He began kicking the bag harder and harder. In Craig's mind, he suddenly saw the bag as Ryuki's Orphenoch form. Upon seeing this, he let out a fierce roar and kicked the bag so hard that it broke in half. Craig started to breathe harder in anger and was drenched in sweat.

"Looks like we're going to need a new one," said a young female voice which startled Craig till he turned around to see that it was Jean.

"Oh, hey Jean. Sorry about that. Did I wake anyone else?" Craig asked worriedly.

"No, I don't think you did, but if you didn't want to wake anyone else up why didn't you just work out with Leo?"

Craig then pointed to his scar covered chest, "You think any of the girls would want to see this?"

Jean winced at the sight of the grotesque scars, they looked a lot worse up close, "How did you get those?"

"Long story," Craig said running his hand through his pitch black hair, then something he remembered just popped into his head, "You're a telepath right?"

Jean raised an eyebrow, "Why do you ask?"

"I want you to read my mind for me."

Jean tensed up, "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why? Afraid you might find something you like?" Craig asked with a smirk.

"A bit of a hot shot aren't we?" Jean thought about it. "Ok, I'll do it, but what do you want to see?"

Craig became serious, "There's a part of my life that's just a blur. I want to see if you can find the beginning or anything close to it."

Jean simply nodded and then placed her hands on the sides of Craig's head. She began to concentrate and soon enough the visions started pouring in. She began to see Craig's memories through his eyes. The first thing she saw was water and she was surrounded by glass. She seemed to be in some kind glass cylinder or some kind of large test tube. Through the glass Jean could see several scientists going about their work. This had to be a laboratory of some kind and the next thing she noticed was a computer screen that had the words "Project Xell #6: Complete" flashing. The next vision she had might have been a year or so later. She was in a normal looking bedroom. In this vision she finally got to see what Craig looked like as a child because he was looking through a mirror. He looked almost exactly the same except that he was younger and his hair was shorter and really messy. A young woman came though the bedroom door. This woman had to have been in her early 20's. She had bright blonde hair and blue eyes. Upon seeing this woman, Craig ran up to her and hugged her before uttering the word, "Mom." The woman then kneeled down and ran her hand through Craig's hair and her eyes started to tear up.

"Mom, why are you crying?" young Craig asked wiping the tears from his mother's eyes.

"Craig, I want to tell you something: I'm not your real mother, but I want you to know that you've always been a real son to me. As you grow I want you to remember something: love everybody that you can and don't let hate guide you." The young woman kissed Craig on the forehead.

"You'll always be my real mom, always," young Craig was starting to tear up as well.

Suddenly, a group of men in suits came into the room and Craig followed them to a car that was waiting outside. As they drove away, Craig's mother simply looked though the front window of the house.

"We'll see each other again. Don't let them change you into a monster," whispered Craig's mother before she started to cry again.

The next vision started with horrified screams as Jean saw the same scientists from the first vision being torn to shreds by giant necroplasmic hands that extended from Craig's arms. She was able to see Craig again as one the windows in the room was very reflective. This time Craig was clad in a black bodysuit with many red wires sticking out of him and his eyes were glowing green with rage.

Jean had to stop there. What she just saw was too horrible to keep going.

"What did you see?" Craig spoke up.

"It's a long story," Jean put it simply.

* * *

Later, when everyone was asleep, Professor Xavier called Ryuki into the Cerebro room to start his counseling. Ryuki had never stepped foot into Cerebro before and was completely amazed and awed.

"Sugoi…" he said in awe. He's seen a lot of the tech in Smart Brain, but nothing he'd seen could be compared to **this**.

"I suggest we start our session here as so no one would eavesdrop," The Professor said to Ryuki as the Dragon Knight took his seat. "Now then, shall we begin?"

Ryuki began his tale, but when his hand landed on a piece of machinery, the Powers of Pisces, activated, letting him see what had been. Just like Smart Brain New York, Cerebro had been broken into. The aura was familiar and Ryuki immediately knew who it was.

"Ryuki?" Xavier asked, worried as Ryuki suddenly went silent.

"Sensei," Ryuki began, "Someone broke in here, right?"

"How did you…?" The Professor asked in surprise.

"Let's just say I've learnt some new tricks," Ryuki grinned slightly and then said, "Whoever broke in here took something and, believe me, it isn't good."

Xavier felt worried.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note: Ryuki's Power of Pisces also give him psychometric powers, which means he can see the memories off objects that he touches. I guess he knows who and is gonna have a conversation with a certain beast within. Also, thanks to Avatar: The Last Airbender for the bending terms Draco uses.

Next, Draco spends a day with the Brotherhood and a whole lot of special guests show up in the next chap!


	31. PT031: Brotherhood

Part 31: Brotherhood

Ryuki had been practicing his meditation like Shadow had suggested. He was so deep in his meditation that he was actually **in** his own mind. He saw several doors which were marked. Some were memories; good and bad, while others were just a few of the many fantasies he had. One door led to a room dedicated to Jinx and only Jinx. He shook his head. He couldn't allow himself to get distracted. Looking ahead, he found the door he was looking for. He reached over and undid the lock before sliding it all the way open. With a scream, he was sucked in by a spiraling vortex.

When he stopped falling, he found himself in a dark cave.

"I've been expecting you, aibou. What took you so long?" asked his spirit guardian, the demon Yaminekoryu.

"Just got a little lost," Draco defended. Yaminekoryu lent a hand and helped Ryuki up. "So, you know why I'm here, right?" Yaminekoryu nodded.

"Your evil side, Ifrit, has been getting a little bit…" Yaminekoryu wasn't sure about the right words to use.

"Bored?" Ryuki supplied.

Yaminekoryu nodded. "I was going to say restless."

"Take me to him."

Yaminekoryu led Ryuki to a cavern. Above the cavern was the mask Ryuki had worn when he was Slade's apprentice. The cavern was closed up by a barred gate, almost like a prison cell or, to be more precise, a cage. Sitting inside the cavern and behind the gate was a boy that looked identical to Ryuki. The only exception was that his hair was black and his eyes were red. He was also dressed in the uniform Ryuki had worn when he worked for Slade as his apprentice. This was Ifrit. The bars of the gate were covered with paper seals to make sure the evil Ifrit would not escape. He also had shackles around his wrists and ankles and chained to the wall. Ifrit noticed the two and grinned, revealing his pearly white canines.

"I see you came to visit." He pouted. "What? No gift?"

"Show some respect!" Yaminekoryu yelled angrily.

"Still sore about the time that I locked you up before I took over? Geez, I thought you got over that." Yaminekoryu was about to retort, but Ryuki stopped him.

"Hello, Ifrit," Ryuki greeted politely, but not pleasantly.

"Hello to you too," Ifrit glared. "What do you want?"

"Back when Slade had me as his apprentice, he told me something. Of course, I forgot what it was. Yaminekoryu doesn't know either, so I think that you do."

"What makes you so sure that I know something?" Ifrit smirked. "I could be as much in the dark as you are. Besides, even if I did know, what makes you think I'll tell you?"

"How about a deal?" Ryuki offered. He gave Ifrit enough freedom to talk to him or appear in his reflection. However, most of Ifrit's true power had been sealed.

"What kind of deal?" Ifrit responded, becoming interested. Ryuki had to offer something really good if he wanted the information he held.

"How about…letting you free," Ryuki said to him.

Yaminekoryu shouted, "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" he added, "Don't you know what he-"

"I do," Ryuki cut him off. "But the Titans need this information. My sister is stealing a lot of powerful technology and this means Slade is planning something. And since I can't just call my oneechan, I have to resort to getting the information from Ifrit." He turned to Ifrit and asked, "So, do we have a deal?"

Ifrit grinned. "Yeah." Ryuki and Ifrit leered at one another before the gate crumbled to dust and the chains broke. Ifrit grinned. "Yes, this is what I'm talking about."

"Now, remember our deal," Ryuki reminded. "What is Slade planning?"

Ifrit smirked and replied, "Okay, here's the lowdown: Slade has been sending your sister to steal stuff for him. The Emperor Belts were stolen by her as were the plans and programming for Cerebro. All I know is that he's planning something big and it's going to cause the balance of power to shift. That's why he's been sending your sis to steal all that stuff."

Ryuki looked worried. "Okay, is that all?"

Ifrit nodded, "Yeah. Sorry that it wasn't enough."

"Actually, that's already enough." Ryuki smiled.

"So, when do I get to take over?" Ifrit asked expectantly. Ryuki shook his head.

"I set you free, but you don't get free reign unless I say so." He then added, "Those shackles you still have on will seal your power, making sure you won't try anything. I don't trust you, even if you are me."

Ifrit frowned as he looked at the shackles, which now looked more like bracelets, "No fair. You tricked me." He then smirked. "Impressive. You're learning well." Ryuki didn't know how to take that statement but smiled nonetheless.

"I better get going. See you both pretty soon." Ryuki waved and faded away. Yaminekoryu and Ifrit glared at one another.

"Enjoy your freedom for as long as you want, Ifrit," Yaminekoryu warned.

"I was going to say the same to you," Ifrit retorted. "You can serve and teach the kid all you want, but sooner or later that power is going to be mine and I'll be the one in charge," Ifrit walked away, wanting to enjoy his freedom, maybe even create a realm or two for himself.

"We shall see," Yaminekoryu swore, glaring at the dark personality's retreating form. "Aibou, I hope you know what you're doing," he said as he looked up into the air. "For all our sakes."

* * *

Today, Xavier was going to make a very drastic decision.

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Scott yelled in disbelief.

"Now Scott," Xavier said in an even and understanding tone, "I know you have reservations about the Brotherhood, but this is for Ryuki's good."

"Professor, with all due respect, the Brotherhood is a bunch of maniacs and lunatics who still work for Magneto. Okay, Magneto is good now, but the Brotherhood is still nuts. Now that they have Pyro…Need I say more?" Scott was still trying to absorb what Ryuki told him last night. I guess it was taking a while to get into his head.

"Which is why I wish to have Ryuki stay with the Brotherhood for one day," Xavier said firmly, remembering back to the dinner the other night. "He seemed to get along quite well with the Brotherhood," Xavier repeated.

"But Professor…" Jean began, but was silenced by Xavier's gaze.

"I know that you feel the Brotherhood is a bad influence, but rest assured that Ryuki will not be influenced. I know Ryuki since he was a child and that he is naturally friendly. He also never starts conflicts unless provoked and despite being a pyrokinetic has yet to be provoked."

The instructors nodded.

"But someone needs to go with him," Logan suggested, "And there's no way it's gonna be me."

Xavier smiled, "I may have someone in mind."

* * *

The Brotherhood House.

Ryuki and Jen arrived in front of the Brotherhood Boarding House where the Brotherhood lived. Honestly, the place looked like a dump.

"What a dump," Jen commented with disdain. I just said that, didn't I?

"It can't be that bad," Ryuki defended. "It's just the outside." The sign of the place was covered in graffiti and the walls looked as if they hadn't been cleaned in month, which was probably true. Brimstone was on a leash that Ryuki was holding so that the disguised Kaiser puppy would not run amok. He learned his lesson the last time that had happened when he left Brimstone with the girls while the guys went camping. By the time they came back, the place looked like what had happened when Silkie had eaten everything, just 3 times as worse. And Craig was not someone who liked Brimstone, so letting him keep an eye on the puppy was not an option, which of course left Ryuki with the responsibility of keeping the demon puppy in check.

(A/N: Okay, I did mention before that Kaizer babies are referred to as cubs. However, the term cub and puppy can be used interchangeably when referring to the young of hell hounds. That is why I may alternate between using the two terms.)

Ryuki walked towards the door and opened it. He and Jen suddenly ducked when an axe came hurdling towards his head and stuck on a tree. "YIKES! What in Kami-sama's name is going on?"

"COME BACK HERE PIETRO!" yelled Wanda.

"CAN'T CATCH ME SIS!" Pietro hollered as he ran out the door at lightning speed. Wanda was chasing after her brother with murder in her eyes as she had her hex-bolts charged. Ryuki and Jen were stunned.

"Okay…" Jen said. Lance and Todd came to the door.

"Sorry about that, yo," Todd apologized.

"That's okay," Ryuki smiled, "I mean the axe **did** miss my head," he joked.

"After it nearly chopped it off," Jen grumbled.

"I still think that we have WAY too many sharp objects in the house," Lance said. He then yelled, "PYRO! DO NOT SET FIRE TO THE CURTAINS!"

"But they're so flammable!" Pyro whined back. "Please…?"

Lance walked into the house, "Put that lighter down right now or so help me I'll…"

"Is this normal?" Ryuki asked, blinking a bit.

"Everyday, yo," Todd nodded. "Anyway, before Quickie and Cuddle-bumps come back, let me give you the grand tour of the Brotherhood house." He noticed Brimstone. "Hey, what a cute little puppy." He held out a hand to pet the little dog, but Brimstone stepped back.

"Sorry, but Brimstone doesn't seem to like you," Ryuki said.

"I think it's my smell, yo," Todd said as he sniffed under his arms.

"Really?" Jen asked in a sarcastic tone. "I couldn't have guessed it."

"Come in then," Todd said. "Blob already made snacks. YO BLOB!"

"COMING!" Fred shouted back.

Ryuki, Jen and Brimstone walked into the house and their eyes widened. The place wasn't as bad on the inside as the outside…IT WAS FAR WORSE! I do not want to gore you with the details, but it looked like a dump.

Fred came running out with an empty tray. Todd scolded, "Freddy, those were for our guests!"

"I got hungry!" Fred protested. "Sue me! I make my sandwiches so good that even I can't resist them."

Lance was still wrestling the lighter out of Pyro's hands as the psychotic Australian pyrokinetic wailed like a baby.

Jen groaned, thinking, '_Why the hell did I even agree to this?'_

* * *

Wanda walked into the house looking satisfied as Pietro followed after her, limping and with a black eye and bloody nose. Ryuki felt sympathetic, but all the other s said that the silver haired speedster deserved it. Anyway, Ryuki was going to suggest they clean up the place, but Wanda only said, "Believe me, we've tried. No matter what, we still can't get this place cleaned up."

Pyro was in the back trying to start a bonfire. It was safe to say that Ryuki might just help him. Ryuki was holding Brimstone and looking at the bonfire Pyro was building.

"Is it safe?" Lance asked as he watched the two pyrokinetics at work.

"Don't worry. Ryuki's very responsible…when he's not hyped up on chocolate…" Jen added under her breath.

"What?" Wanda asked.

"Let's just say that Ryuki and chocolate don't mix," Jen clarified.

"Like that candy bar Pyro is offerin' him, yo?" Todd pointed out.

"WHAT?" Jen yelled out and then screamed when she saw Ryuki eat it, "**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!**"

* * *

"This is the food festival all over again!" Jen yelled out. She, Lance, Todd, Wanda and Pyro were in Lance's jeep, chasing after a cocoa crazed Ryuki. Ryuki was running while his body was on fire, scaring some of the citizens. He even set fire to some trees and froze some others. He also caused a mild tremor and a sandstorm.

"MUTIE FREAKS!" one man yelled.

"THAT'S IT! I'M MOVING TO CLEAVELAND!" a woman yelled.

"This ain't good," Todd muttered.

"Geez, what was you first clue?" Lance asked sarcastically.

"Pyro, this is all your fault you lunatic!" Wanda yelled at Pyro.

"Hey, don't blame me!" Pyro said defensively. "Anyway, the kid makes good fires!"

"How many powers does Leo got, yo?" Todd asked Jen.

"A lot of power," Jen gulped as she saw Ryuki freeze a lamppost and then a car. "This won't be good when Shadow hears about this. I better call Jake and Craig for help…and who knows how many Smartroopers and Smart Brain Operatives to cover this up."

"Jen, you said this happened before, right?" Wanda asked. "What did you do to stop him?"

"We have special tranquilizers in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, the dart gun and tranqs are back at the mansion," Jen answered grimly.

Lance rolled his eyes and muttered sarcastically, "This is gonna be fun."

"You mean these tranqs, yo?" Todd revealed a dart gun with tranquilizer darts loaded.

Jen blinked, "Where did you get **that**?"

"When Johnny-boy here joined," Todd began his explanation, referring to Pyro, "Mags sent us some things to take care of him in case he went a little crazy."

Lance interjected, "He's always crazy, but there are some cases when he **really** goes nuts."

"Mimes are evil and that rubber tire was laughing at me!" Pyro yelled. Jen blinked.

"See?" Lance said.

"Anyway, Mags gave us these tranqs to knock Johnny-boy out," Todd clarified.

A bike was heard racing next to them. Riding upon it was Craig a.k.a. Mortuary. He saluted, "Whasup?"

"Take this," Jen passed on the dart gun that Todd had to Craig. "Shoot Leo."

"You sure?" Craig blinked.

"It's a dart gun. Just do it!" Jen had to trust Craig since he was a sharp-shooter. Craig shrugged and aimed.

Ryuki was sliding on ice, and then riding a wave of earth before fire via flames before continuing his insane run around town. Craig, not wanting anymore damage (and lawsuits) to happen, aimed and fired.

Poink!

"Itai!" Ryuki yelled before he was knocked out.

"How strong is this stuff?" Craig asked as they stopped.

"Enough to knock out an elephant," Todd said, "At least that's what Mags said."

Lance carried Ryuki back into the jeep. He then looked at the damage, "This won't be good."

Jen revealed a cell-phone, "Got that covered."

* * *

Xavier was watching everything on a news report on TV. Rubbing his temples, he groaned.

"I won't say I told you so, Professor," Scott said, "But I told you so."

"I know, Scott….I know…And I need a Scotch…a whole bottle," Xavier said as he was getting a major headache.

* * *

(A while later…)

Ryuki woke up with a major headache. He was also in a hospital bed. Groaning, he rubbed his head, "Ow…what happened?"

"I see you're awake," said Hank. Ryuki screamed in shock.

"Gomen, McCoy-sensei," Ryuki apologized.

"That's alright. A lot of people get startled by my appearance anyway."

"What happened?" he asked, getting off the bed.

"Do you remember anything?" Hank asked.

"I remember hanging out with the Brotherhood and then Pyro gave me a candy bar…then…blank." Ryuki blinked. "What time is it?"

"It's nearly 6 o'clock pm," Hank told him.

"That late?"

Jen walked into the room carrying Brimstone, "Baby!" she cried, rushing towards the hospital bed. "Are you okay?"

"I think so?" he rubbed his head. "What happened?"

"You went cocoa-crazy," she answered simply.

"Again? Oh man…what happened?" he paused, "Or do I even want to know?"

"Let's just say we're lucky Smart Brain is around to cover up for your actions so we don't get sued," she assured him.

"That bad, huh?" he then asked, "What about the Brotherhood?"

"Well, they apologized, sent you their regards…and made you an honorary member."

"Really?" Ryuki blinked, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess they like you a lot. Then again, you're very easily liked," Jen kissed him. '_Of course, they said a new Brotherhood member has to cause a lot of damage too.' _

"Where's Jake and Craig?" Ryuki asked.

"Damage control with the Smartroopers," she said simply.

"Oy…" Draco groaned. "I don't feel so good."

"That's the chocolate working its way through your system." She put Brimstone onto the bed and the little puppy licked his master's face. Ryuki smiled and pet the pup. "By the way, get dressed. The Professor said we'll be expecting some company and he needs you to go and meet them with the rest of the students."

"Okay." Jen smiled and kissed him…

* * *

A white 1959 Cadillac Station Wagon pulled up to the gates that had the insignias of a ghost being covered by a phi like symbol.

It was soon admitted with the shock to Ryuki who looked to Xavier.

"Wait a second, The Ghostbusters?"

"Yes, Quite. They were also so kind as to point out this gentleman in our direction to help him figure out who Nathaniel Essex was back in 1998," Xavier told him.

"Yeah, the kid back then was making sure that this 'Watchers Council' gets its info right and to rub it in Angelus' face," Logan chuckled.

"Angelus?"

"Just wait until he tells you his story when he gets here," Xavier told them.

Jake then remembered who exactly Angelus was in the first place.

"Now I remember, the Scourge of Europe back during the 18th century up to the 19th century then he faded into obscurity," Jake recited from his lessons and studies. His grandfather often lectured him and he was glad that he'd listened. "His associates back then was Spike or William the Bloody, Darla and Drusilla the mad."

"Geeze, how in the world did he manage to meet him?" Jen asked Xavier.

"According to him, he was on the Hellmouth," Xavier told them as Logan told them with his head down, "Boca de inferno, 'The Mouth of hell' the place where all evil mystical lines converge making it a magnet for any demon to go and make trouble,"

"When did he find out?" Jen then asked as Ryuki was pale white.

"16, when he found out about the Slayer and killed his best friend who became a vampire," Logan told them nonchalantly.

"What?" Ryuki asked in anger. He would never dream of killing a friend especially after Tazuka was killed. Then again, this person could have a good reason. He knew that not all vampires were evil, as Ichijyo had told him, but most of them had no souls and were evil.

"Easy, Ryuki," Xavier assured him as he sipped some of his tea. "I'm well aware of his tendencies to be a little extreme but he has been a great listener and storyteller to the kids here and Jean and Scott wouldn't have him missed their wedding for anything."

"That and he has Selene with him," Logan smirked. "Not to mention Shinji."

"How can I forget all the girls?" Xavier told him with a laugh.

"Groping and hassling him," Logan chuckled for a moment until he caught something in the air. "Another car is coming…military, Calendar and O'Neill."

"I guess his friends from NORAD are coming as well," said Xavier with a worried expression.

"Could any one tell us who exactly is coming to warrant this many people to the Mansion?" Ryuki asked Xavier as Xavier rolled out.

"33, if I'm not mistaken, and all of them may need rooms for the night," Xavier told them as he ushered them out to the lobby.

"That's a lot of people," Craig remarked.

"You got that right," Jake agreed.

* * *

In the lobby…

The first guests stepped in as they looked and found two staircases from the upper floor meeting to the lobby.

The first one to make a comment was a shaggy brown haired man with brown eyes of Hispanic decent with a goatee to match wearing a green t-shirt, blue jeans and brown vest as he started with a low whistle, "Now this is a nice place for a school."

"Oh yes, this would definitely be a great place to learn if you are a preppy," said a Goth with a long dark blue shaggy mane of hair and a pasty completion with a black shirt. Her tone was cynical.

"And you would know?" the Hispanic narrowed his eyes.

"Hey don't you to flirt you two," A young African American man with a flat top haircut and a brown t-shirt with black jeans told them holding his head in his hand.

"Yeah save that for your wedding night and this is a reunion not a wedding," A young red haired man in a wheelchair told them with a laugh as he rolled in with a blue long sleeved shirt and jeans.

"Garret no funny," A green blob of slime floated in.

"I agree Slimer," a man with a blue sweater with a red haired woman on his arm told the ghost. He had blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail with a pair of small glasses. The woman on his arm had blue rimmed glasses and a blue blazer with a red shirt underneath. "Garret needs to find new material."

'BAMF!'

"Dr. Spengler and fellow Ghostbustas, I shall show you to your vooms," motioned a blue furred form that had blue, almost black, hair with amber eyes that was wearing a red sweat shirt and khakis as he looked almost like some sort of demon. Luckily, this group had been told of Kurt's mutation as to avoid any unwanted proton fire.

The group soon followed him out as two more people then walked in. this time one wearing a baseball cap and a flannel long sleeved shirt that had a face that was ridged after many years of combat. Beside him was a woman with short dark hair with a white long sleeved shirt.

"This is the place?" The man spoke aloud in an incredulous voice. "I thought that he was lying about calling this place kind of hairy?"

"He wasn't lying, Jack," She told him with a smack on the arm. "This place has its own secret and you have to live with it."

"Geez," Jack muttered as he took a seat when the Ghostbusters came back.

"You here for him?" Garret asked as he rolled up to a place to park.

"He's supposed to be coming at night fall," Jack told him.

"Jenny Calendar, nice to have you back amongst us," the red haired woman told her as she hugged her friend.

"It's been too long hasn't it Janine," Jenny hugged back.

SCRRRRREEEECCCCCHHHH!

Tires or tracks screeched as the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle/Fenton RV came in with Jack and Maddie Fenton bounding from their seats and running inside as they hoisted both the Fenton Bazooka and the Fenton Foamer at the ready at Slimer.

"Uh Oh," Slimer yelped as hid behind the Hispanic.

"Jackson Fenton…Madeline Pryce," Dr. Spengler growled as the two ghost hunters lowered their weapons.

"DR. SPENGLER!" The two then dropped their weapons and looked sheepish in front of their former teacher.

"That's right and why you are troubling the ghost that we keep around the firehouse," Dr. Spengler told them with his foot tapping.

"But it's a ghost," Jack whined.

"Uh…" Jack O'Neill went to raise his hand but decided against it considering on light of the ghost he was seeing, "Never mind."

"He's a Class 3 Free Floating Repeater," Dr. Spengler argued, "Very low level and practically harmless."

"You mean there's an entire class system for ghosts?" Danny asked as he and his friends and family walked in as Devlin saw the group.

"You're all here to see him as well?" he asked. Devlin was the younger brother of Ryuki's friend Ichijyo and current holder of the Red-X suit. It amazed Ryuki at how similar looking Devlin was to his brother.

"Yes we are and welcome," Egon told him as they all took some seats as Ryuki, Jen, Craig and Jake with Logan and Xavier went out to greet them.

"Welcome, I believe we are here because of a mutual acquaintance?" Xavier asked them.

"Yes we are." O'Neill piped up.

"That's good is there anyone else joining us?" Xavier asked.

"His 'bestest bud', as he calls her with her girlfriend, along with the group that she is inviting, my team, a guy who's been hounding them to get back together, and the group that has been with him on assignment in deep space," O'Neill told him.

"What, no Justice League?" a lean teen with red shades walked in with a red haired beauty on his arm said. This was Scott Summers and Jean Grey.

"He always did say he wanted to meet Batman," the Hispanic joked as it soon rolled with laughter.

"I believe introductions are in order," Logan told them as they all got focused again as he pointed to Jack O'Neill and Jenny Calendar.

"Major General Jack O'Neill of the United States Air Force."

"Jenny Calendar: our guest of honor's former teacher."

"Dr. Egon Spengler: Ghostbuster."

"Janine Melnitz: Secretary for the Ghostbusters," She told them in her nasal Bronx voice.

"Kylie Griffen: Ghostbuster," The black haired goth told them.

"Eduardo Rivera: Ghostbuster," The brown haired Hispanic said.

"Garret Miller is my name and Ghostbustin' is my game," the wheel chair bound guy told them with a smile.

"Roland Jackson: Ghostbuster," The flat topped African American told them.

"SLIMER!" the Green Blob yelled as he flew to Logan and gave him a hug along with Jack O'Neill, Danny, Sam, and Tucker.

"He…Slimed…Me," said Jack O'Neill with a complete deadpanned expression on his face.

"RWOOOOAAARRRR!" Logan snapped as he took out his claws and went on a rampage as he tried to hunt down Slimer who flew around to try and get away from the raging Wolverine.

Ryuki almost laughed at the sight but remained quiet. If he was to live a life long enough to see some kids he would not get between Wolverine and his prey.

Thankfully, Xavier just said something to wolverine to stop him, "Sleep."

The next moment, Wolverine was sleeping with a heavy snore as his claws retracted.

'BAMF!'

"Woooh…zhat's was a close one Professor," Kurt popped in again beside Xavier.

"Dr. Spengler, will there be any problems with Slimer if he does this again?" Xavier asked.

"Slimer will do this again and there is about nothing I can do about it except for putting him in a trap," Egon told him.

"Noooo!"

"Don't worry, Slimer, it's just until he gets here," Eduardo told him as he motioned to Slimer to follow him.

"Well ok," Slimer told him as he floated after him.

"I'm…still…slimed," Jack O'Neill said aloud as he was trying to get the slime off of him.

"Uh…General, I think I can get us un-slimed quick," Danny told him as he was himself still slimed as he motioned to O'Neill to join him and his friends. "Just take my sand."

Looking skeptical, the army man joined holding hands with the teens as Danny willed themselves intangible so the slime fell off quickly.

"Nice trick kid," Jack O'Neill told him while giving a thumb's up to him.

Egon though was already taking out his PKE meter and scanning Danny.

"Dr. Spengler, what's that you have there?" Jack Fenton asked as he noticed the two prongs and the electricity.

"The new model to the PKE meter," he told them as he soon shut it off. "Are you aware your son is exhibiting Pyschokenetic energy?"

"Yes in fact he's the one protecting Amity Park with his friends," Maddie told him.

"How in the world did this happen?"

"My parents created a Portal to the Ghost Zone," Danny told him as they all winced at the statement that Egon was about to ask.

"WHAT? Didn't I tell you that you shouldn't make a portal at all? In 1984 Ray, Peter, and myself nearly died trying to stop one on top of a building near Central Park!"

"Yes, but we made it like a doorway that we regulated enough with a defense grid to prevent an explosion," Jack Fenton told him.

"And besides there is a ghost who can make 'tears' out of the Ghost Zone and here," Danny told him, referring to Wulf.

"I need to sit down right now," Egon told them as they put him slowly in a chair as he then curled up in a ball. "So many laws of physics broken…"

"I don't want to even know," Jack O'Neill said aloud.

"Anyway getting back to introductions," Danny told them. "I'm Danny Fenton and I'm part of Smart Brain's Team Mystic as Danny Phantom."

"I'm Sam Manson: Danny's Girlfriend."

"I'm Tucker Foley: Danny's Best Friend."

"Jack Fenton: GHOST HUNTER!"

"Maddie Pryce Fenton: GHOST HUNTER!"

(A/N: Cue the Lighting SFx)

"Valerie Gray: Ghost Hunter."

"Ryan Kazama: Vizard and official KAMEN RIDER!"

This was music to Ryuki's ears…

His mother talked about the legendary Kamen Riders when he was a child but he never met them first hand. Since that day, he was going to find a way to become one and this was his ticket.

He was about to move to Ryan when Jinx stopped him and simply shook her head no.

"Amber McClain: Ryan's girlfriend."

"Danni Fenton: I'm like Danny but I have problems with my powers."

"I'm Kyoichiro Devlin Amakusa: I'm not really a part of Danny's team, but I protect Amity Park too. I am also dating Danielle." He smiled at the ghost girl and she blushed.

"I'm Jake Long the AmDrag of the NYC, an operative of Smart Brain, and member of Team Mystic!"

"Funny how we haven't met," Janine muttered patting Egon's back.

"Ryuki Leonard Hasuma: I'm not here for this friend of yours but I'm here to get some counseling from Xavier-sensei."

"Jennifer Wilcox: Ryuki's girlfriend."

"I'm Craig Smith," Craig said simply.

"Wait a minute…Hasuma as in the Fashion Mogul of the world?" Janine asked Ryuki in stupefaction.

"Yes…I'm her son." Ryuki told her.

Before Janine could ask Ryuki any more questions, a man dressed in a black trench coat grey muscle shirt and black pants walked in. He was a Caucasian with crew cut white hair and black eye patch over his right eye.

"Col. Fury, nice to have you with us," Jack O'Neill told him with a small smirk.

"It's also nice to see you again General." Col. Nick Fury replied to him with his full accent of a New Yorker native.

"So what's his ETA?" The General asked.

"He soon will be arriving with General Hank Landry, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Col. Sam Carter, 'Murray', Teyla, Dr. Carson Beckett, Dr. Elizabeth Weir, Lt. Col. John Sheppard, Dr. Rodney McKay, Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell and General Hammond on the Daedalus in a few minutes," Col. Fury told them.

No one noticed both a brown haired child and a South American teen sneak off at that statement. No one knew of their intentions but whatever it was…one would hope that it would be good news.

"Alright, the kid from Sunnydale is coming," Jack O'Neill announced as was celebrating with the Ghostbusters minus Egon who was just at the news coming back to reality.

"He came from the Hellmouth!?" Jack Fenton and Maddie asked as they were now stunned at this information.

Eduardo came back in with Slimer inside of the trap as he rejoined the others while they awaited the guest of honor.

At about this point the sun had gone down as the lights turned on. A large black car drove into through the gates and pulled up in front of the welcoming party. The doors of the car opened up to a man with gelled brown hair, a blonde with slicked back hair in an Italian black feather duster, Another hulking man dressed in a red t-shirt who was a bald African American, a redhead followed by a brunette who held her arm and a blue haired woman that seemed to be wearing a black skin tight suit.

"So I hear that Droopy is coming here, isn't he?" the blonde asked with a cockney accent.

"Hey, stop doing that," the gel haired man told his associate. "He's already made so many friends he has helped before Sunnydale sunk into the ground that we should at least treat him with respect."

"That's right, Spike, it's no fun picking on the guy anymore," the African American told him.

"I'm curious to meet him myself," the blue haired woman amused to herself.

"I wonder how he's changed while he been out there," the red haired one thought solemnly.

"Don't worry if I know him he would be still kicking ass and taking names of those who dare harm his team," the brunette told her girlfriend.

"Believe me when I say 'he's doing his job' Willow," Jack O offered to her.

"Thank you, Jack," Willow beamed with pride.

The group walked into the mansion and met up with the others in the lobby.

"I guess we should introduce ourselves," the brown haired guy told them, "I'm Angel."

"Spike: The Big Bad," the blonde told them.

"Gunn," the bald African American told them.

"Illryia," the blue hair ex Demon god stated with a deadpanned voice.

"Kennedy," The brunette told them.

" Willow."

"Where were my manners?" Xavier told them as he immediately awakened the form of Wolverine who, while he was sleeping, had a line of drool coming from his mouth.

"Chuck gave me more warning when you do the 'Colin and Ryan shtick'," Logan groaned as he stood up.

"Forgive me Logan but you were going berserk and I wasn't going to have you destroy everything here." Xavier told him while pushing on a button. "New Mutants and X-Men, report to the lobby at this time."

Like flood gates the lobby was filled with kids as they all saw the Ghostbusters in all their glory as they almost worshipped them as much as they worshipped their awaiting guest.

"Hmmm we seem to be missing Sunspot, Jubilee and Iceman," Xavier mused to himself as he then turned to the guests.

"Honored guests, I'm Professor Charles Xavier and these are the 'gifted youngsters' I train to survive in the outside world. As you may know these children are mutants carrying the X-Gene, which is similar to the Meta-Gene. I wish only peaceful coexistence with humanity."

"Thank you for the penny tour Xavier but…" Jack O was about to say when a crew cut haired kid walked over to Jack O. and asked him: "Are you MacGyver?"

Jack couldn't keep the pessimism up for long as he looked at him, "Why?"

"You look like him only with his hair cut," the young man told him as he broke out into a coughing fit.

"It's alright Keith…It's alright." The African American woman gracefully took him under her wing as he kept on hacking.

"Xavier what's going with him?" Jack O asked in reference to Keith.

"He has the power of molecular rearrangement but it comes with a heavy price because every time he uses it he gets weaker. Right now it would take a miracle to save him and he looks up to our friend and the character MacGyver as a source of hope."

"Ouch," Jack O. told him as looked a little grimmer remembering his own son, Charlie, who died due to his own mistake.

"It is always terrible to see a child die before your eyes," Xavier told him with a stony look to his face.

"Hopefully he'll see one of his heroes before he dies," Jack O told Xavier.

This was then when a flash of light heralded 18 figures with their baggage, although three carried silver briefcases.

Amongst them was a lovely brunette who was about maybe 40, a gruff looking man with a light hearted smile on his face that had wild dark hair, a tall muscular African American with a gaze that would make other men shudder, a blonde woman with eyes of wonder, a somewhat of a deceiving age for another as he had lighter brown hair and a beard with glasses as he almost looked bookish, another somewhat of a husky man was there as he wiped his face from shock at how many children were there, a lovely mocha skin beauty looked around as she saw the diversity, a man that looked with consternation and a small bit like he had a superiority complex, another who looked on in joy as he oversaw the fact that he was amongst mutants but as he found himself amongst the friends of an ally, a stout man who has seen weird as he looked on without a problem with his bald head shining, another with a bit more of worry looked on with the fact that he had more graying hair in it's stocky position, a long brunette haired woman with wild eyes, a man of considerable stockiness with his hair pulled into a ponytail, a woman who had long brown hair of the a soft brown and big eyes, another woman who was practically attached to one of them as he looked pale and withdrawn although he looked to be in his late twenties, another looked as though someone thrown ice and fire together to create a beauty that was near the stocky guy, the next seemed a little jovial at seeing everyone (although on the inside he was worried about the girls of the school) as his black hair was spiky.

Then the lights went out as a singular light shone above the pale and withdrawn man with a white long-sleeved shirt and black leather pants and boots looked above in confusion with his companion in worry.

A strong 80's music then blared with a familiar rhythm (if someone watched wrestling of course) that had the pale looking man looking up with a small smirk on his face.

_When it comes crashing down, and it hurts inside, _

_'Bob is going to burn for this…' _

_Ya__' gotta take a stand, it don't help to hide, _

Then fireworks exploded in the air outside of the compound as everyone was surprised those who been there before.

_'Make that Jubes, and Bob dead meat…'_

_Well, you hurt my friends, and you hurt my pride,  
I gotta be a man; I can't let it slide,  
I am a real American, Fight for the rights of every man,  
I am a real American, fight for what's right, fight for your life! _

"STANDING IN AT 5'11 AND 280LBS…THE CHAMPION OF THE HELLMOUTH AND THE MAN WHO ALWAYS BELIEVED IN ALL OF US, THE SAVIOR HIMSELF: XANDER HARRIS!" A Brazilian accented voice announced.

_'Scratch that again…Jubes, Bob, and Soccer boy…Dead meat.' _

To Be Continued…

These characters are linked to Ant Crown's Faiz of the Hellmouth fic even though they haven't shown up yet. Thanks Ant Crown for adding all this stuff to my fic. Thanks Jeffrey for creating Craig/Mortuary.


	32. PT032: Berserk

Part 32: Berserk

After the lights turned back on, (as Wolverine stalked the two boys and Jubilee and he put them in early Danger Room sessions) the introductions took place yet again.

"I'm Mari Sonada Harris: Xander-kun's wife," the big eyed woman with long dark hair told them with a smile. She was wearing a brown vest with a white blouse and brown pants.

"Selene: I'm one of Xander's associates," the woman with short dark hair told them as most of the young men in the room fell over. She was wearing black skintight suit and corset along with a black feather duster.

"Shinji Hikari: Xander's wingman," the dark spiky haired one said as another took notice. He was wearing a blue shirt with a brown bomber jacket and blue jeans.

"Wait a minute. I thought I was Xander's wingman," the gruff looking warrior said with a confused look. He was wearing a Class-A uniform (Military dress uniform.)

"Shinji, he's right, you're just a part of my team," Xander told him calmly.

"Oh, alright…" Shinji pouted a little as Xander's arm twitched.

"I'm Michael Corvin: Selene's boyfriend," the stocky man with long, slightly dangling, hair told them.

"Dawn Summers: Shinji's real wingman," she smiled wide as she looked at Shinji who was blushing furiously. "Or woman to be more politically correct."

"I'm Faith: just one of Xander's friends."

"I'm General Hank Landry. I'm currently the head of NORAD," the stout man with a flat top hair cut told them with a smirk as he wore his Class-A uniform.

"I'm General George Hammond. I was the head of NORAD before General O'Neill took over for me," the stout bald man told them in his own Class-A uniform.

"I'm Dr. Elizabeth Weir: Xander's Boss," said the long haired brunette who kept her youth somewhat looking around her 30s while she was actually in her 40s.

"Lt. Col. John Shepard. As I said before, I'm Xander's Wingman."

"Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell. I'm here to meet Xander and…" the man with the shocked look earlier looked a little evil now as he looked to three others.

"NO!" The three stated at him.

"Hey don't make me say it's an order!" Jack O. yelled to the three.

"Yes Sir/Jack/General O'Neill!" the three replied with their own different replies.

"I'm Lt. Col. Samantha Carter: Astrophysicist," the blonde with eyes full of wonder told them.

"I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson: Egyptologist." the brown haired and beared man told them.

"I am Murray," the imposing African American told them with a smile.

"I'm Dr. Rodney McKay and I might be able to see your 'Danger Room'," said the one who felt superior to all around him.

"I'm Dr. Carson Beckett and I'm interested in your medical files you have on hand," the Scotsman with a goatee asked.

"I believe I can help you in that regard, Dr. Beckett. I'm Dr. McCoy but they call me Beast," said the blue furred man in a red sweater and blue jeans as he lumbered along.

"Why thank you," Dr. Beckett told him shaking his hand furiously as he didn't question the blue furred man only recognized a fellow doctor who were of the same mold.

"My pleasure."

"Doctor?" Ryuki asked Beast.

"I've recently earned my doctorate, Ryuki," Beast confirmed. "Now I can be called **Dr**. McCoy."

"So where's the Brotherhood?" Xander asked Xavier as he crossed over to him.

"They'll be here and I believe they'll be pleased to see that one of their friends is back," Xavier told him.

"Xander Harris, so how has life been for you and your wife?" Egon asked him then.

"It has been great, although this is where I'll probably be signing off for good," Xander told him darkly.

"The medication?" Egon asked him.

"It finally neutralized," Xander told him. "My body adapted to it and now things are back on schedule for my death."

"One hell of a run, wasn't it?" Logan asked as he came back.

"Right now I feel as though I left things unfinished," Xander admitted as they all adjourned to the dining room with a secret blush from Mari which was caught by Xavier who wasn't going to be saying anything.

Keith, at that statement, dimmed as he felt lower but was urged by a girl with shaggy brown hair with a squirrel on her shoulder to join them in the room.

They found the Brotherhood already there to greet them all as they stared in shock at Xander as they were overwhelmed with feelings of pity, fear and joy.

Fear of the times he defeated them, Joy that he was there as a friend, and Pity for his frailty as it was.

They had all been humbled by him as he soon found a seat for himself and the others with him.

"Nice spread, Xavier. It's perfect for a last supper. If one was to take a picture of this moment..." Xander chuckled for a few moments before he was caught in a group hug from the Brotherhood.

"Too bad you won't be betrayed?" Shinji laughed before getting an elbow from Dawn.

Ryuki staggered a little as he saw the camaraderie that Xander was weaving with the people around him. He seemed to be like the favorite relative who had arrived again telling stories but this time it seemed that the same hero of the Mutants and the people around him were there to say goodbye than hello again. Like it was his last time he would really see him again.

"Ryuki, what's wrong?" Jen asked him as she saw the far away look in his eyes.

"Have you noticed him?" Ryuki referred to Xander

"No."

"He's dying."

"What?"

"Look at him. He's has the face of someone who knows he won't see another day."

"Have you any idea why?"

"No," Ryuki told her as he gave a look of resolve. "But I want to find out." He then said, "In the meantime, let's mingle." He looked around. He saw a girl that looked like Danny, but with her hair in a ponytail. The girl Was Danny's sister Danni. The boy with her, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Desmond, was Devlin. He was Desmond's little brother.

Personally, Ryuki had never met Desmond's brother; only his sister Megami. However, he had seen pictures of Desmond's family and he was able to recognize Devlin from them. To be fair, Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa-Akuma preferred to be called by his middle name, but there were a select few (close friends and family) who could call him by his first name. Even so, many preferred to call him Desmond since it was English and easier to pronounce compared to his Japanese first name. The same could be said for Megami and Devlin (Of course, Ryuki did not know Megami's middle name nor did he know Devlin's first name), but Ryuki decided to chance it.

"Hey there," he greeted the two younger teens.

"Hey," Danni greeted.

"Greetings to you too," Devlin greeted, "You must be Ryuki." He then looked at Jen, "And you must be Jen. My brother has told me a lot about you."

"He has?" Ryuki blinked. He never saw Desmond send any letters, but then again the guy stayed a lot in his room.

"Yes, most definitely," Devlin said, with a British accent. It was refined and not at all cockney sounding like Mad Mod's. "He never told me how beautiful you were, though, Miss Wilcox." He kissed her hand and she blushed. Danni rolled her eyes.

"Oh my," Jen said, blushing. Ryuki growled a bit, but decided to keep his temper in check.

"This is one interesting little get-together," Danni observed. She had, aside from Vlad's, never been to a mansion. "This place is great. It'll be lucky to stay here."

"If you can get used to the hate-mail and graffiti," muttered Jamie as he came up behind Danni. "Hey there, I'm Jamie. Everyone calls me Multiple."

"Why is that?" Danni asked. Jamie clapped his hands and 5 more of him popped up. "Oh." She said, "You can clone yourself."

"Pretty much," Jamie smiled.

Devlin snorted, "Show off."

Ryuki then looked over at Devlin. There was something about him; he couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew Devlin was more than he appeared to be.

Devlin was examining Ryuki as well. He was also examining Selene, Spike, Angel and Xander from afar. He knew that both Spike and Angel were vampires because he could smell it off them, but Selene smelled different, but still the same. Xander's smell was not all human, but gravely familiar. It was the same scent coming off Ryuki. He had met Xander awhile back and he had the same strange smell he did now.

What Devlin didn't know was that he, Xander, Selene, Shinji and Ryuki had a lot in common; a lot more than he realized. Looking at all the girls present, he went to work his magic and charm. Danni sighed and followed after him to make sure he didn't get into too much trouble flirting and giving the girls free makeovers.

* * *

A young man with scars on his face walked into the back door of the alley. **He** was dressed in a grey jacket with no shirt and black leather pants and steel toes boots. **He** also wore a chain around his neck and black fingerless gloves. **His** hair was messy, blonde and spiky.

The young man grinned. **He** had just walked into an FOH gathering. **He** listened with sadistic glee as the speaker, who was not Graydon Creed but a representative, gave his speech that condemned mutants. **He** looked at the gathered audience. Most were wearing normal everyday clothes while others were wearing the uniform for FOH members and those armbands with FOH on them.

As the speaker finished, the entire audience cheered. **He** only laughed. This got the attention of a large Caucasian who was close by.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked, confused at **his** behavior.

**He** grinned, "Mutants are the least of your worries," he said before placing his hand on the guy's shoulder. The guy's body then disintegrated. This got the entire room's attention as they stared at him in silence before they looked enraged and shouted, "MUTANT FREAK!" or, "IT'S A MUTIE! GET HIM!" Some FOH members took out their weapons like guns and rifles and anything else they could get their hands on (Metal bats, wooden clubs, steel pipes…etc)

**He** only began to laugh, "This is gonna be fun." He licked his lips and changed into a large grayish creature before he advanced on them all.

The shadows on the wall showed **Him** attacking the FOH mercilessly. Blood splattered on the walls and a fire started. **He **laughed.

* * *

Just then Ryuki winced and groaned in pain. "Ugh!" He held his head as he was having a vision.

He saw images of fire, logos of the FOH on fallen bodies, blood everywhere and a monster amongst it all as it threw back its head a laughed and said these haunting words: "You and I are the same."

Xander knew that look after meeting with Angel when he needed help on a case once. Cordelia had the exact same convulsions

"What did he see?" He asked them, knowing fully well of Ryuki's ability to see the future…or past.

"Fire, Friends of Humanity being stricken down and laughter…horrible, evil laughter," Ryuki told him as the others watched over.

"Listen, whatever you do in the near future, **don't** have sex with him," Xander told Jen as she gave a confused look.

"Oh stop it, Xander, it was only that one time," Angel told him.

"Whatever you say, Deadboy, whatever you say," Xander told him as Spike laughed.

The joke was lost on the Titans and Jake, but all the others laughed.

That was…until there was sudden newsflash on the TV.

"Police report a mutant attack on a Friends of Humanity Headquarters in Bayville. It's a large humanoid and grey all over. I'm telling you this thing is massively dangerous," the reporter stated as she looked at it. "I'm getting the hell out of here!"

Cyclops took the forefront, "X-Men, let's get to work."

Some of the members of the X-Men then moved out as the Brotherhood moved to get out in on the action.

"No way I'm letting this bozo of a mutant destroy my town," Todd told everyone as he soon bounded away with his team.

The Titans, Danny, Valerie, Oni, Ember and Jake took off with them as well, leaving the New Mutants with the Ghostbusters, the adult X-Men and whatever force that Xander brought with him. Danni and Devlin stayed behind, just incase the others needed the backup later on.

Xander only stared at the picture as his mind was thrown back in time. He knew that these were not his memories but of someone else, but he knew from the feeling that he received that the person he was looking at was not someone to mess with.

"Kitazaki," Xander muttered as his eyes turned cold.

"Xander?" Willow asked as he looked at the picture.

"It is the name of one of Takumi's old enemies that had the power to turn anything into dust in his hands," Xander told them all. "Look, I have only one shot at him right now and I have about the same temperament that Takumi had with this guy. I want a piece of him before I die."

"Xander, I think that we can help you," Jack O'Neill told him as he placed his hand on Xander's shoulder.

"With what?" Xander asked.

"I'm thinking along the lines of…" Jack O. started to say as he begun whispering. Xander nodded gladly at the plan.

"Good. Calendar, strengthen the wards quickly," Xander told her as he soon walked out with his group. Jack O. took out a Phone. "Hey, Walter could you contact Thor for me?"

* * *

Bayville was getting gutted from the inside out and it was getting worse by the second.

The X-Men and their allies arrived ready to take on this threat.

It **wasn't** a mutant. It was an **Orphenoch**

The Orphenoch was MASSIVE, standing at 7 feet tall with powerful looking heavy and bulky dark grey armor that Orphenochs were known for. It had a dragon-like snout and narrowed slits for eyes. Atop its head were large dragon horns. Its feet had three clawed toes on each. This Orphenoch was clearly based off a dragon.

Bodies littered the street and on top of overturned cars. Smoke filled the air. The Orphenoch turned to look at the assembled heroes that came to oppose it.

Mortuary got ready with his Death Buster and Draco activated his DRA-Blaster. Jinx readied her hexes as Jake entered his dragon form. Danny eyes were glowing green with his hands glowing with ecto-energy. The X-Men and Brotherhood stood ready against this foe. Valerie cocked her gun and both Oni and Ember readied their guitars.

Draco and Mortuary, knowing fully well the power of an Orphenoch, transformed.

"EMPOWERMENT OF ARIES/THE ZODIAC DRAGON!" Mortuary and Draco cried respectively as they slid the decks into their belts. Their armors encased over their bodies, shocking the X-Men and Brotherhood while Jinx looked proud.

"That's new," Lance said.

Draco and Mortuary charged at the Dragon Orphenoch and begun their attack. Draco punched and kicked at it while Mortuary used his own powerful kicks as well to deal damage. However, the Orphenoch was merely annoyed. With a blast of fire from its hand, it threw Mortuary into a nearby building, making a hole.

"MORT!" Draco cried, but was grabbed by the collar of his suit.

"Remember me?" asked the Orphenoch. Draco's eyes widened from under that helmet. That voice! He'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Kami…No…" Draco said with shock. "Asa… Kura…" he hoped he was wrong.

"Bingo!" Asakura, the Dragon Orphenoch, said, psychotically happy.

"No! You're dead!" Draco protested, terror and disbelief filling his voice. Asakura grinned, revealing his sharp teeth. Asakura was then blasted by a pink hex wave, a hex bolt and a red optical blast.

"Let him go!" Jinx hissed. She ran over to Draco, who was sitting on the ground. He was visibly shaking. "Baby?" she asked, worried. He took her arm, squeezing.

"It can't be…" he said fearfully, "It's impossible…He shouldn't be back…He can't be back!"

"Baby? What's wrong?" she asked him frantically.

"That's…Asakura…"

Jinx's eyes widened as well.

The X-Men, Brotherhood, Jake, Danny, Ember, Valerie and, Oni and Ember were attacking the armored Orphenoch relentlessly, trying to bring him down. However, their attacks didn't do as much as faze him. Mort shot with his necroplasm and Death Buster when he noticed Draco and Jinx were not in on the battle.

The Dragon Orphenoch got slammed by rocks by Avalanche and then grabbed in a bear hug by the Blob. Blob laughed, "Hah! I'm the unmovable Blob! No one gets out of my grip!"

"Really?" Asakura replied as he smashed the back of his head into Blob's face, causing the massive mutant teen to drop him and then the Orphenoch grabbed Blob by his jacket and flung him at Toad. Toad leapt out of the way, still shocked.

"He just threw Blob, yo!" Toad said in disbelief.

Quicksilver ran around the Orphenoch and smacked into him once in a while. "Can't catch me!" Quicksilver said arrogantly.

Asakura then did something unbelievable. His armor exploded off his revealing a sleaker white armored form and with slimmer horns. He ran at Quicksilver fast, as fast as the speedster and rammed into his side, sending the son of Magneto sprawling.

Jean threw some of the cars at the Dragon Orphenoch, but he regained his original form and smashed them away. His forearms were covered with large gauntlets shaped like dragonheads. With a roar, he fired a jet of blue flames at the psychic mutant. Kitty, just in time, grabbed onto Jean and caused the flame to phase through them. Danny looked impressed.

"Take this!" Jake roared and breathed fire at the Dragon Orphenoch. The Dragon Orphenoch countered with his own flames. However, he wasn't expecting Danny to help out by firing ecto-blasts at the Orphenoch. Growing fed up, he breathed harder and pushed Jake back into a dumpster.

"Gross!" Jake complained.

The Orphenoch then charged at Danny and smashed his gauntlets hard into Danny's stomach, sending him flying.

"Take this!" Valerie shouted as she fired from her hover board, keeping her distance. Ember and Oni used their guitars and fired sound waves at the Dragon Orphenoch. The Orphenoch then threw his arms forwards and the "jaws" of the Dragonhead gauntlets opened and fired energy blasts at them.

Cyclops, using the same tactic that he had used on the Juggernaut many months before, removed his visor and fired at the Dragon Orphenoch. This was RAW power and it was unlikely that the Orphenoch could withstand it. Scott could no longer maintain the blast and Jean was at his side, putting his visor back on.

The Dragon's Orphenoch stood, body smoking, and laughed, "Is THAT the best you can do? I've seen better!"

Draco, angered, drew his XL-Vent card and slid it into his Dragauntlet. "XL-Vent!" His Excel Suit activated. He then drew three cards and slid them into his gauntlet at once. "Bullet Vent! Fire Vent! Rapid Vent!" The Dragauntlet flashed as the cards were activated. He withdrew his gun, slid in the DRA-Key, at which the DRA-Blaster responded with, "READY!" and aimed. With a roar of fury, completely shocking Jinx, he stood up and fired upon the Dragon Orphenoch. Fireballs flew out of his DRA-Blaster and smashed into the Dragon Orphenoch before exploding. One fireball followed after another and one explosion erupted after another. Draco continued to roar, pulling the trigger over and over again as he let loose with his 'Rapid Burning Shot'. The other heroes watched as the Dragon Orphenoch was engulfed in flames and at the ferocity of Draco's attack. Draco only stopped when he dropped his gun and fell on his knees. Breathing heavily and hands on the ground, he smiled. It was finally over.

Or was it?

The smoke cleared away to reveal the Dragon Orphenoch, smoking, but completely unharmed. Draco's eyes widened, "No! No! No!" The rest of the heroes were at a state of shock. Asakura, as the Dragon Orphenoch, threw Draco into a car and the Knight smashed through. Asakura laughed, "See? You're weak! All of you! No one can defeat me!"

"We can!" Mortuary yelled out, his hands glowing green.

"Bring it on!" Jinx shouted. The other heroes were ready to fight him.

"NO!" Draco roared, picking himself up, "HE'S MINE!"

Jinx blinked as she saw the eyepieces under his faceplate glowing…blood red, "Baby?"

"THIS IS MY FIGHT!" Draco ran at the Dragon Orphenoch and drew out his Survivor Card before inserting it into his Dragblaster that had morphed from the Dragauntlet, "**SURVIVE**!" He transformed into his crimson and golden Survivor Mode and drew a new card before sliding it into his Reader, "Sword Vent!" The blade on his Dragblaster extended. He did all this while charging at Asakura. Asakura charged back.

Draco slashed with his sword and punched with his fist, even getting a few good roundhouse and a reverse roundhouse kick as well as some powerful front and side kicks. Asakura blocked with his dual Dragonhead gauntlets while swiping at Draco, who ducked under the swings before stabbing and punching at Asakura with his sword and fist. Draco let out a roar and threw a fireball in Asakura's Dragon Orphenoch face. However, the Dragon Orphenoch countered with his own fireball, causing a massive explosion.

In the smoke cloud, the two combatants still fought with all their might, showing off intense ferocity and viciousness. Draco slashed with his sword straight down Asakura's chest and then went into a backwards flip kick that sent the Dragon Orphenoch reeling. Draco was silent, without any of his usual cheerful banter of victory. He was being serious and this scared Jinx.

"Look at him go!" Danny shouted.

"Go Draco! Show that pseudo-Drag who's boss!" Jake yelled.

Draco drew two cards and slid them into his Dragblaster. "Drop Vent! Fire Vent!" he jumped up and did a back flip before executing a double footed drop kick that slammed into Asakura. He then followed up with two more cards, "Upper Vent! Mighty Vent!" before he performed a powerful charged uppercut that sent the Dragon Orphenoch flying. Asakura landed on his back, hard, and created a crater on the street. Draco's shoulders were heaving as his Survivor Mode armor began fizzling. He looked at his hand. "What? What's going on?"

Asakura laughed as he got back to his feet, "You're going weak. Don't you know you shouldn't use that many cards in a row? Even I, a former Zodiac Knight, know this."

Draco gritted his teeth before roaring, "SHUT UP!" he summoned up several boulders and threw them at Asakura, who shattered them with his fists.

The Dragon Orphenoch laughed and charged at Draco, but not before being blasted back by a pink hex.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Jinx screeched. Mortuary was with her and fired with both his Death Buster and necroplasm. The Dragon Orphenoch guarded himself with his arms, crossing them over. He continued to advance on them. Soon, after the constant hail of firepower died down, the Dragon Orphenoch came upon the two as they were winded from the constant use of their powers. The Dragon Orphenoch soon raised his fist up dramatically. Both Mortuary and Jinx were down and were shielding themselves with their arms. As the Dragon Orphenoch swung his fist, a shot was fired, hitting the hand. The Dragon Orphenoch flinched and looked in the direction of where the shot came from.

The shot belonged to Nick Fury who had disappeared a few moments before the Newsflash. He held the gun in his hands on a roof. The barrel was smoking

In the name of S.H.I.E.L.D., I suggest you surrender," Fury told him as he took out his rifle and aimed.

"Not on your life, Human," the Dragon Orphenoch stated, disgustingly, as he then sent a blast towards Fury. Nick's eye widened as the blast came, but Draco in Survivor Mode took the hit. He then collapsed on the ground as his armor shattered away.

"My how the mighty have fallen," The Dragon Orphenoch stated as he walked to the fallen form of Ryuki. "Now I can have my revenge. You're all alone. Nobody can help you now…"

"A Rider is never alone," a voice stated from out of nowhere. There stood Xander, Shinji and Selene with serious looks on their faces as they stared down the Dragon Orphenoch. They wore metallic hi-tech belts with various armaments on them. The three of them soon took out what appeared to be cell phones. Both Shinji and Xander dialed in '913' and '555', respectively.

The phones replied, 'Standing By.'

"You want a fight, _Kitazaki_ you've got one with us," Xander told the Orphenoch evenly. He soon lifted the phone above his head, Selene held her's close to her face, and Shinji held his across to his left cheek.

"HENSHIN!" (Selene's phone said: Standing By) they announced and they slammed the phones onto their belts. 'Complete.' The Faiz, Kaixa and Delta suits materialized on them.

Draco eyes widened at the sight. Could it be…? "Kamen…Raida…?" he said softly in awe. He was seeing three Kamen Riders, ready to fight for truth and justice.

Selene/Delta drew her Delta Blaster and spoke, "Fire." 'Burst mode'

Shinji/Kaixa, on the other hand, took out an X-shaped weapon before he slid his key card into it and activated a light saber like weapon. 'Ready'

Xander/Faiz took out his phone and attached a telescope-like tube to the Phone and dialed in '1 0 3' before pressing Enter. 'Single Mode.'

Delta soon ran forward as she leveled her blaster at the Orphenoch and blasted him, successfully harming him with each shot of photon energy. Faiz followed it up with a long blast from his blaster himself as he rolled to the side. The blast hit the Orphenoch hard as Asakura staggered. Kaixa flew in as he quickly, using the lightsabre-like weapon like a katana, launched a few strikes hard against the Orphenoch. However, he was soon thrown off as the Dragon Orphenoch switched to his much sleeker and faster form once more and quickly attacked the Riders, throwing them back.

"Let's play it your way, _Kitazaki_," Xander told him as he held a bike handle bar before he slid his key card into it. 'Ready'

The hilt then emitted a red energy blade. Xander then took a red key card out of his watch. He then slid the card into the belt. 'Complete'. The chest armor then shifted and relocated to the shoulders before the photon streams turned silver white and the eyepieces turned red. Xander then pushed a button on the watch.

'Start Up'

"You can't see me," Xander taunted before going Axel Mode on Asakura. He and the Dragon Orphenoch soon took up the fight to a whole new level, fighting at the speed of sound, taking blows from each other, which looked like an odd dance between a Knight and a Dragon. For them it took on for minutes but those on the outside saw it go on for ten seconds before both were thrown into either side of the street.

The Dragon Orphenoch staggered as he got up at the same time with Xander who was wobbling before he started leaning up against a wall.

"Honey, I need that Blaster Unit," Xander called out as a portal opened next to him with an unusual device coming out of it. Xander grabbed it.

"Thank you, Dawn," Xander hoarsely said before he was then rushed at by the Dragon Orphenoch and had the belt knocked off of him as well as the Blaster Unit. The Belt and Blaster unit went flying towards Ryuki as he regarded it.

Xander, on the other hand, de-transformed and looked very weak and frail. He then sprouted out blue flames from his body.

"Well now…looks like I found another traitor to the Orphenochs," Asakura told him as he crept closer and closer towards Xander.

"Never was fond of killing my friends," Xander grunted.

"Oh really?" the Dragon Orphenoch told him.

"Yeah, fighting demons and guys like you taught me enough," Xander told him. "Hey Kid!" he shouted at Ryuki.

"What?" Ryuki asked.

"Put the Phone into the Blaster Unit. Then put on the Belt and dial in on the Unit: 555." Xander told him as he was then hoisted up by his shirt.

"You've delayed my revenge on Ryuki." The Dragon Orphenoch sneered.

Ryuki pocketed his deck, strapped on the belt and took out the Phone from the Belt before he placed it into the Blaster Unit.

'Awakening.'

"You're not the first person I disappointed nor the last, asshole," Xander talked back towards the Dragon Orphenoch.

Ryuki then dialed in '555' into the Blaster Unit. "Okay…" he took in a deep breath before whispering, "Henshin". He pressed the Enter button.

'Standing By.'

Lines of gold traveled up and down Ryuki's body from the Belt as his body glowed red. All the other heroes watched on in awe as the armor formed on Ryuki. Whilst Xander's default mode was black and silver with red photon streams, this Blaster Mode of Faiz was red and silver with black photon streams and some more armor on the back and gauntlets. His large yellow eyepieces flashed as he touched his faceplate in wonder and amazement as well as shock. Jinx looked at him in awe.

Ryuki only knew that, yes, his wish of becoming a REAL Kamen Rider had just come true. He was now one of the bug-like warriors of justice. He was now…KAMEN RIDER FAIZ!

"Someone wants to talk to you," Xander whispered as he was then thrown to the ground.

The Dragon Orphenoch turned to find Ryuki transformed, now clad in the Faiz Blaster Mode armor.

"We have unfinished business, you and I," Ryuki told him as he looked at his quarry.

"Nice new look," Asakura sneered. He regained his default Orphenoch form. "Too bad it won't help."

"You're going down…ASAKURA!" Ryuki, now as Faiz Blaster Mode, dashed towards the Dragon Orphenoch.

The others stood back, honoring Ryuki's wishes. This was personal; this was Ryuki's fight.

Ryuki aimed a fist at the Dragon Orphenoch's chest and the Orphenoch staggered back. Asakura swung his arm out, but Ryuki ducked and gave him a powerful uppercut. He then followed up with two kicks in the Dragon Orphenoch's solar plexus and another one that sent him crashing into a lamppost.

"He looks like he's handling the Gear better than you," Selene said to Xander playfully.

"Shut it."

The Dragon Orphenoch roared and charged at Ryuki, discarding his outer skin to reveal his sleeker second form. Ryuki saw him a mile away and pushed a button on his SB/Excel Watch. "Clock Up," he said before the watch announced, "CLOCK UP!" and then began moving super fast.

"Look at him go, yo!" Jake shouted out.

"He's like Quicky on crack," Todd added.

"Yeah, he's like-HEY!" Pietro shouted.

Now, let us focus on our two combatants who have entered what I'd like to call the 'Clock Up' phase. The whole world around them has slowed down to a near stand still as the two combatants fought. From the view point, they appear to be fighting at normal speed. However, as you can see from the slow moving area around them, they are actually moving at hyper speed.

Asakura clawed at Ryuki's chest and Ryuki countered with a right hook to his head. He ducked and kicked Ryuki with both feet. Ryuki grabbed him by the ankles and spun him around before throwing him into the building. The Dragon Orphenoch used the building's surface to bounce back and slash at Ryuki with his claws. If Ryuki hadn't been in the Faiz Blaster Mode armor, he would've been cut to ribbons. He grabbed the Dragon Orphenoch by the horns and kneed him in the gut before head butting him in, well, the head. He dropped Asakura. Time for questioning

"What happened to you?" Ryuki asked, his shoulder's heaving while his chest was rising and falling as he tried to collect his breath.

"As if you didn't know," Asakura retorted before using a sweep kick, but Ryuki leapt over it. Asakura flipped back to his feet and grabbed Ryuki by the shoulders. At the same time, Ryuki was holding onto Asakura's wrists, trying to pry off the Dragon Orphenoch. "Don't you remember? You killed me!"

Ryuki's eyes widened. He remembered what Ichijyo told him about Orphenochs. The dormant gene could be activated by death. This would mean that… "No…" Ryuki moaned. It was…It was…The death of the FOH members by Asakura and Asakura becoming an Orphenoch could've all been avoided if Ryuki, as Draco, hadn't…This was…

This was **all his** fault.

The Dragon Orphenoch took advantage of Ryuki's stunned state of shock to kick him in the chest and sending him crashing into a car, smashing the windows. Asakura said, "I smelt it off you, you know? You and I…we're alike." He then leapt away, disappearing from sight, laughing away.

"CLOCK OVER!"

Ryuki got up on his feet. The Dragon Orphenoch had escaped. However, what haunted him more were Asakura's last words.

_"You and I…we're alike…" _

"No," Ryuki denied.

_"We're alike…" _

"No…"

_"You and I…" _

**"NO! SHUT UP!" **

Ryuki placed his hands on his helmet, trying to drown out the words. He began to convulse, his footing becoming unstable. He began growling and Jinx was getting worried.

"Baby?" she said to him. "What's wrong?"

**"STAY BACK!"** he roared, shocking her and making her back away. He ripped the helmet off his head and let out a loud roar into the high heavens. The X-Men, Titans, Team Phantom, Jake and the Brotherhood watched in horrified awe. Ryuki then ripped off the Faiz Driver/Belt and threw it away before clutching his head. The Faiz armor vanished and his skin turned ashen gray. Spikes grew out of his forearms and his shoulders. His hair turned snow white, grew longer and became both spiky and shaggy. His teeth became razor sharp as his canines grew into saber fangs. His eyes shot open and glowed blue. Horns then grew out of his temple, while his red hair turned white. Finally, grey and white armor plating covered his whole body, his head morphing to become a beast's face, complete with a spiky white mane. Standing in Ryuki's place, now, was the Ifrit Orphenoch. He roared out loud and went to a car, thrashing it wildly. He grabbed the car and threw it at a random direction.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM, YO!" Toad screamed.

"Oh no…" Jinx fell to her knees. "Not again…"

"Again?" Cyclops heard her. "You mean, this has happened before?" Cyclops demanded. She nodded.

"Nothing can stop him now…"

Draco roared and began to charge at the X-Men. "X-MEN! SCATTER!" Cyclops ordered.

"LET'S SHAKE THINGS UP!" yelled Avalanche as he focused his powers to cause a powerful tremor. Draco, however, leapt up and fired an ice blast at Lance. Lance got hit and was encased in ice.

"LANCE!" Shadowcat yelled and ran towards her frozen boyfriend. She phased him out. "You okay, Lance?" Lance shivered and sneezed.

"Just a-a-a l-l-l-little c-c-c-cold…" he shivered, teeth chattering.

Quicksilver began to zoom around Draco, creating a whirlwind. "Let's see you beat the GREAT QUICKSILVER!" Quicksilver gloated. Draco, however, unleashed bright blue energy and blasted Quicksilver into the side of a building. "Ow…" he groaned.

Cyclops didn't want to do this, but his friend was now a raging beast. He placed his hands on his visor and fired an optic beam at Draco. However, it had little to no effect on the Ifrit Orphenoch's armored hide. With a roar, he leapt to attack Scott. Nightcrawler jumped next to Scott and then teleported both of them away. The Ifrit Orphenoch's claws only struck into the asphalt. He looked around to attack another target, but the Orphenoch was knocked away by a green necroplasmic blast. The Ifrit Orphenoch got up and turned to see Mortuary, back in his Aries armor, with hands glowing green.

"I'm your opponent! Fight me!" Mortuary yelled out with so much rage in his voice. He ran and then began kicking at the Ifrit Orphenoch, who blocked with his arms and tries to slash with his arm spikes and claws. Sparks flew as both combatants fought one another. Aries let out a battle cry as the Orphenoch roared whilst they battled each other.

A Knight Versus a Beast…How fitting; yet, it was also ironic for they were also friends. Fate is such a cruel master.

"Mortuary's distracting him! I'll try to knock him out!" Jean said and tried to use her telepathy to knock Draco out. It was not affective and she got blasted back. She fell. Scott picked her up.

"What happened?" Cyclops asked.

"I feel like I just hit a wall. I couldn't get into Draco's mind," Jean groaned.

Mortuary kicked Draco hard in the stomach and then delivered a roundhouse kick to the Ifrit Orphenoch's head. He then leapt up and performed a drop kick with both feet. Draco fell to the ground. His body was shaking. Mortuary drew his gun then froze. This was his friend, for crying out loud! Orphenoch or not, it was still Draco, damn it! The Ifrit Orphenoch took advantage of Mortuary's indecision and blasted him back with a blue fireball. He then prepared to impale Mortuary with his sharp black claws, maybe reducing him to dust. However, he got blasted by a blue beam of energy, freezing him in ice.

Jake saw that it was Danny, with glowing blue eyes and blue energy coming from his hands. "New trick?" Jake asked.

"Long story," was Danny's reply before the frozen Ifrit broke free from his prison. He went after Danny, but the halfa phased through the raging Orphenoch.

"**DOUBLE GUITAR STRUMMING!**" Oni shouted as he struck a cord with Ember. Both guitar blasting warriors slammed the Ifrit Orphenoch with twin shockwaves that knocked him into a building. This, however, did not stop his rampage. He, even in his feral and bestial state, was able to use some of his powers. Placing his clawed and grayed hands on the ground, the Ifrit Orphenoch erected two pillars of earth and they slammed into both Ember and Oni. The ghost rocker and musical vizard were both pretty much knocked out.

Xander grabbed his Faiz Gear and put it on. He flipped his phone open and entered the transformation code again before slamming it into his belt. "Henshin!" He changed back into his default Faiz form. Kaixa and Delta followed after and ran at the Orphenoch.

Faix, Kaixa and Delta, at the same time, smashed their fists into the Ifrit Orphenoch and sent him flying. However, using his telekinesis, he recoiled the force of the impact back at the three Riders. Suddenly, Faiz's Autovajin came to the rescue. Xander's robotic partner began shooting at Draco with its buster wheel, firing shot after shot. The Ifrit Orphenoch got fed up and breathed a fireball that smashed into the machine. It reverted to its vehicle mode.

Jinx could no longer just watch as the other heroes fought. She watched as Avalanche caused the ground to shake and her boyfriend being blasted by Danny's ecto-blasts, Mortuary's necro-blasts and Cyclops' optic blasts. Quicksilver created a mini-tornado to throw him into the air before he came back down and Blob shoulder tackled him into a car.

However, the Ifrit Orphenoch/Draco/Ryuki wasn't helping his own case either as he roared and went on the rampage, fighting back. Jinx had to remember, though, that Orphenochs, when enraged, would return to a primitive, feral and aggressive state of mind. The blasts sent him kneeling again as he growled, fangs bared and ready to turn them to ashes.

Draco got up and ready to attack again, until Jinx stepped up in front of him. "STOP!" she shouted. Everyone froze. She was standing facing Draco and between him and the other heroes.

"Jinx! What are you doing?" Mortuary shouted. "He's dangerous!"

Jinx didn't listen and approached her love. "Draco…Ryuki…please…calm down," she begged. "This isn't you. Don't let what Asakura said get to you. You're not a monster. Calm down…" she slowly approached him and wrapped her arms around him, placing her head on his chest. "Change back…" she cooed softly. "Change back…please…" she continued to beg.

"J…Jinx…" the Ifrit Orphenoch said before his body glowed. He was back in human form. His eyes slid close and he fell unconscious.

"BABY!" Jinx screamed. Mortuary deactivated his armor and checked on his friend.

"His pulse is weak. We better get him back to the mansion!" Mortuary shouted. Quicksilver zoomed to them, picked up Draco, and said, "I'll do it! He's an honorary Brotherhood boy! We don't abandon our own!"

"Yeah right," Fred scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Pietro either didn't hear or simply ignored it as he took Draco to the Institute as fast as his legs could carry him.

To Be Continued.

ZK Chromedragozoid: Ryuki/Draco has finally lived his dream of becoming a Kamen Rider. However, what will the future hold now for the young Dragon Knight, realizing that he was the one responsible for Asakura becoming an Orphenoch. Now, the X-Men and Brotherhood as well as the other heroes know that he is an Orphenoch too. Will this change anything? Will Draco lose his friends? Sty tune next time for the concluding chap of this arc entitled "Part 33: Regrets and Sorrows."

NEW CARDS USED.

Bullet Vent: This card increases the power of shooting attacks. In Draco's case, it increases the power of his DRA-Blaster's shots.

Fire Vent: Increases the power of fire based attacks.

Drop Vent: Increase power of mid-air drop kick.

Rapid Vent: Increase speed. In Draco's case, it gave the DRA-Blaster rapid fire abilities.

Upper Vent: Increase power of uppercut.


	33. PT033: Regrets and Sorrow

Part 33: Regrets and Sorrows

Meanwhile, Xander had seen the Dragon Orphenoch's escape. With a sigh, he soon de-transformed. He was looking strangely frail and weak.

"Get Dawn back here, NOW!" Xander grunted as blue flames sparked all over his body. He was having trouble holding his body together as a portal appeared. Shinji and Selene hoisted him up on their shoulders and brought him through the portal.

When Mortuary saw the flames on Xander's body, he immediately knew that Xander was an Orphenoch. He gritted his teeth, hating himself once more for fighting with an Orphenoch. However, he also hated himself for having respect for another Orphenoch aside from Ryuki. Even so, he had to give Xander the benefit of the doubt. He did so for Ryuki and had seen how good a person he was, despite him being an Orphenoch.

The form of a black monstrosity came out of nowhere as he regarded the others. He only wore a pair of pants and a black shirt.

"Get back to the Mansion," it grunted. "It's almost time," was all 'it' said before vanishing from sight. The X-Men did not know what to make of this nor had any time. They had two emergencies to handle. One concerning Ryuki, and another concerning Xander.

* * *

(Xavier's)

Soon, the others arrived to see Ryuki recovering from his last transformation. He was in a hospital gown, hooked onto an IV, as he saw his friends gathered around him.

"I lost control again, didn't I?" Ryuki asked sadly. He couldn't look them anymore in the eye now for they knew what he was now.

"Yes, you did baby," Jen told him as she shed a tear.

Mortuary and Jake only nodded.

"Did I hurt anyone?" Ryuki asked. "Please, tell me the truth."

"You didn't, bro," Jake told him as he patted his shoulder. "Of course, you did kick butt. No one was badly injured, thankfully."

"I shouldn't have allowed it to happen. It could have been prevented," Ryuki told him.

"Nah, it couldn't," a voice came, not too far away, as Dr. Beckett was addressing Xander. He still had blue flames licking all over his body. Ryuki saw this and knew that Xander was the same as him. Did the others know too?

"What do you mean?" Ryuki asked him with a hurt look.

"You didn't know. Believe me. I've been there and done that during the years I was in Sunnydale," Xander told him. "I beat myself up at the fact that I wasn't there for my best friend when her girlfriend was killed."

"Then there is nothing I can do," Ryuki surmised. "I'm a monster."

"Wrong again." Xander grunted. "Prophecies can be right almost but they are vague,"

Willow nodded, "Visions can be changed and the future is unwritten."

"Thanks," Ryuki told him as he noticed a scowl on Craig's face. "What is it?"

"Never mind that," Todd Interrupted Craig, "How in the world did you become an Orphenoch and why did you go berserk like that, yo?"

Ryuki blinked. They knew about Orphenochs? It wouldn't be surprising since they knew Xander, but how? And why weren't they shunning him away? "It's a long story. And I went berserk like that because there is a part of me that I've had to fight so hard," Ryuki told him, sounding dour.

"And what about that armor?" Lance asked.

"Yeah!" Pietro. "That suit was the coolest thing I've ever seen." He added, "Next to me, of course." This earned a few groans to the narcissistic mutant.

Ryuki explained, "I'm a Zodiac Knight, a warrior chosen by destiny to fight against evil." That was the only thing he could tell them. They didn't need to know about the Tournament or the Fight to be The One. Jen and Craig knew, but were keeping their mouths shut about the matter. "Yet, the one who's fighting evil is also evil. Ironic, isn't it?" Ryuki sighed.

"Don't say that," Fred said.

"You're not evil," Wanda added.

"Yeah, mate. Buck up," John/Pyro coaxed.

"What is it today?" Xander quipped. "Give Speeches Day?" Xander complained again as Beckett was getting a little annoyed. "Listen to me, all you have to do is hold on to your principals and never let go. If I'm doing it like you are I would have never got off the Hellmouth. Fight the darkness; rebel against it," he said to Ryuki encouragingly.

"And you know _how_?" Craig asked him, becoming critical.

"I've had good reasons why and those reasons are why I've survived this long," Xander talked back. "My Parents were drunks, my best friend turned into a vampire, I was dumped and abandoned by my friends and I had to put up with guys who were going to destroy the world. What have you done lately?" Craig fell silent at Xander's confession. Xander sat up in his bed and sighed.

"Ryuki has three presences in his mind currently," Xavier told those of the X-Men and guests, "Himself, a demon which has been good for now, and now this Ifrit Orphenoch."

"I'm the only one, so far, who is able to calm him down whenever he changes and goes berserk," Jen told everyone.

"Can't we eliminate the extra consciousness?" Jean asked. Xavier shook his head.

"Ifrit is a part of Ryuki, as is Yaminekoryu. He cannot be without either them. However, Ifrit can be contained," Xavier told her.

"Don't worry. He's under control, thank Kami," said Ryuki. He felt grateful that he had strong mental shields for being an Orphenoch. That way neither Xavier nor Jean would discover that Ifrit was free. Well, as free as he could be. He couldn't take over Ryuki's body so freely now, but Ryuki still felt a little guilty for lying to them.

"What's with the Orphenoch?" Craig asked about Xander as he palmed where his gun would be.

"Dying, Sir," Xander quipped with a cough.

"Yes, his DNA is coming apart at the seams," Beckett reported.

"Why?" Ryuki asked as he found this was his chance to find out why they were all here.

"Orphenochs have a very limited lifespan after they are first _awakened_. I'm past my due date already," Xander laughed as he then winced. His skin was starting to turn grey.

"Wait a minute," Craig said suddenly. "You're telling us that you're dying because of being an Orphenoch?" Craig asked as he was stunned by the news. He knew about how Orphenochs died, but for them having a short lifespan was news to him.

"Desmond told us when Ryuki first turned," Jen told him. "Didn't you know?" Craig shook his head.

"Yeah, I knew what happened to me already, all because of Takumi Inui," Xander smiled serenely.

"Who's he?" Craig asked with confusion now on his face.

"Another Orphenoch like myself who was the primary wearer of the Faiz Gear before me," Xander told him. "He was once just a kid that first wanted to become a hero. But then was smacked with reality and became a real hero."

"I thought…" Craig began

"Orphenochs are human who have a choice whether or not to be good or evil. Ryuki, though, is a different story with that berserker side to him." Xander smiled, "I'm just happy that I learned of what I did before I became one and killed everyone around me."

"Lucky you," Ryuki muttered. He still remembered the people he had killed and no matter how much he tried to wash it off, their blood would always be on his hands.

"We're glad too, kid," Jack O'Neill told him as the rest of those who were involved with the military were dressed in black commando type gear as they entered the room with him who was wearing a black baseball cap.

"Thanks, Jack," Xander smiled as he sighed. "Ed, you can let loose Slimer, I have some words for him."

"Right, Xander," Eduardo told him as to put the circular trap on the ground and pushed the button.

In a flash of light, Slimer flew out and saw Xander as he was dying.

"Xander! Oh no…" Slimer moaned as tears fell from his eyes.

"Yeah, Slimer," Xander told him as he looked at the gathered people around him. They were former enemies, friends on the road and his own family.

"Willow, I'm sorry for keeping this secret from you and dumping it on you. I was trying to keep you from knowing and worrying about me. I want to say this right now though; you were the first and best friend that I ever had and I wish the best for you and Kennedy."

Willow sniffed as Kennedy hugged her close.

"Angel, I've told you once that I'll see you become dust but it looks like you'll see me become that way before you. Please, protect the world so that someday you'll be able to see the sunrise," Xander told him.

"I'll do that," Angel told him with a nod and a tear.

"Spike, one: yes I'm dying and two: I haven't many words for you, but you have a lot of issues with Angel…Resolve them before I'll haunt you ass!" Xander threatened good naturedly

"Bl-l-loddy Wanker," said Spike as he cried.

"Gunn, kick ass as you always have," Xander smiled

"No problem, man," Gunn said as they slapped into a shaking of hands.

"Illryia, I wished I knew you better to say something very profound," Xander admitted sadly.

"I need not your words, Mortal," Illryia told him as a tear unmistakably fell from her eye.

"Nick, keep S.H.I.E.L.D. from being corrupt," Xander regarded Fury. "You'll be needed more than ever in the future."

"I shall," Nick told him, betraying no emotion.

"Egon, tell me by now you are going to have a kid soon so that the person can carry on the family business," Xander said.

"Um…" Egon flushed with embarrassment.

"I thought so," Xander smirked. "Kylie, Eduardo did you guys get hitched yet?"

"No, but engaged," Eduardo told him as he snuggled up together with the Goth girl on armor.

"Good…Good," Xander told them as he looked to Slimer, "Hey pal, keep an eye for the rest of them."

"R-R-Roger, X-X-ander…" Slimer told him as he went all out balling. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Xavier man, I and the military gave you a little gift if you pay attention to the news tomorrow," Xander said to the Professor.

"Xander, I'll be sure to look," Xavier told him, choking on tears.

"Logan-Sensei, thank you for your martial arts training; It really helped me," Xander said to the Canadian mutant.

"You're welcome, kid," Logan smirked.

"Dev, keep an eye on this little cutie and don't break her heart, you hear?" Xander said.

"I hear you, Xander," Devlin told him as he hugged Danni to him closely. He was shocked to see Xander was an Orphenoch, but still saw him as a friend. After all, Devlin was an Orphenoch too.

"Jack, get the Congress and the military around the issue of Mutants and keep an eye on your team out there," Xander said to Jack O'Neill.

"No problem Xander," Jack O'Neill told him as he took off his black baseball cap and held it to his heart.

"Xander Harris, may you take many demons with you in the afterlife," the stoic 'Murray' told him with a nod.

"No problem."

"Indeed."

"John, Liz," Xander regarded them both.

"Yes," John and Liz chimed in.

"Kiss each other or I'll die not giving the others their dues," Xander told them giving a serious face.

"Wha-"

"Resolve Face."

"Damn you, Xander," muttered John Sheppard as he and Elizabeth kissed each other.

"Now I can continue with Dawn…" Xander started to say.

"What, you're not going to tell me anything?" Rodney asked him indignantly.

"Good work."

"That's it?"

"Yup. Now, Dawnie, you've been that little fan of mine that I'm proud of having," Xander said to her.

"It's been a blast," Dawn told him.

"Shinji, when I first saw you I thought you were the ass hole that Takumi had to put up with but you were not. You were a brother to me when I lost my own," Xander said to the holder of Kaixa.

"Thanks, bro," Shinji told him as he brushed his hair back.

"Calendar, keep Jack inline," Xander made her promise.

"Easier said than done," she smirked as she kissed Jack O'Neill on the cheek.

"Isn't it always?" Xander continued, "Faith, you were the sister that I never had. Rebellious and untamed that couldn't be broken. That's what Faith should be," Xander said to the Slayer girl.

"Thanks," she said as she shed a few tears.

"Mikey, thanks for getting Selene out of her shell," Xander told him.

"Hey, it wasn't easy," he told him.

"Selene, thanks for being the one to teach me further about the Martial Arts and push me as a leader," Xander said to the holder of the Delta Gear.

"It was a task that wasn't pleasant as you were aware of," she said.

"Of course," Xander agreed with a chuckle and tears in his eyes. A sniff as he looked to his wife of only a year. "Mari..." He beckoned as she knelt down beside his bed. "You know, when we first met; you called me an 'ass' which was very true back then. Then I saved you from the Eagle Orphenoch and started this journey, which led us here once more to say goodbye for the last time."

"I know," she told him. "The baby won't have a father to teach him what a Twinkie is though."

Keith, in the crowd, then gasped as he knew what he had to do at this moment. He stalked forward towards Xander.

"He has someone already there to teach him that," Xander smiled at his wife.

"You know full well I won't teach him that," Mari snorted and sobbed.

"No, I mean one of the guys could do that," Xander smiled his half smile.

Suddenly, the sound of a sword slash heralded the entrance of a black Yukata wearing Japanese man with a white scarf and cloak. He was a tall man with an emotionless face and a single bang from his head. This was shocking to a lot of people. Jack Fenton was ready to take his Ecto-Bazooka, but was stopped by Maddie and Danny who knew more about the Shinigami.

"I've come to take Xander Harris to the Soul Society so he may become a Shinigami," the man told them. His tone of voice betrayed no emotion. He turned to Ryan and glared. Ryan glared back. To Byakuya, Vizards like Ryan were traitors and criminals of the Soul Society for gaining Hollow powers. It didn't matter that Ryan/Ryunosuke was possessed and had gained control, he was still considered a violator to the laws of the Soul Society. Of course, that was all in the past but not many Shinigami were ready to give up on the old ways.

Ryan, however, did not hate the Shinigami, just their laws. At least as Kamen Rider Oni, he was able to do something good with his Hollow powers and fight for what was right. Sides, he had Ember by his side so being a Vizard wasn't so bad or lonely.

Then, glowing blue lights then ported down and reformed into a man in his thirties as he looked to Xander with a warm face. Again, more people were surprised. Valerie was ready to shoot and ask questions later, but was stopped by Sam's glare.

"Hi. I'm Leo, here to take someone to become an Elder and…Byakuya?" he saw now the Shinigami.

"Whitelighter, this is none of your concern," Byakuya said sternly.

"It's too my concern." Leo insisted.

Just then a golden swirl of lights appeared as a woman in a gold robes appeared.

"Oma," Daniel spoke as he regarded her.

"Whitelighter, Shinigami, you two do not have a hold here," Oma said.

"I'm only here to do a job, Ascended," Byakuya told her as he palmed his Zanpakuto.

"I was assigned to bring someone up," Leo informed them as Xander emitted a whistle.

"TIME OUT! Already People!" Xander told them all. "You can fight after I give the last goodbye alright?"

"Yes sir." They all chimed in.

"Geeze this is funnier than Simpsons: Tree house of Terror," Jack O'Neill said aloud as he got elbowed from Calendar.

"Anyway, to all of you, there are dark powers in this Universe. Then there are those who rise up to challenge those dark powers. We are the ones who step up to challenge them. I leave my seat to you guys now and…" Xander told them as they all bowed their heads. Then before he could finish two hands clamped down on his left forearm.

"KEITH! NO!" Ororo shouted with horror as sparks of blue lightning came from his hands as they channeled around Xander.

"YAHHHHHH!" Xander screamed as lights flashed and glass broke. As suddent as it had happened it all became calm again.

There was a difference in Xander as he wasn't emitting blue flames, nor was he looking frail but strong. His skin had also reverted to its normal coloring.

"KEITH!" Ororo yelled as he and Rahne quickly looked to the frailer child who was lying on the floor.

"I knew I was going die kid but why did you do it?" Xander questioned him. "Why?"

"A child should have two parents to raise them and your child would surely miss out on you being their father," Keith told him as his eyes then glazed over. A moment later, he stepped out of his own body with a chain hanging, broken from it.

"You want someone, you have him right here," Keith stated as he held his arms out to protect Xander. This was a shocking turn of events. Craig had seen strange stuff. But Whitelighters? Shinigamis? Ascendeds? Now a kid's soul coming out of his own body? He turned to look at Ryuki, who simply shrugged.

"You get used to it," Ryuki said to his gun-slinging and necroplasam throwing friend. "I did."

"I was not here for you, child," Byakuya stated to Keith as he turned with his sword and slashed open a doorway. "Xander Harris, someday I'll be back," he promised before disappearing through the doorway.

"I'll be back for you as well, Alexander Harris," Oma told him as she too vanished in a swirl of golden light.

"Okay Leo, what are you still standing around here for?" Xander asked the Whitelighter.

"I told you all that I was here for someone," Leo told everyone. "And that _someone_ is Keith Lockheart," Everyone gasped.

"**WHAT**?" Everyone in the room chimed in.

"Yes," Leo nodded. "He nobly sacrificed himself for you, Xander. Besides, Keith is right, no child should grow up without a father," Leo told him as he took Keith by the hand. "You still have time to say one last goodbye to them before you become an Elder."

Keith sighed, preparing his speech. "I guess if I have to say anything, now's the time. As you all have known I've worshipped heroes like Xander who had it rougher than most of us. Not because he was a mutant or an Orphenoch but because he didn't come from a home that would support him. I wish to see him grow old and keep on kicking evil's butt for years to come," Keith stated to all of them. This was really touching and Ryuki was starting to tear up. He didn't know Keith well. However, he respected the kid for his noble sacrifice.

"Xander, Keith repaired and changed your DNA. You are still an Orphenoch, however, but tougher and you can change into your Orphenoch form and back without serious consequences. You also have a longer lifespan equal to that of a regular human," Leo informed him as both he and Keith then disappeared in a shower of blue light.

There was not a single dry eye in the entire room after he left. Now Xander could live…but at the cost of the life of one very noble young boy.

He would be missed…he would be remembered…

Rest in peace, Keith Lockheart.

* * *

_The next day…_

_Amazing Grace_

_How Sweet the sound_

_That saved a wretch like me…_

_I was once was lost but now I'm found_

_Was blind but now I see…_

The funeral of Keith Lockheart was handled with the utmost care as all were gathered around the boat which held Keith as well as most of his belongings. In Keith's journal, he wanted a Viking funeral. Both Ryuki and Pyro took on the honor of setting the boat aflame before letting it sail away. It brought no comfort to all involved as they said their final goodbyes to one very special child.

Afterwards, at Keith's request, they were to have a dinner, which composed of pizza as they would speak of him in memory. The others who didn't know him well remembered him for his noble sacrifice. To give ones life for another was not a simple selfless act.

Ryuki had only a dire look upon his face. He was actually going to die because of being an Orphenoch, he wouldn't be around for so long. Dr. Spengler told him that he would continue to do research and make the proper medication for him to cease the breakdown of his DNA and body. Xander only stood in silence as he looked out the window. He felt better than before but it didn't give him any comfort at all.

"Ryuki, Jen, Craig," Xander called out to the three Titans as he looked out the window with his hands behind his back. The Titans proceeded to get out of their chairs at the table as they stood to one side of him. Ryuki was holding Brimstone. "I want you guys to know about what you might be facing," Xander told them stoically.

"Hm..?" Ryuki quirked an eyebrow.

"The Orphenoch King. It has a lot of power that will be harder to take down than Asukura and it has the power to make even more powerful Orphenochs," Xander told them. They all gasped. Craig kept a stoic expression. "These Orphenochs will be stuck in their Orphenoch forms while I'm able to transform back and forth."

"How does it do it?" Ryuki asked him.

"It will 'fix' the gene," Xander told him as he took another swig of his drink.

"Thank you," Ryuki told him.

"No problem, Dragon boy."

"Just two questions..."

"I've got a few hours yet…" Xander told him with a grin.

* * *

**3 Hours, several bathroom breaks, and multiple trash cans used later…**

Xander finished his story with Ryuki, Jen and Craig having their mouths dropped. They were stunned and amazed. Even Brimstone had his mouth open.

"You have the memories of a past Orphenoch?" Craig asked, shocked.

"You're the Savior?" Jen was awed.

"You're a Kamen Rider?" Ryuki was amazed. "A REAL Kamen Rider?"

"Yes, yes and yes to all accounts. I'm one of the latest generation of them and one of the most active agents," Xander told them with a pleased look, "Counting Shinji and Selene, of course."

"Sugoi," Ryuki told him in awe.

"Yeah, but you are not going to be taking my job," Xander told him as he saw Nick Fury walking up to them, Ryan with him. "Fury, Ryan, what brings you two here?" Xander asked as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Vizard/Kamen Rider stopped in front of them.

"I'm here to tell Mr. Hasuma something," Nick told him as he looked to Ryuki. "I'm aware of the existence of the Mirror Dimension and the Zodiac Knights." Ryuki's eyes widened.

"How?" Ryuki asked, "I thought no one but the Knights were supposed to know, weren't they?' Of course, the Titans knew and some of their closest friends knew, even if they weren't Zodiac Knights. Must be one of those loopholes in the system and rules.

Ryan explained, "I knew your friend, Desmond, and he told me when I first saw him transform a while back (See Finding Phantom by Ant Crown)."

"And we of S.H.I.E.L.D. have our ways," Fury said cryptically before continuing, "I also know how important it is keeping the Mirror Dimension a secret as well as how important the Knights are themselves in fighting the monsters of the Mirror Dimension. Last night I also saw two people throw down their very lives for others." Ryuki nodded and awaited the coming blow. Nick told him, "I'm asking you, Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, to become a Kamen Rider," Ryuki's eyes went wide and his mouth went wide open with shock.

"M-me, sir? A K-Kamen Rider?" Ryuki could barely speak. Jen smiled.

"That's right, kid," the pink haired rock n rollin Vizard said, "You've earned it."

"I gave a certain someone a call about you and it's now official," by 'a certain someone', Fury meant one of the Legendary Kamen Riders. Fury then looked to Xander and said to him, "I trust you'll give him a name suitable for him."

"Of course, sir, and my report has been sent," Xander told him as Nick left the three with dumbfounded looks.

"I'm a…" Ryuki repeated as he breathed in deeply. He dream was about to come true.

"Yes, a Kamen Rider, which means we're both watchdogs that send reports once a year on every big bad conflict that goes on," Ryan said.

Xander sighed and added, "We also get together every year or so to meet, greet and talk about what we've seen or done lately."

"So you guys…" Ryuki started to look disappointed at the fact of writing and sending reports; he wasn't good at that now even when he was an Operative of Smart Brain himself. However, the prospect of meeting the other Riders…Especially the Legendary Riders…

"We all get in on the action as we know about the Vamps, The Covenants, the Charmed Ones, and all the other good and bad stuff that goes on," Xander told him with a smile. "So it's never a boring job." He then joked, "Although, sometimes, we do need a vacation once in awhile."

"Yatta!" Ryuki cheered. "So, what's my Kamen Rider name then?" Ryuki said, hopping up and down excitedly. Jen giggled as Craig rolled his eyes at his friend's immaturity and enthusiasm. Ryan chuckled at the 'rookie'.

"You shall be feared by evil by the name of…" Xander paused dramatically, "**Kamen Rider Draco**," Xander told him, making with all the ludicrous gestures.

Ryuki said disappointingly, "I was kinda hoping of going by Kamen Rider _Ryuki_."

Ryan said apologetically, "Sorry rookie, but you need to have a secret identity and a codename. It wouldn't be smart to have your codename being the same as your real name." He then muttered, "Unlike _some_ people." Danny glared at Ryan from afar. He had heard him.

Xander added, "Take my Gear for example. The Gear I have is named Faiz and that's **my** Kamen Rider name. Same goes for Shinji being Kaixa and Selene being Delta," Xander explained. "I found out that it helps if the bad guys don't know what your face looks like or what your real name is or who you really are for that matter. Then you should be in the clear and you can protect those close to you."

"OK, I guess that's alright," Ryuki said, beginning to see the logic in the statement. Xander then gave him a card with his name on it and it held the symbol of the Kamen Riders. Ryuki smiled broadly.

"Hey, don't worry. Just because you are by yourself with a name you don't like doesn't mean it gives you the right to complain," Xander told him. "I'm called the Savior, which I'm not too happy about yet either."

"OK…" Ryuki told him when the News played.

"Last night a mutant attacked FOH owned property and savagely killed 10 of its members," the reporter stated as all the mutants and military personnel in the party 'booed. "Also, in an ironic and shocking twist, just this morning, Head of the Friends of Humanity Graydon Creed and several other members of the FOH have given confessions of rape, murder, drugs and illegal firearms licenses to the police this morning."

Xavier then turned off the News and glared at both Xander and O'Neill who had innocent looks on their faces.

"What did you let O'Neill do?" Logan asked as he already had it all figured out.

"Oh, I thought that last night was going to be the night I would be dying so…" Xander told him, giving a very innocent look.

"I suggested that I, my former team, and a few other guys who were bored and with nothing to do from a nearby air force base pay a little _visit_ to a little shindig that Creed had going on."

Xavier prepared for the story. He would need a drink after this to calm his nerves and it wouldn't be Earl Grey Tea.

* * *

(FLASH BACK!)

Last night, in Albany New York, there was a conference held by Graydon Creed to support Anti-Mutant sentiment. In the middle of the speech, Jack O'Neill, wearing his Black Ops gear, had walked in front of the stage with a can of beer in his hand. He sat down and cracked open the can, disturbing Creed's speech.

"Excuse me, but we are not supposed to bring drinks in," Creed told him with a small smile.

"Can a guy have a beer and listen at the same time?" Jack O'Neill asked as he feigned innocence.

Graydon then continued, "It has come to my attention that these meta-humans and alien pests are like the mutants taking…"

"BLAAAAAAARCCCCCCCHHHHH!" Jack O'Neill belched a long steady one.

"Could you please stop disrupting this conference?" Graydon glared at Jack O'Neill.

"Could you stop being a jackass?" Jack O'Neill retorted.

"What?"

"You heard me."

Suddenly, several men in Black Ops uniforms barged in and held their guns at the members of the FOH. Jack O'Neill then, with a smile, stepped up to the stage and lightly pushed Creed a little from the podium.

"Hello, the name's Jack O'Neill. I'm a concerned citizen that would like to talk to you for a few moments…."

**A few minutes later…**

"Now repeat what I just said," Jack O'Neill told Graydon as he was finished.

"Mutants, Aliens, and meta-humans are our friends, not enemies. They are not to be hassled with or beaten. They are people and we like people," Graydon said unnaturally as he was gritting his teeth nervously.

"And…?" Jack asked with a 'devil may care grin'.

"We'll turn ourselves over to the police and turn in our firearms and confess to all of the crimes we have ever committed and spread the word to our camps."

"Thank you and if you don't, I'll come back like Sitting Bull and his boys on Custer's Last Stand," Jack told them as he and his boys exited the premises.

Graydon, shaking with rage, finally said, "Meeting Adjourned."

FLASHBACK ENDS!

* * *

Xavier just kept glaring at Jack O'Neill. If Xavier wasn't pleased with either of their actions then he would have them thinking that they two year olds and/or yelled at. "So…you just held them at gunpoint and told them if they didn't do as you say you would kill them?" Xavier asked, already knowing the answer. It was a rhetorical question, but Jack O'Neill answered anyway.

"Yes, but the guns were filled with blanks and/or rubber bullets," Jack O'Neill told him knowing that the glare wouldn't let up.

"You took an enormous risk, General."

"Ah well, you couldn't blame me for trying to help Xander's friends. Plus, we kept those guys off your back during the fight," Jack O'Neill told him as he gulped.

"Thank you, General and Xander," Xavier told him. "We'll meet each other at Congress, I take it?"

"Yes, with a guy Xander knew through the Ghostbusters," Jack O'Neill told him as he sat down.

"Looks like we all contributed this time, Xander-kun," Mari told her husband as she came in behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Indeed we have," he told her as he turned his head to kiss her.

Ryuki watched as everyone was getting along. He then looked to his two teammates, Jen and Craig, as well as his young friend Jake. He hoped the best for everyone in the future.

He was also glad that he had finally attained his dream…of becoming a Kamen Rider.

Of course, despite Ryan and Xander's warning, he still wanted to go by Kamen Rider **Ryuki**. I mean, it worked for Danny since he went by the superhero name of **Danny** Phantom. Who could tell the difference?

Suddenly, there was an explosion.

"DAD!" yelled Danny Fenton as he was drenched in fruit punch.

"SORRY!" apologized Jack Fenton. He licked his lips, "Yummy…Fudge!"

To Be Continued…

This is a crossover with Ant Crown's work known as Faiz of the Hellmouth. Check out his fic or e-mail him if you want to know what the hell is going on. He wrote most of the chap and I edited. He helped out. Although, I really hope he proofreads whatever he writes. His grammar and spelling are atrocious. Then again, I'd be a hypocrite if I said I never made a mistake writing this fic.

Anyway, in the next chap, we get to see a new villain. Who is he? Check out the next chap entitled "Part 34: Cult". Check it out. Bye!


	34. PT034: Cult

Part 34: Cult

It was nearing sunset in the small country of Zandia and on a mountain range which was dubbed "The Mountains of Madness" for the many dark rituals and evil summonings that have taken place there stood a massive temple. The temple was a gargantuan structure, which was placed on the highest point of the Mountains of Madness. The temple courtyard seemed to be guarded by the statue of a very grotesque creature, which was possibly one of the many dark gods of the earth. The creature had a human like body which was covered with scales, massive batwings, and a head which seemed to look like a very large octopus. Inside the temple there was a mass group of people, all of which seemed to be from different places around the world. They seemed to be gathered for some sort of church like mass. They were all talking amongst themselves until from the balcony of the grand hall came a figure covered in a black monk like robe. Everyone fell silent in his presence and waited for him to speak.

"My friends, no, my brothers and sisters of the beautiful Orphenoch race, I welcome you to my home. I realized the rest of the world has turned their back on you for what you have become," The cloaked one said in a loud and powerful voice. He then raised his arms and prepared to speak again:

"I see, hear, and feel for you. I see your family and friends shunning and disowning you. I hear your cries of pain and pleas for acceptance. I feel your anguish and anger!" The cloaked one grew louder and the Orphenochs started to cheer at his speech. The cloaked one removed his robe. He was a middle aged man with black hair that was slightly graying on the sides. He wore a black breastplate with a blue mantle over it. He also had blue gauntlets and boots. This man was known only as Brother Occultus who was none other than the younger brother of Brother Blood. News of Blood's death only made Occultus joyful as his only competition was out of the way.

"Trust in me, your brother, and pray for my power; the power of Brother Occultus! There are forces outside of this temple that wish you dead! One of the forces of which I speak is a foul slayer of Orphenochs who goes by the name of Mortuary."

Angry roars came from the crowd when they heard Mort's name. Occultus raised his hands to silence the crowd.

"I ask all of you to become avengers of your fallen brethren and destroy the one called Mortuary. I have already come up with an attack plan. We will destroy this Orphenoch killing demon and anyone that gets in out way. The plan will be shared with you another time. It is late and I am sure you all wish to rest. Farewell, my brothers and sisters."

With his speech finished, Occultus left his brothers and sisters (puppets) and went down the hall behind the balcony to a secret elevator that led to his war room where he and his high Orphenoch generals would often meet. As he entered the war room, all of the generals bowed as he walked in. Occultus had six high generals: Saber the Lion Orphenoch, Richter the Centipede Orphenoch, Nami the Lobster Orphenoch, Asakura the Dragon Orphenoch, Danuth the Squid Orphenoch, and J the Alligator Orphenoch.

"Report," Occultus commanded.

"Blood Web has failed, my lord," Danuth, who was a pale elderly man who was often seen with a walking stick that was often used to fool his enemies into thinking he was weak, spoke up, "Though, we have went through the data we recovered from your brother's academy and found something that should interest you greatly."

"Show me," Occultus commanded.

And on command, one of the monitors of the war room showed a file of Draco, complete with pictures of his Orphenoch, Armored, and Human forms.

"This is Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, also known as Zodiac Knight Draco. Ryuki is also an Orphenoch, the very same one that killed your brother."

"What are you implying by showing me this, Danuth?" Occultus asked, sounding very interested.

"I believe we should recruit him, master. He could be an asset."

"Ryuki is weak, we should just kill him," Asakura protested. He hated Ryuki for 'killing' him in the Mirror Dimension. All he wanted was to destroy the Dragon Knight for humiliating him.

"Patience, Asakura," Occultus started, "If he does not cooperate, then I will let you have your fun."

Asakura grinned widely after hearing that Occultus would let him destroy Draco personally if need be.

"There may be one minor problem in his recruitment, my lord. Ryuki is also an ally of Mortuary," said Danuth.

"Well if Mortuary had been killed by Blood Web, then this wouldn't be a problem now would it?" J stated in a snarl. J was a muscular looking African American male. He was bald and wore a tailored black suit.

"Are you questioning my judgment in recruiting agents, J?" Occultus asked in an annoyed tone

"Yeah and I'm even questioning why I'm even following you. You're not even an Orphenoch!"

Suddenly, Occulutus' eyes started to glow a bright blue and with a wave of his hand, J's body started to glow the same color. The Alligator Orphenoch started levitating in the air and as Occultus started to clench his fist, J screamed out in pain

"How dare you speak to me that way? Don't you know that I could crush every bone in your body with my mind? Speak like that again and I'll be forced to do so," Occultus then let go of his grip on J.

"Yes…master," J said as he wheezed.

Occultus then said, "Very interesting, this Ryuki fellow. Mortuary, as I know, hates all Orphenochs."

"Thank me for that, master," Saber said to him. Saber had spiked blonde hair and a very muscular body. He was dressed in his usual attire of a black tank top, camouflage pants and combat boots.

"Yes, that is true. Now, why would Mortuary decide to align himself with what he hates?"

Asakura scoffed, "It's only because the Dragon kid is too cowardly to except himself as an Orphenoch. Maybe it's because Mortuary only accepts his human side."

Danuth then said, with disgust, "His _human_ side? How revolting. Most of us surrendered our humanity a long time ago. Also, any Orphenoch who does not accept his Orphenoch-hood should be executed."

Nami, who was an extremely attractive blonde with curves that a supermodel would die for, then put in her two cents, "But maybe, we can put this to our advantage."

"How so, Nami?" Occultus asked the Lobster Orphenoch,

"Well I read news reports that, like your brother, 4 others were killed in the same manner. This was also within the timeframe when young Ryuki first assumed his Orphenoch form."

"You think the boy did it?"

"I **know** the boy did it," Nami smirked.

Occultus rubbed his chin and smirked, "Maybe there is a way to make him join our side…"

Richter, a Chinese man with short black hair, dressed in a simple white shirt and black slacks who also wore a pair of glasses, was the only one who remained silent during the meeting. In his hand was a book of poetry. "…"

* * *

Back at Titans Tower, Jump City, Shadow was in his room typing up another report. Since the other Titans (Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy and Starfire) had left to fight the Brotherhood of Evil, he, Draco, Pluto, Terra, Blackfire, Jinx and Mortuary had been left to protect the city in their absence. So far, there hadn't been anything major like super villain attacks; just the usual bank robberies and muggings that occurred during their patrols. At least there were the common monster attacks that were caused by the monsters of the Mirror Dimension.

The young CEO sighed. Covering up the existence of the Mirror Dimension was tiring to say the least. However, Smart Brain was able to cover it up.

He looked over one of the newest projects Smart Brain had called Project: Inzecter System. Based on what he had read, the Project was to make a system that was similar to the Zodiac Knights' Armors, allowing whoever possessed them to enter the Mirror Dimension to fight. It was a step up from the Smartroopers and was being developed in Hong Kong. They were already in the testing stages.

He looked over a framed photograph of the Titans that were taken before the others left to fight the Brotherhood of Evil. He smiled sadly as he gazed at Raven and Starfire's pictures. He would miss those two the most. Raven was his love and Starfire was his best friend. He said to himself, "I really hope you can come back soon." He was the only one at the Tower. The others were out doing their own thing. Until they were needed, and Shadow called, they were free to do whatever they wanted.

Pluto was working in the garage with Blackfire helping him. He was doing maintenance work on their vehicles. He would also go through some plans for new weapons and Blackfire would help carry the heavy machinery.

Draco and Jinx were out in the town, taking Brimstone for a walk. Brimstone was given a special collar that made him look like a normal dog. People would freak out at a furless black dog with horns, so Brimstone looked like a Doberman puppy when disguised.

Terra and Mortuary were training outside, sparring with each other. Mortuary was shooting at boulders that Terra would throw at him.

Shadow sighed. He looked over the report Draco had given to him on his last visit to New York. He received a similar report from Jake Long, another fellow Smart Brain Operative in New York. From what he gathered, someone had stolen the new Emperor Belts. This worried Shadow for the Emperor Belts were made based on battle data collected on the Knights. The amalgamated abilities of the Emperor Belts and their wearers would cause massive destruction in the wrong hands.

The identity of the thief, as Shadow had suspected, was Copycat and that could only mean that Slade was involved. The madman had been quiet, too quiet, and it had unnerved Shadow. What was he planning?

On another note, Draco's visit to the Xavier Institute was anything but pleasant. Asakura (Zodiac Knight Scorpios) was NOT dead. He was back for revenge. He was also an Orphenoch that was much more powerful than Draco in his Zodiac Knight form. Draco had driven him away with some extra help, but Shadow knew that the evil Asakura would be back. He would not rest until Draco was dead.

Shadow leaned back in his seat. Why wasn't being acting leader an easy job?

* * *

Outside of the Tower, Mortuary and Terra had just finished their sparring exercises and were ready to head back into the Tower. Just before they went back in, Mort grabbed a nearby duffel bag which he had brought out before. Mort started to unzip the bag and reach in it for something. Terra had finally decided to ask something.

"What are you looking for in there?" Terra raised an eyebrow.

"Something I've been saving incase we ever saw each other again," Mort answered in an excited tone. Terra gave out a gasp of what Mort had taken out of the bag. Mort had pulled out a leather jacket that had a large red wolf face on the back and blue stripes going down the arms. This was Terra's old Red Wolves jacket!

"I can't believe you kept this!" Terra said before giving Mort a hug of nearly Starfire-like proportions.

Mort smiled, "Well, I knew we'd see each other again. It was only a matter of time."

"You know, I'm really glad you're around even though your introduction to the others and Ryuki was a bit…..rough at first. It's so strange how you've become such good friends with Ryuki even though the only reason you came here was to kill him."

Mort sighed, "It's good to make new friends, even though I drove my first ones away from me and got my other ones killed."

Terra put her hands on Mort's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Look, it wasn't you that drove everyone away. You were scared of Occultus and I think we all were. He was the toughest opponent we ever came across. So it's not your fault, ok? You need to stop blaming yourself."

Mort gave a slight chuckle. "You were always the one that could calm me down. I guess that's why you're my sis. You always found a way to calm us all down."

"I was wondering; have you ever talked to Ashleigh since we all separated?" Terra asked.

Mortuary shook his head depressingly, "No. I think we're done for good. It was nice while it lasted though."

Terra had a menacing smirk, "That means there's only one thing for me to do…."

Mort tensed up, "Look, I know Beast Boy is gone but that's just not right."

Terra looked confused "What are you talking about?" She then figured it out and gave him five across the eyes. She was ticked, "I was talking about helping you find a girl!"

"Why? I don't need one," Mort protested.

"Oh yes, you do. I think that's why you're sour all the time."

Mortuary was about to come up with a good comeback but Terra just wanted to do something nice for him and nice things weren't happening to him recently. He sighed and said, "I'll let you try"

Terra smiled brightly. "You won't regret it, I promise. We should probably get back in the Tower. I'm sure Shadow is bored as hell."

On the way back into the Tower, Mortuary thought that a girlfriend would be nice but there was the fact that he wasn't gonna be around long enough to enjoy it. Mortuary shrugged off the thought for now and followed Terra back into the Tower.

(Tower Garage)

After months of hard work, Pluto had finally completed his dream project. It took blood, sweat, hard work and time but it was worth it. He, Yoshiyuki Takada a.k.a. Zodiac Knight Pluto…had finally rebuilt (Pause for dramatic effect)

THE BLUE HOUND!

Or to be precise the Blue Hound Mark II

Yes, he had rebuilt his car.

Back in Tokyo, the original Blue Hound was damaged beyond repair. The Blue Cadillac had been used by both demons and Raven as a weapon and thrown around and wrecked. Pluto blamed Shadow for this, but there was nothing he could do. After all, it was Shadow who paid him and he couldn't defy Shadow…no matter how tempting it was. He was already in debt with Shadow for all the mishaps he had caused over the years and going against him was not a good idea. However, at least Shadow was reasonable enough to allow him to continue work in Smart Brain. Despite Pluto's destructive inventions, Shadow recognized genius when he saw it and Pluto had been an unappreciated genius.

Also, Pluto owed Shadow for paying for his mother's medical expenses. He was grateful to his friend, leader and comrade the Snake Knight and would follow him until the end. Pluto, even though he wouldn't admit it, was amazed by Shadow.

Anyway, regarding the Blue Hound II, the vehicle itself was a sleek machine that could be convertible…in more ways than one. It had an off road mode, flight mode and submarine mode. It was also armed with the latest in Smart Brain weapon systems. Not only that the body had been made out of Soul Metal, the seats from Soul Fiber and the tires from Soul Rubber. Painted sapphire and silver, with Pluto's hood ornament on the front, it was the ideal vehicle…However, right now it wasn't exactly being used as the ideal vehicle.

Why, you may ask?

Apparently, two forms were in the backseat and, well, they were using it to make out. The girl was a former alien criminal and hailed from Tamaran. Her name was Blackfire. The boy under her was in fact Pluto and was having the time of his life. He didn't mind that Blackfire was so dominant. In fact he actually liked it. She smirked down on him and kissed him passionately.

To be fair, Pluto could've finished this months ago. Unfortunately, he was distracted by, not what but most likely, a certain who with orange skin, black hair, violet eyes and supermodel looks.

That's right. The distraction was Blackfire, but to him it was a welcomed distraction.

This girl, this strange, powerful and wonderful girl, was the love of his life and he wouldn't give her up for anything. She was wild and carefree…and could break him in half when pissed, but she was an angel to him.

"Y'know, Puppy," she cooed to him, using the nickname she had chosen for him, "This thing is really comfortable."

"I know. Can't wait to take it for a spin," Pluto said as he grinned goofily. His visor was off, revealing his blue eyes to her. "And take you along for the ride, babe." She smiled, leaned down and kissed his nose.

"Why don't we?" she purred.

Soon, the car was shaking, and not because of the motor running.

Suddenly, the alarm blared.

"ALERT! ALERT!" T.I.T.A.N., the Tower's AI, shouted in alarm as the alarms suddenly blared and Shadow, Terra, Mortuary, Pluto, and Blackfire entered the Common Room. Draco and Jinx, however, were still out. Backfire and Pluto still looked slightly disheveled, but Shadow paid no heed.

Mortuary was the first to speak up, "What's going on, Shadow?"

Shadow told him, "I got a report about an attack by weird white and grey creatures. Sound familiar?" Shadow took a look at the monitors, "Looks like an Orphenoch attack, a massive one."

Mortuary cracked his knuckles, "That's all I needed to hear. I'm out!"

"Mortuary, wait!" Shadow turned to Pluto, "Go with him. I need Terra and Blackfire to remain here for now and let Jinx know that she needs to return here as well."

Pluto nodded, "Gotcha, Shadow." Pluto called Mort too, "Come on, Star Pupil!" as he ran out of the common room

"Right behind you, Professor!" Mort followed eagerly

After both of them left, Blackfire approached Shadow and said, "Ok, how come we have to stay here? We're not weak and defenseless, you know." She glared at the Snake Zodiac Knight.

"Yeah, shouldn't we go in as a team? Terra added, hands on her hips and leering at their current leader.

Shadow just gave a smirk. "I have something to give you girls." In his hand was a black and silver metal briefcase with Smart Brain's emblem on it.

Draco and Jinx, as mentioned before, were still out. They were in the park walking the dog. The dog was really a breed of hell hound known as Kaisers and was disguised to look like a small Doberman puppy. If Brimstone, the puppy in question, was seen in his true form…well, you can just guest the worst that could happen.

"Jinxy-chan?" Ryuki asked.

"Yes, baby?" she replied, looking at him.

"Are you happy?" he asked. It was a strange question.

Holding his hand tightly, she said, "Yes, I am."

"Good." He smiled to her. "I'm happy that you're happy."

Something about his behavior worried her. Ever since they left Bayville, something…she could feel it. She could feel that something was bothering him and it worried her. He wasn't talking to her about it and hid his worry behind a smile. However, she could see through his smiles and knew something was wrong.

If only he would tell her.

"Jinxy-chan?" he suddenly asked, shocking her from her reverie. "Do you think…do you think…?" he couldn't finish the question.

"Do I think what?" she asked

"Do you think I made the right choice, about continuing to fight?"

She didn't know how to answer.

Brimstone barked and dragged them towards a hotdog vendor. Smiling, Ryuki said, "Alright, alright. Hold on, Brimstone. We'll get you a hotdog."

They bought the hotdogs and ate them while sitting on a bench. Brimstone enjoyed his with fervor.

Jinx couldn't shake off the question. He seemed content that she didn't answer. But what could she say to a question like that?

Suddenly, their communicators rang. Jinx took hers out and Ryuki took out his DRA-Phone.

It could only mean one thing:

Trouble.

Shadow told them what was wrong and they nodded.

"Jinxy-chan," Draco said as he narrowed his eyes, clutching his Deck. "Take Brimstone home."

"Be careful," Jinx said as she took hold of the leash.

He gave her a confident smile, "You know I will." And then took off.

Jinx stood there and watched him go.

Mortuary got separated from Pluto and was walking down a deserted alley. Suddenly a ball of blue energy flew out towards him. Luckily he was able to roll out of the way. Mortuary continued to walk down the alley to find the source of the blast and when he finally found it he was horrified. A familiar black and blue armored foe stepped out of the darkness. It was Mortuary's arch nemesis: Brother Occultus.

"Why, hello there Mortuary. How long has it been?" Occultus asked with demonic smile.

Mortuary growled, "Not long enough. I assume you came here to kill me."

Occultus laughed, "Among other things. Tell me, would you happen to know a young man that goes by the name of Ryuki?"

Mort's eyes widened and he demanded, "What do you want with Leo?"

"Well, it just so happens that I wish to recruit young Ryuki as one of my Orphenoch agents. That reminds me, why are you his ally?" He spoke like this was the biggest joke in the world.

Mortuary started, "He's my friend who I trust with my life and…." Mortuary began to yell "….He'll never join you! I'll never let you recruit him! You'll have to kill me to get to him!"

"So be it!" In a flash, Occultus sent a powerful punch into Mort's face

Mortuary quickly got up and got ready to fight. Mortuary pulled out his Aries Zodiac Deck and his belt materialized. He told Occultus, "I've got a new power that I hope will ruin your day." Mortuary took in a deep breath and prepared for battle. He shouted, "Empowerment of Aries……HENSHIN!" Mortuary inserted the deck into his belt and was instantly in his armor. Mortuary started with a full assault of kicks which Occultus blocked with ease. Occultus then struck back with a psionic energy ball that flung Mortuary back into a wall.

Occultus grinned maniacally, "Now it's my turn."

Occultus was giving Mortuary a very brutal beating. First Occultus had Mort pinned to a wall and was pulverizing him with punches and throwing him around like nothing. Mortuary knew that he was no match for Occultus. He was just fighting him to keep him from finding Ryuki.

Occultus got back to the beating, grabbing Mortuary's arm, and twisting it and letting out a very loud snapping noise. He then kicked him across the ground.

Mort let out a small laugh, letting blood seep out of his mouthplate as he was getting up with his one not broken arm. "Heh heh, you hit like a girl."

Occultus let out a sigh, "Oh Mortuary, must you really torture yourself like this?" Occultus grabbed Mortuary by the neck and lifted his face to his. "Now tell me, where is young Ryuki?" Mortuary opened up his entire face plate, spit blood all over Occultus' face and grinned widely. This got Occultus so pissed that he flung Mort against a wall and prepared to shoot Mort with a deadly hail of energy balls that would surely kill him. He then decided to add insult to injury by saying, "This reminds me, the one who ordered the attack on your Templars…..was me." He then fired upon the shocked Mortuary.

Mortuary was shocked at the revelation and grew angry. However, his body was in too much pain to do anything. Mortuary couldn't move quick enough to stop the attack so he just waited for it. As Occultus shot the energy balls, Mortuary didn't feel anything. Was it over? Did he die that fast?

No.

Suddenly in front of Mortuary was a familiar Zodiac Knight in red, silver, black armor. It was Draco. He held his shield out and deflected the attack, saving Mortuary's life. Draco turned his attention towards Mortuary and kneeled down next to his injured friend.

"Daijoubu ka, Mortuary?" Draco asked.

Mort smiled, "Always saving my ass aren't you?"

Draco just shook his head and retorted with a smirk, "Maybe if you weren't always 'Mr. Lone Wolf' all the time I wouldn't have to. So, you ready to take this guy down?"

Mort pointed to his left arm and said, "My arm's kinda broken here."

Occultus approached both of the young Zodiac Knights and clasped his hands together. He said in a disgustingly pleasant tone, "Ah, just the Orphenoch I wanted to see. The Orphenoch that rid me of my wretched brother." He was talking to Draco and he knew this too.

"Who the hell are you?" Draco asked in an angered tone. "And what are you talking about?" He was thinking, '_How does he know I'm an Orphenoch? And what did he mean I rid him of his brother?_'

"He's Brother Occultus," Mortuary answered. "He's the younger brother of Brother Blood and he likes to beat up on teenagers as much as his brother. He's pathetic."

"Now, now, Mortuary," Occultus said in a fake hurt tone, "You shouldn't insult people like that. That really hurts my feelings."

"You don't have feelings, you monster!" Mortuary snapped and winced at the pain.

"Mortuary, let me handle this. You stay back and rest," Draco advised.

"To hell I am!" Mortuary shot back. Draco didn't flinch.

Draco turned his attention back to Occultus. '_Something about this guy doesn't feel right. It's like…I can't put my finger on it._'

Occultus smiled at Draco, "Must we fight, my boy? After all, I'm not the enemy here."

"Not from where I'm standing," Draco shot back. Occultus was not deterred.

"If you must know, the real enemy is…" Occultus pointed to Mortuary, "HIM!"

Mortuary glared and shouted to Draco, "Don't listen to him, Draco! He's just trying to play with your mind!"

"What makes you say that?" Draco asked Occultus, ready to call on his Dragonzer if the madman made any wrong moves.

Occultus laughed. "Don't you know what he's done? Ever since an Orphenoch killed his friends, the Templars, he's been on a one man crusade against all Orphenochs! It didn't matter to him whether they were good or bad. He would kill any Orphenoch that he set his eyes on."

Draco eyes widened and froze. He turned to look at Mortuary. "Is this true?" he asked. "Is this true, Mortuary?" he repeated. Mortuary was silent.

"See? His silence is proof enough!" Occultus pointed out victoriously.

Draco sighed and looked to Occultus evenly from behind his visor, "It might be true that Mortuary has done a lot of bad things, but nobody's perfect. I mean, I've done things I'm not proud of too. However, that doesn't change the fact that Mortuary is my friend. I may want to know from him if what you said is true, but until then I will always stick by my friends as they've done for me."

Mortuary was touched. Occultus gave Draco a look of disgust.

"A touching speech," Occultus said. "I don't understand you, Ryuki. You're part of a master race, the future of humanity. Why waste your time protecting humans? They aren't worth your time."

Draco answered without hesitation, "Because I **am** human."

Occultus sneered.

Pluto was in his Zodiac Armor and Excel Suit and using both his DOG-Katana and Wing Lancer to fight off the Orphenochs surrounding him. He had lost sight of Mortuary a while ago and was in deep trouble. Right now, all he cared about was getting out of this alive.

The Orphenochs were numerous, ranging from Plant types, Mammalian types, Reptilian types and even Insectoid types. Luckily for him, Pluto had a counter measure.

"TRICK VENT!"

"Man, I knew I should've slept in today," he complained as he slashed an Orphenoch in the chest before swinging his lance around to swat an Orphenoch away. "Just me against an army! How's that fair? Where's Shadow and the girls? Where's Draco?" He then shouted, "Why the hell am I talking to myself!?" he unleashed several lightning bolts that shocked a few weaker Orphenochs and turned them to dust. Unlike Draco, Pluto had no qualms against killing Orphenochs. They were monsters to him as far as he was concerned and his job was to kill monsters and protect humans. He continued to fight his way through the horde, using his energy blade to cut through them and his lance to bat them away.

A few Orphenochs leapt upon him, but were then blasted away by a shell of some sort and exploded. Turning around, he saw someone he didn't think to see here. The Green Zodiac Knight of Taurus known as…

"ARMS?" Pluto stared in surprise.

"That's right!" ARMS announced as he blasted a few Orphenochs away. Next to him was Atlas who was doing just the same.

"Die, filthy creatures!" Atlas yelled out as he used his cannons to blast the Orphenochs to pieces.

Pluto heard a slashing sound and turned to see Copycat and Aqua, clad in their armor and using their claws and fans, respectively, to slash the Orphenochs to pieces. Copycat already had on her Excel Suit, but it was now white with blue patterns. "Copycat! Aqua!" Pluto yelled. Copycat stood side by side with Aqua she blasted an Orphenoch away with her eyebeams. Aqua used her fans to slice an Orphenoch's head off its shoulder and moved on to another one as its body turned to dust.

Pluto, turning around, saw Scizzors using his sword-like arms. Scizzors turned to look Pluto in the eyes as his eyes glowed green. Contact! Temporarily taking over Pluto's body, Scizzors used the DOG-Katana to stab an Orphenoch straight through before exiting and fighting on his own. Pluto shook his head. Helping them as well were Atlas, Overload, Cinderblock and Plasmus. However, none of Slade's robot soldiers were present. Weird.

"I am not writing this report," Pluto mused as he went into the battle, his cape flapping in the wind.

Copycat and Pluto were both forced back to back as they were fighting a pair of Orphenochs. "What are you doing here?" he asked before kicking the Orphenoch away.

"I was bored, decided to go out for a little excitement," Copycat answered nonchalantly as she fired a hex wave under a few Orphenochs and caused the road to crumble under them.

"Where are your Slade-bots then?" he asked.

"Slade-sama needs them to be repaired," Copycat said before admitting, "They were…they needed to be fixed."

"You thrashed them, huh?"

Copycat didn't answer and fired green energy bolts through some Orphenochs.

ARMS was shooting at Orphenochs with his handheld SMG and was ready to use his Final Vent until Scizzors placed a hand on his and spoke, "Let's reduce the property damage to a minimum for a change, huh Grant?"

Aqua used her Zodiac Powers over the air and water to trap the Orphenochs into a water funnel and crushing them with the pressure. Plasmus was using his acidic spit to melt some Orphenochs while Cinderblock and Atlas used their brute strength to bludgeon a few Orphenochs to ashes. Overload was shooting electrical bolts at some Orphenochs who were unlucky enough to be in his path.

Where was Shadow? Where were the girls? What was happening to Draco, Mortuary and Occultus? Well if you must know…

To Be Continued…

Co-written with Zombi 138. He is a good friend and writer. He and I wrote this chap together.


	35. PT035: Behemoth

Part 35: Behemoth

"Because I **am** human," Draco responded to Occutus' question without hesitation. "And there's no way I'll ever join you!"

Occultus sneered with disgust. The boy had the nerve to call himself human? Occultus was not going to give up however, not by a long shot. He continued his speech, "Human?" he said this with some humor in his voice, "No, my dear boy, you are not human. You are MORE than human. Forget your humanity and join the proud few of the GREAT Orphenoch race! Why continue to delude yourself?"

Draco answered, "Being what I am doesn't make me any less or any more human. It's the heart that matters and as long as my heart **is** human, I **am** human. And, as for joining you…" he reached down to his gun, "Here's my answer!" Draco drew out his DRA-Blaster and shot at Occultus. Occultus created a blue shield of energy that deflected the shot.

"It seems you have made your decision, Ryuki my boy," Occultus frowned. "However, I will not give up so easily. You will join me, one way or another!" Draco shot at him again, but the madman just disappeared via teleportation. Draco narrowed his eyes at the spot Occultus was a few minutes ago and frowned before holstering his DRA-Blaster and going over to Mortuary. The Knight of Aries lay against the wall, his armor gone, and was wounded badly. Draco helped him up.

"I better get you back to the Tower," Draco said.

I'll be okay," Mortuary said as he began to cough out a mix of blood and necroplasm. Draco looked at him skeptically, even if his expression was hidden behind his faceplate. Mortuary could tell how he was looking at him. "I'm fine," Mortuary insisted.

"You will be," Shadowcobra said, fully clad in armor, as he appeared from the shadows. Draco and Mortuary stared at him.

"How much did you see? Mortuary asked.

"And how long were you there?" Draco asked.

"I've seen enough and I've been here long enough to know what's going on," Shadowcobra said as he walked over to them. "Occultus is it? Hm…Mortuary, some information on this Occultus would be most appreciated since you seem to know him. But for now, you both are needed."

"But I'm…" Mortuary began before Shadowcobra's hand glowed and so did Mortuary's body. "Hurt?"

"I, like Raven, have healing abilities," Shadowcobra explained. "Now, transform so we may join the battle." He then disappeared in a mass of shadows.

"No matter how many times I see him to THAT, it still gives me the creeps," Draco said with a shudder. Mortuary nodded in agreement. "You sure you can still fight?"

Mortuary took out his Aries Deck and smirked, "Watch me."

* * *

Pluto, Copycat, ARMS, Aqua, Scizzors, Plasmus, Overload, Atlas and Cinderblock were still fighting off the Orphenoch army. If Draco had seen this, he wouldn't have approved. As much as it pained Pluto, he had a choice to either fight protecting this city or let it crumble to ashes…

He chose the former, even if it did mean destroying a few Orphenochs that were once human not too long ago…

Key word: Were.

Pluto was about to be attacked from behind when a purple energy bolt smashed into the Orphenoch and reduced it to ashes. Pluto turned and smiled…

The girls were there, but something was different about them.

Jinx wore what looked like a hi-tech belt, Blackfire now sported a bracelet around her left wrist and Terra had on a forearm guard on her right arm. These new adornments had the familiar black and silver symbol of Smart Brain emblazoned on them.

"Miss us?" Jinx grinned as her eyes glowed pink. Cars nearby a few unfortunate Orphenochs blew up after they sparked with pink energy.

"Not really," Pluto said before stabbing two Orphenochs through. "Just wondering when you'd be coming. I thought you girls were powdering your noses," he quipped.

"Yeah, yeah," Terra said before she summoned a boulder and smashed it upon an Orphenoch. "We were busy. Shadow was giving us something."

"And that is?"

"This!" the girls shouted in unison as Blackfire and Jinx raised up their right hands as Terra held her left hand open.

Suddenly, two strange objects flew through the air and into Blackfire and Jinx's hands. The third object crawled on the ground quickly and jumped into Terra's left hand. The object in Jinx's hand looked like a robotic Scarab Beetle. It was black and purple. The object in Blackfire's hand looked like a robotic firefly and it was red and silver. The third object, in Terra's hand, looked like a green robotic leafcutter ant.

Pluto knew these objects well. He had read the reports and seen the plans…

They were the NEW Smart Brain Inzecters.

And the girls had been chosen to be their wielders.

"Henshin," Terra said before attaching the Cutter Inzecter on the Cutter Glove. The eyes of the ant-like Inzecter flashed as it exclaimed, "HENSHIN!" The armor, starting from the Inzecter, began to cover up her body. First to appear was the bodysuit and then the armor plating. The helmet covered her blonde haired head to finish the transformation. The armor itself was silver and green and worn over the black bodysuit. The armor plating on the arms was thick. There was a pair of Vulcan cannons on her shoulders as well as a pair of mandible-like blades on her back. Her helmet had a pair of large blue eyepieces with small antennae. The armored boots were green. Around her waist was a metal belt with Smart Brain's symbol as the belt buckle.

"Henshin," Blackfire said before attaching the Fire Inzecter onto the Fire Bracelet on her left wrist. The eyes of the firefly-like Inzecter flashed before it exclaimed, "HENSHIN!" The armor, like Terra's, started from the bracelet and began to cover her whole body. The black bodysuit appeared, followed by the silver and red armor with heavy armor plating on the arms and broad shoulder guards. The helmet had a pair of long antennae and a black visor/faceplate to cover her face. The armored boots were red. The SB belt was around her waist.

"Henshin," Jinx said before sliding the Scarab Inzecter into the centre of the Scarab Belt around her waist. The eyes of the Scarab Beetle-like Inzecter flashed before announcing, "HENSHIN!" Like Terra and Blackfire before, the armor materialized from her belt and began to cover her body. The black bodysuit first covered her body before the black and purple armor covered her body. The helmet covered her pink haired head to finish the transformation. The armor itself was bulky in appearance and the armored boots were purple. The helmet had a purple visor to cover her eyes.

A new breed of Smartrooper had been born and was ready to combat the Orphenochs. The Knights of Tartarus watched this in shock, but Copycat was smirking.

"Well, this is new," she muttered.

Jinx, Blackfire and Terra went into the battle.

Blackfire flew through the Orphenochs and dealt flaming punches and blackbolts that instantly killed them. The armor, despite its heavy appearance, was surprisingly light. It increased the power of her blackbolts and she now could shoot them in the form of fireballs that engulfed her targets and reduced them to ashes. Her strength had been increased 3 fold that even one of her punches could deal a lot of damage. She even destroyed several Orphenochs at once with a single blow.

Jinx's hexes were fired like beams rather than waves and smashed into a few Orphenochs and reduced them to dust. This pained her since this was what she had to look forward to when her Ryuki died. She shook her head and continued to fight using her agility and acrobatics. Ryuki may not have wanted to see Orphenochs killed, but he knew and understood that their duty was to protect the city and that sacrifices needed to be made. However, did it have to be so hard and painful?

Terra was using both her geokinetic powers and her Vulcan cannons to do a lot of damage as the armor piercing shells shot right through the Orphenochs' armored hides. She was never really fond of guns. However, it was either them or her and she was not ready to go 6 feet under and pushing up daisies, even if she could dig herself out just as easy.

The remaining Orphenochs were going down as the Zodiac Knights in the area used their Final Vents.

"**FINAL VENT!**"

"DEADLY IMMORTAL'S DRILL!"

"DARK NOVA CRASH!"

"END OF THE WORLD!"

"SCISSOR CLAW ATTACK!"

"TORRENTIAL TERROR!"

The remaining Orphenochs were destroyed and reduced to piles of ashes. However, all celebrations were cut short when Draco, Shadowcobra and Mortuary, in armor, appeared at the scene (FINALLY!).

Draco looked horrified at the numerous piles of ashes that were once living, breathing Orphenochs. He fell to his knees and began to cry. He knew the others had no choice but to fight and kill to protect the city. But…but did it even have to come to this? Wasn't there any other way. "Kami…" He reached into a pile of ashes and watched as they spilled out of his gauntleted hand. He gripped his fist.

Occultus…this was all HIS fault. These Orphenochs had been working for him and paid with their lives. They were just ignorant pawns who didn't know any better. It just seemed so unfair.

Jinx took off her helmet and walked over to her boyfriend. Kneeling down to console him, he surprised her by sweeping her into a hug. Jinx ran her hand over his back soothingly, cooing. "It's okay," she murmured softly and soothingly. "Just let it all out."

"They didn't have to die," he continued to cry.

"I'm sorry," Jinx said, apologizing for killing some of these Orphenochs.

"Not your fault, you were just doing your job; protecting the city."

"But still…"

"Just…just hold me, Jinxy-chan."

It shocked a lot of people how Draco could still cry for these…these monsters. However, it wasn't a conundrum. Draco was himself an Orphenoch too and he saw that these Orphenochs were merely innocent pawns manipulated by an evil psychopath.

Draco now had the same feeling of loathing towards Occultus as did Mortuary. Draco swore in his mind, '_He will pay…HE WILL PAY!_'

Shadow sensed Draco's thoughts. There was so much pain, sorrow, anger and hatred.

Pain and sorrow for the fallen Orphenochs.

Anger and hatred for Occultus.

It was enough to trigger another Orphenoch transformation, but Ryuki was still in his armored form. Maybe his time at Xavier's had changed him quite a bit.

Copycat wanted to say something, but heard something in her earpiece. She turned to her team, "Let's go." She used her teleportation powers to warp them all back to base.

The Titans stood in the middle of the street, surrounded by destruction and fire. Terra and Blackfire had their helmets tucked in the crook of their arms. Was this all worth it?

Suddenly, the ground rumbled, surprising the Titans. The girls quickly put their helmets back on. Something appeared…

"Oh Kami…" Draco said, his eyes wide,

"You can say that again, baby," Jinx said, her visor flashing.

It was a giant beast of an Orphenoch, a Behemoth.

* * *

In the large, not to mention dark, surveillance room stood Slade as his one good eye gazed over the various monitors. Next to the masked man was his adopted granddaughter, Cathy. The little girl now looked no older than 7. She also sported green hair and a furry green tail. Aside from her powers and her growth spurt, the little mutant's hair color would also change with each growth. Slade found the little girl adorable.

Being so short, Cathy struggled to get a closer look of the monitors but failed as the console was too fight. Sighing, Slade lifted her up. He was quite strong for his age thanks to genetic manipulation, which was why he could stand toe to toe and survive every fight he had with the Titans.

Copycat walked in, followed by the rest of Tartarus. Their helmets were off. "Slade-sama," Kat said.

"Mama!" Cathy shouted gleefully as Slade put her down and the little mutant cat-girl leapt into her mother's arms.

"Cathy-chan, you are getting heavy!" Copycat said as she held her darling adopted daughter. She put her down and ruffled her hair. "Excuse me, honey, but I need to talk to your grandfather."

"Papa Slade is fun!" This made ARMS snicker. Papa Slade? Fun?

Copycat smirked a bit and went over to her master and father figure. She asked, "Slade-sama, why didn't you want me to stay and fight?"

"Because I asked you to," he answered simply. There was no room for argument or discussion. Kat's blue eyes looked at the monitors.

'_Ryuki__, just stay alive…_'

* * *

It was quite unclear, as well as questionable, if the Behemoth even HAD a human form to begin with. It had the familiar white and grey armored hide that identified it as an Orphenoch, but there were several inconsistencies. For one: it stood on all fours, and second: it was over 50 feet tall! It looked like the combination of a rhino, an elephant, a hippo and a bull. Its tusks were sharp and covered with spikes and it had a horn upon its head. Spikes adorned the rest of it's trunk as its mouth opened wide to reveal two pairs of sharp tusk-like teeth, two on the upper jaw and two on the lower jaw. It had a pair of lonf bullish horns as well. As it walked, it created impact tremors whenever its feet touched the ground and since it had four feet…well, you know what I mean.

For something so large, it was surprisingly fast as it charged at the Titans. Shadow ordered, "Scatter!" and they did, all, except one.

"RYUKI!" Jinx yelled out at he boyfriend, who was trying to fight the Behemoth Orphenoch on his own. He jumped up to attack, but the Behemoth Orphenoch swung its trunk into him and smashed him into a building with a loud crash. Jinx gasped as she saw her boyfriend fall to the ground. She went to help, but was held back by Mortuary, "Let me go! Let me go!"

"I can't!" Mortuary protested. "He asked me to look after you!" the Knight of Aries reminded her. Jinx watched fearfully as Draco fought.

Draco groaned and looked up as the Behemoth Orphenoch attempted to crush him with its huge foot. However, that would not happen as Draco called forth the Power of the Ox and raised up his hands, pushing up at the appendage that was pushing down on him. The road under him began to form cracks as he was pushed in further, creating and imprint and then a crater. Draco then, with all his might, called forth the Power of Capricorn, and summoned up a pillar of stone that slammed into the Behemoth's chin. The Behemoth staggered back. Draco got up, and dodged a vicious trunk swing with the help of his Power of Pisces. He would not be caught off guard.

Or so he thought.

His armor suddenly disappeared, shattering away like glass. "I'm out of power!" he exclaimed. He then saw the monster charge at him. He moaned, "This is gonna hurt!" he said before the thing swung its head and pinned Draco to another building with its tusk. Draco struggled to get himself free.

"RYUKI!" Jinx screamed in fear. The other Titans stood in horror as the thing began to kill their friend. Blackfire and Terra, respectively, began firing blackbolts and rock boulders at the Behemoth's head, but none had any effect at all on the creature's powerful hide. Shadow, Pluto and Mortuary's attacks had little or no effect on the thing as well.

Draco, was doomed…

Or was he?

"**SURVIVE!**"

Shadowcobra and Pluto had upgraded themselves into their Survivor Modes and had their respected weapons out. Pluto charged up his sword but it couldn't penetrate the tough hide of the creature. Shadowcobra's shadow spikes had no effect still, even in Survivor Mode.

However, Terra, on a boulder, flew up and shot the Behemoth Orphenoch in the eye with her dual Vulcan cannons. The monster bellowed and swung its trunk out at her, letting Ryuki fall. Mortuary jumped up and caught him as Blackfire grabbed the offending appendage of the Behemoth and then flipped the giant monster over her shoulder with all her Tamaranean strength. The force of the Behemoth Orphenoch's impact caused a powerful tremor and shockwave that shook the city.

Mortuary and Jinx had carried the wounded Dragon Knight to safety. As they had seen from Xander and several other Orphenochs before, parts of Ryuki's body were engulfed in blue flames.

"Ugh…" Draco groaned.

"Baby, are you okay?" Jinx asked.

"I think so," he replied before admiring Jinx's Scarab Beetle armor. "Nice suit."

Jinx blushed with appreciation from his compliment. "Thanks."

Draco tried to stand up, the flames now dissipated, but was stopped by Mortuary.

"I'm fine," Draco insisted.

"I tell you that too, but you never really listen either," Mortuary countered.

"Good point, but I heal faster…well, faster."

"You're still in no condition to fight."

Draco drew a card from his belt, his Evolution Card, and said, "You think so, Craig?"

"Ryuki…"Jinx said worriedly.

Ryuki slid the card into his Dragauntlet, still strapped to his left forearm even after the armor vanished.

"EVOLUTION!"

This was the first time Mortuary had seen Draco in Emperor Mode and was impressed by the gold and red armored warrior.

Much to their shock, a pair of sail-like and golden draconic wings spread out from his back. Draco roared and took flight, straight at the gigantic Orphenoch. Jinx watched. What had happened?

Draco rammed into the Behemoth and everyone stood in shock as he managed to topple the beast onto its side. The Behemoth roared and struck out with its truck, swinging it around to his Draco. Draco, however, dodged effortlessly as the trunk lashes came right at him. The last swing was so close that Draco grabbed onto the bothersome appendage and, with strength unknown even to him, tore the trunk RIGHT OFF the thing's face.

"HOLY SHIT!" Pluto exclaimed.

"Dear X'Hal," Blackfire muttered.

"He just RIPPED the thing's trunk right OFF its face!" Terra yelled out. I just said that, didn't I?

Jinx was silent.

Draco let out an almighty roar of fury and victory as the Behemoth Orphenoch let out a roar of pain. The dismembered appendage crumbled to ashes upon its detachment and Draco flew down, claws extended. The thing opened its mouth

BIG MISTAKE!

Draco flew into the thing's mouth, holding his glowing Emperor Dragon Blade, to everyone's surprise and tore right THROUGH the creature's body out the other end, taking out the Orphenoch's heart with him with the tip of his sword. The creature stood still like a statue before blue flames erupted from its form. It, like its trunk before, crumbled down into nothing but ashes.

The heart Draco was holding also turned to dust. He then looked at the Titans, who were stunned.

His body then glowed with a golden energy before he reverted back to his human form, going into a dead faint as he fell down towards the asphalt road. Blackfire flew up just in time to grab him before he turned into a pavement pancake. She laid him down gently.

"You did good, Dragon-Boy," Blackfire said.

"Ryuki!" Jinx yelled as she ran towards him.

"Let's get him back to the Tower," Shadow commanded.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Pluto agreed as he took Draco onto his back and flew straight towards the Tower.

The Inzecters the girls were wearing detached themselves from the girls' armor and the girls reverted back to their normal forms. Jinx felt the Scarab Armor disintegrate from her body as did the other girls. Terra liked the Ant armor and Blackfire really felt good with the Firefly Armor.

Occultus was on top of a roof and growled, his eyes blazing with energy. He then fully composed himself.

"Next time…next time," he calmly said, "There's plenty of time and I can wait."

* * *

Back at the Tower, after putting Ryuki in bed to rest, Mortuary (on Shadow's insistence) told the other Titans all that he knew:

"Occultus is behind this."

Terra looked at him in shock. "No way…"

"You okay, Terra?" Jinx asked.

Mortuary explained, sparing Terra the trouble, "Occultus is the younger brother of Brother Blood." This new revelation made a few of them gasp and Jinx cringe in fear. If Brother Blood had been bad, who knows how much worse this Occultus was?

"So this was about revenge?" Pluto questioned.

"No. They were brothers, true. However, they weren't very close. Both of them were very much the same but they weren't too keen on working together. Occultus set up his own cult and collected various followers. I've fought him a lot with my old team, the Red Wolves."

"If you thought Blood was bad, Occultus is much worse. Trust me, I should know," Terra spoke from experience.

"And now he has an army of Orphenochs," Shadow said, rubbing his chin. "Or a new CULT of Orphenochs."

"An Orphenoch Cult?" Pluto questioned. "Is that even possible?"

"I think the number of Orphenochs we were fighting was a dead giveaway," Blackfire said a matter-a-factly.

"Nothing is impossible in this day and age, Pluto," Shadow said.

"I guess he's on a recruitment scheme now and trying to get Leo to join," Mortuary said grimly.

"But Ryuki would never…" Jinx protested.

"Occultus has ways to make people join him, Jinx," Terra said. "He's a lot like Slade, messing with your head and making you doubt yourself and think thoughts that aren't your own." There was a tone of guilt in her voice. This was a really touchy subject with her. "Just like Blood…" Jinx murmured.

Mortuary had been told straight from the horse's mouth (Terra) of how she was losing control of her powers and in her doubt joined Slade. He never thought that the girl he had grown to consider his sister would do such a thing. Then again, a lot of people did give in to their inner doubts and demons, him included.

Terra continued, running her hand over the Cutter Glove armguard, "And with powers like Brother Blood, he's like Slade and Blood combined. That's not a good thing, trust me on this."

"So, the Orphenoch King, Slade and Tartarus, and now this Occultus guy," Pluto counted off with his hands. "It seems we'll be getting a whole lot of trouble soon."

"And I thought the Titans had it hard," Blackfire said referring to the original 5's mission to take down the Brotherhood of Evil.

"I don't think Slade is going to try anything, though," Terra said. "Then again, he's very unpredictable."

"Remember that we also have allies all over the world," Shadow reminded. "And if anytime we're in trouble, we know who to call."

The Titans nodded at Shadow's words.

Shadow added, "I'll send a call to alert all branches of Smart Brain and our operatives, official and honorary, to look out for any Occultus related activity. This might just mean we'll have to save the world." He paused. "Again."

"Again?" Mortuary spoke. "When was the last time?"

The others sighed.

Pluto said, running his hand through his hair, "That, Craig my friend, is a REALLY long story."

* * *

Back in his office, Occultus reviewed his plans. Recruiting Ryuki would be a daunting task, but he was not one to give up. Oh no, he wasn't.

He was going to use Mortuary and Ryuki's friendship against them and have them turn on each other. Once Ryuki saw the 'light' he would join Occultus' side and the cult leader would welcome the Dragon Knight with open arms into his 'family.'

Now, it was time for a speech. He went over to where the Orphenochs stood at attention and gave out his speech. They would listen and not question his words or teachings. They were the perfect pawns and as long as he played his cards right, Occultus could make them do anything…

Anything…

"My brothers and sisters of the Orphenoch race! On our latest excursion, most of your brethren had been slain!" Several murmurs and gasps were heard in the crowd as Occultus continued, "However, we must not give up! We must strive and persevere because…" he shouted out, "WE ARE THE FUTURE OF THIS WORLD!" This was met with various applause and cheers. "LET NOTHING STOP US!" More cheers and applause.

Occultus smirked. This was TOO easy.

* * *

It had only been a couple of hours after the Orphenoch attack. All of the other Titans had fallen asleep except for two, Shadow and Mortuary, who were on the roof. Shadow had called Mortuary to further question him about the Occultus ordeal.

"So," Shadow began pacing on the roof as he questioned his necroplasmic teammate, "What else can you tell me about this Occultus?"

Mortuary smirked and answered, "That he's the last practitioner of a mystic art called 'Psycho Power'."

"Psycho Power?" Shadow raised an eyebrow and responded, "I've heard of it but I thought that art was long dead. Why do you think I should know about this?" Shadow asked

"It's just so you know what you and the Titans will be going up against. I'll be sure to leave a report with enough info on Occultus that you'll need before I get going," Mort answered

"You're planning on leaving?" Shadow asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I am. I figured that's why Occultus came here. If he's here looking for me than there's no real reason for me to stick around. I'll lead him away from you guys and fight him myself." Mort sighed and continued, "I'll just toughen up and get strong enough to beat him."

Shadow smirked at Mort and said, "Not with that disease you have you won't."

Mort's eyes widened in shock and he asked, "How…How did you know about that?"

"Let's just say that I've caught you 'coughing' a couple of times." Shadow asked in a concerned voice, "Is this disease terminal?" The Snake Knight was concerned because he had actually considered Mortuary as a friend and he wasn't ready to lose anymore friends, not since what happened to Misha.

Mortuary nodded. "I've only got two years left if there's no cure. You're the only person besides Leo that knows about this and I'd like to keep it that way."

Shadow was about to retort until he heard a sobbing noise coming from Mortuary. "Mortuary?" Shadow asked, "Are you crying?"

Mort clenched his fists trying to fight the tears back. "Terra can't ever know about this, it'd be too much for her."

Shadow put a hand on Mort's shoulder. "Look, I won't tell her but I don't think it would be such a good idea for you to leave."

"Maybe you're right, but I do have to go back to Arkham sometime. Dr. West might have something to increase my power. I also think we could use some help in this matter."

Shadow raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who would you be suggesting?"

Mortuary just crossed his arms and smiled, "Some old friends."

To Be Continued…

Occultus is a villain created by Zombi 138, the guy who's helping me with this fic. Kudos to him for his help. Give him a hand guys. The next chapter will have a lot of angst so best be prepared.

Craig Smith/Mortuary is also his creation. Heck, the idea for this chap was Zombi's to begin with.


	36. PT036: Life and Death

Part 36: Life and Death

"Hey Leo," Mortuary said as he walked up to Draco who was standing on the roof and looking at the ocean.

"Hey Craig," Leo greeted him. The Knight of Aries noticed the sad look in Draco's eyes. He had seen it many times in his own reflection.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Mortuary asked. Despite his hatred for Orphenochs, Draco was friend of his. Draco was proof that not all Orphenochs were evil. Well, Draco didn't act like any of the Orphenochs he had fought. Draco acted, well, human…even though he knew he wasn't anymore.

Draco gave Mortuary a fake smile. "Nothing," he lied. "Just a little tired."

Mortuary looked at Draco skeptically, and then dropped the matter. "Okay, if you say so."

Draco then asked, "Do you think we'll be able to stop Occultus and the Orphenoch King?"

"Occultus, maybe…but I don't know about this King. I mean, if what we've heard from Xander is true, then the rise of the Orphenoch King might just save you…"

"…And doom the entire human race." Draco added. "I can't let that happen, Craig."

"But you're…"

"I became a Knight to protect people. If I should die doing so then so be it. My life is nothing compared to the lives of everyone on Earth. I won't let the entire human race go extinct."

Mortuary fell silent. He admired Draco's selflessness and sense of justice. He continued, "Okay, well, know that we'll do all we can to stop Occultus and whatever he's planning."

Draco smiled, "Thanks Craig."

"Hey, what are friends for? And, if you excuse me, I'll be in the gym," and with that, Mortuary left Draco alone. When he was sure that he was alone, Draco removed his left glove. He gazed at his graying hand before it turned back to its normal color.

"I'm running out of time," he said softly, tears starting to form in his eyes. He fell on his knees and shuddered. "I…I don't want…to die…"

Mortuary passed by Jinx in the hallway. Even though Jinx had accepted the former Templar and Red Wolf as a friend and member of the team, she still felt a little uneasy while around him. He had this 'kill all Orphenochs' attitude and she didn't like it when he spent time with Draco. Draco had accepted him as a close friend and…

"He's on the roof," Mortuary said to her, interrupting her thoughts.

"Huh?" Jinx was confused.

"I was just talking to Draco…Leo. He says he's okay, but I know he's not. You should go up and see him, talk to him," Mortuary finished and walked away. Jinx turned to look at him before she ran towards the stairs that led to the roof.

"Ryuki!" Jinx yelled as Draco turned to look at her. He quickly put his glove back on and turned to smile at her.

"Hey, Jinxy-chan," he said to her, with a smile on his face.

"Hey, baby. What are you doing up here?" asked Jinx.

"Nothing really. Just doing some thinking about a lot of stuff. My okaasan, my oneechan, being a Titan, you know, normal stuff." '_And my impending death.'_But, of course, he didn't tell her that.

"Ryuki, I'm sure that as much as most, if not all of us in this Tower, want to be normal, we have to face the facts: No matter how hard we try, we never will be. Twenty or thirty years from now, we'll still be who we are right now, just with minor differences. Try as we might, I don't think any of us are ever going to be 'normal'," said Jinx.

Draco laughed, trying to picture Beast Boy and Cyborg as normal. "Yeah, I think you're right there, Jinx."

Jinx looked at Draco and saw that he was staring off into the distance again. "What are you thinking about now?"

"Nothing. Why do you ask?"

Jinx knew that her boyfriend was lying. "Okay one: You're a really bad liar when it comes to me; and two, you were thinking about how you're going to possibly die, weren't you?"

Draco sighed, knowing that he had been caught red-handed. "Yeah, I was. And there is no 'possibly' when it comes to me dying. As much as I don't want to die, as much as I may want to get married to you and have kids with you…" At this Jinx's eyes began to tear up. "…I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to die soon."

Jinx stood up and walked away angrily, then turned on her heel to face him. "How can you say that? You don't know for sure. I-I mean, it could be years before you..." Jinx got very choked up and started sobbing. Draco rushed forward and enveloped his girlfriend in a hug, then began to whisper soothingly into her ear that it was okay.

"It's okay, Jinxy-chan. Please, don't cry. Please," he pleaded, softly.

"No, it's not," she continued to sob, pressing her forehead against his chest. "You spend your whole life fighting for good (sob) fighting to protect people. Now…now you're going to die and you're (sob) just giving up?" she choked on her words. "It just doesn't seem fair." It really wasn't fair.

"I know. I don't want to die, I really don't. But, if that is my fate, then so be it. However, I am not going to die a coward," he said to her.

"Believe me, you aren't one."

"I used to be." He elaborated, "When Tazuka died I ran away. I wanted to give up. I knew it wasn't so easy to do that, give up, but I didn't know what else to do." He pulled away and looked her in her pink eyes. "I'm just so confused right now. Is my purpose just to die?"

"No!" she cried out, startling him, new tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "You won't die, not yet."

"But-"

"But nothing!" she interrupted. "I won't let that happen. There has to be a way for you to keep on living. I don't want you to leave me (sob) alone…I don't want to be (sob) alone…"

He placed his hands on her back and rubbed her soothingly. "Please, don't cry, Jinxy-chan."

"I can't help it. I love you too much and I couldn't bear it if I ever lost you." To her surprise, he bent down and kissed her on the lips, silencing her. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the sensation. His love for her and her love for him mixed in the kiss. They both felt it, that simple act of contact and love. He broke the kiss, a little reluctantly, and rested his forehead on hers. His emerald green eyes looked into her pink cat ones.

"And I love you…"

"How sweet." The two Titans turned their attention towards the direction of the voice. Standing there, dressed in a black t-shirt with torn sleeves and blue jeans was none other than Katherine Hasuma A.K.A. Zodiac Knight Copycat. She had on a pair of leather boots and wore silver bracelets around her wrists. To top it all off, she still wore her signature black bow ribbon in her hair. Her hair, for once, was braided.

Jinx immediately went into a battle stance, her pink eyes glowing and pink hex energy enveloping her hands. "What do you want?" she demanded.

Kat put her hands in her pockets and said, "Please, there's no need for that. For now, I'm not in the mood to fight."

"Yeah right!" Jinx snorted. Sister or not, she was not letting Kat near Ryuki.

"It's okay, Jinxy-chan," Ryuki said to Jinx, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Ryuki…?" Jinx questioned, confused. "But she's…she's your enemy."

"And my sister," Ryuki added, "And I trust her."

"I don't know…" Jinx then sighed. "Okay, but if she tries anything…"

"She won't."

Kat was inspecting her sharp nails. "Do you mind?" she was directing this question towards Jinx, "This is between me and my brother. You don't have to be here."

"I'm staying," Jinx hissed. "I'm not letting you hurt him again! What you have to say to him, you can say in front of me!"

Kat rolled her eyes. "Very well, but I expect you not to butt in, okay?"

"No promises." Jinx glared.

"Whatever." Kat then went to her brother, while Jinx eyed her with distrust. "How have you been, little bro?"

"Well…I'm good," Ryuki hesitated with his answer.

Kat raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Cheh! Even now you're still a bad liar. I heard your conversation with your girlfriend." She pointed at Jinx with her thumb. "I heard everything and I'm a little worried."

"You? Worried? About me?" Ryuki looked at his sister quizzically.

"Of course I am!" Kat glared at him. "How can you give up so easily, huh? You're an Orphenoch and you have a short lifespan, but that doesn't mean you have to give up."

"But I haven-"

"You have!" Kat interrupted. "You're giving up on your life and I don't want that. To be honest, I respect what you're trying to do; using what little life you have to protect people. That's noble."

"Arigatou, oneechan," Ryuki smiled.

"But also stupid," Kat added, almost meanly.

"Say what?" Jinx cried. "How can being noble be stupid?"

Kat scoffed, "Please, what's so noble about dying? At least if you live you can do something about it."

"Kat…" Ryuki felt touched.

Kat sighed, "What I'm trying to say is, don't give up on life. Fight for the right to live. Being a Knight allows you to do that."

"But, I can't-"

"If you want to live you have to fight, Leo," Kat said seriously. "Even if you got to go through others to do that. You don't have to kill to win, but you might have to kill other people's dreams to do that."

"But Takada…Ichijyo…" Ryuki stuttered.

"They both know and understand the risks of fighting as Knights, so do I, and you have to learn to understand as well."

"He doesn't have to!" Jinx interjected. "He doesn't have to go through with this whole Zodiac War thing! He doesn't have to be 'The One'!"

"He does if he wants to live," Kat said coldly. "In the End there can be only One. That's what's been told to us and that's what ALL Knights must do. We must continue to fight in order to live. Our survival depends on it! You can't just stop, it ain't that simple!" Jinx fell silent and Kat was smiling smugly.

"There's no other way, is it?" Leo said, still loud enough to be heard even though it was supposed to be a whisper. "I don't have a choice anymore, do I?"

Kat shook her head. "Honestly, you don't."

Jinx looked at her boyfriend with worry, "Ryuki…"

Ryuki said to his sister, "Why are you, an apprentice of Slade, doing this? I thought it'd be easier for you if I just gave up."

"Easy, yes," Kat smirked. "But not fun. You see, the **only** reason I became a Zodiac Knight was so I could beat **yo**u, to prove that **I** was better. If you die now, what reason is there for me to fight?"

Ryuki looked at his sister skeptically, "That's it?"

"Believe what you want. Until the Tournament, just don't die," Kat smiled at her brother. "Sayonara, little brother," and with that she vanished, teleporting from the roof.

"That was strange," Jinx said. "Usually she would be trying to kill us or something."

"Yeah," Ryuki agreed. _'Thank you, oneechan.' _"Come on. Let's go inside. I'm hungry," said Draco.

"You? Hungry? Ryuki, when you say you're hungry, in reality, you really mean that you feel like you're starving," laughed Jinx.

Draco laughed along with Jinx. "Yeah, I guess. Come on, let's go inside." He and Jinx walked inside. In one of the hallways they noticed Mortuary leaning against one of the walls with his arms crossed.

"Hey Craig," Ryuki smiled. "You waiting for someone?"

"Yeah, for you actually," Mortuary answered. "Would you mind meeting me in my room in a few minutes? There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Alright, well I'm coming too," Jinx said

"Jinx," Ryuki started, "I don't know if that's such a good…"

"It's alright Leo. She's close enough to you to know what I have to say," Mortuary said

"Well I guess we should get going now then," said Ryuki

Jinx and Draco followed Mortuary into his room. Mortuary's room had a desk cluttered with medical books and notes one of the books was titled "Re-Agent Serum: Conquering Death". It was written by one of Mortuary's mentors, Dr. Herbert West. The room's walls were painted like stone grey bricks, in one of the corners was an electric guitar and amp and in another corner was pedestal with a book on top of it, the books cover was carved like an actual human face. Draco was interested in it and started to reach for it until Mortuary quickly grabbed Draco's wrist.

"Trust me," Mortuary said. "You **don't** wanna touch that," he warned.

"Okay Smith, what is this about?" Jinx asked impatiently

"Alright, I'm just gonna come out with it. First off, I heard everything on the roof," Mortuary confessed.

"And…?" Jinx asked

"And I want to help Leo be 'The One'."

"But Craig," Draco spoke up, "What about your wish? Your wish is important too."

"What is your wish anyway? To have all Orphenochs destroyed?" Jinx asked in an angry tone.

"No," Craig answered, "My wish is to live, just like Leo."

"Wait, you're gonna have to explain that to me," Jinx said with a confused expression

"I'm dying just like Leo, but not under the same circumstances mind you. My death is being caused by necro-sickness, which is a type of cancer from my home planet and I've only got between two and three years left," Mortuary said

"So why are you giving up your wish for Leo?" Jinx asked

"It's simple; he's got a lot more to live for. Leo has a girlfriend that loves him, friends that care about him and a lot more. I left my first home for no reason, drove my first friends and girlfriend away from me because of my obsession with stopping Occultus, I got all of the Templars killed. I have nothing left," Mortuary stated, actually tearing up for the first time since the Templars died

Jinx was totally blown away by what Mortuary said. She had totally seen a new side of Mortuary. He was just a young guy that needed friends.

"Jinx," Mortuary spoke up, "You can't let any of the others know about my sickness, especially Terra"

"Okay, I promise," Jinx said

Then Jinx and Mortuary heard sobbing coming from Draco.

"Baby? What's wrong?" Jinx asked

"Craig…..thank you" Draco said, feeling thankful to have friends like these.

* * *

(A few hours later…)

Draco and Jinx were lying in bed together asleep, exhausted from their 'activities'. Draco started to softly toss and turn as he began to dream again. Only tonight, his dreams were not the same as they once were:

* * *

_Draco opens his eyes. He finds himself in a building that looks like a cross between a Roman coliseum and an amphitheatre. In the stands are hundreds and hundreds of people, some who Draco knows. His mother, the Titans, even the Justice League is present. Draco is surrounded by all of the other current Knights who have managed to survive. Draco watches himself as he takes down each and every one of his opponents. He even manages to beat his sister after a very long battle. He is suddenly the last Knight standing on the field, but he has yet to face his last challenge: the Zodiac Knight Libra. _

_Draco and Libra face each other, readying themselves for battle. They trade words, but it seems as though their mouths are just moving, with no sound coming out, because Draco can't hear a word. He looks at his mother, who has clasped her hands together like praying, in what Draco believes is fear for himself. Right before Draco and Libra fight, Libra reaches up and pulls off his helmet. Before the identity of the person underneath is revealed… _

* * *

Draco quickly sat up, gasping for breath. He still remembered the dream quite vividly, as though it had happened for real. He felt as though he really did just take down all of those Knights. He sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. The dream felt so potent and so real; possibly because this dream was going to happen. Maybe not all of those events, or in that order even, but Draco knew that deep down, the tournament was going to happen. If Draco wanted that one wish, his wish, to be turned back to human again, then he had to do whatever it takes to win. He stood up and pulled on a white t-shirt to go with his black sweat pants. He turned his head over his shoulder to look at Jinx and kissed her forehead softly before he left.

Draco wandered aimlessly through the Tower, not really caring or thinking about where his feet took him. His mind kept thinking about that dream, over and over again. But the one part that he kept seeing was where Libra was pulling his helmet off. That moment kept replaying in his head like a broken film reel. '_Who is he? How did he get to be the Knight that the last Knight standing would have to fight?' _But worse yet was the feeling of familiarity that Draco had felt around the Knight. '_I haven't even met him, at least I don't think I have, and I feel as though I have known him my entire life.'_

Draco's feet carried him up to the Tower roof. He wasn't altogether surprised; he had been coming up here a lot lately to think and to clear his head. He sat down near the edge with his mind full of thoughts. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice Terra come up and sit next him.

"Hey, what are you doing up?" she asked.

Draco was shaken out of his reverie by her question. He answered, "Can't sleep. Got too much to think about. You?"

"Can't sleep either." She then questioned, "What do you mean, 'too much to think about'?" She and Jinx had talked earlier, and the pink-haired girl had confided all of Draco's fears and her own in Terra.

"Nothing really," Draco shook his head. "It's no big deal."

Terra snorted. "Once again, you are a horrible liar to those who know you too well. I talked to Jinx earlier and she told me everything. She's really worried about you. Now, do you want to be straight up with me and tell me the honest truth?"

Draco shook his head in astonishment, wondering how she knew that he was lying. "Are you a mind reader or something?"

"Nope, and don't try to change the subject. What's got you so pensive that you can't sleep?" she asked.

Draco sighed, knowing it was useless. He wondered how everyone, well maybe not everyone, how Jinx and now Terra knew if he was lying. "I had this really weird dream. Ever since I gained the Pisces Powers of Clairvoyance, I keep having these dreams at night. They're of me as an Orphenoch, either killing people or dying as an Orphenoch." He added, "Only, this dream, it was different."

"How different?" Terra asked.

Draco looked over at the horizon and then to the stars. He continued, "I don't know how much you know about the Zodiac Tournament, but I was dreaming about that day. You and the other Titans were there, even my okaasan. My friends and our allies were there as well. I was taking down every other Knight that stood in my way. I took down Ichijyo, Takada, Eri, my oneechan and the other Knights we knew." He took in a deep breath. "Finally, I was facing Libra and then he took of his helmet and…"

"And?" Terra prodded.

"That's it. I woke up before I even saw his face." Draco looked downcast. "What does it all mean? Is it a premonition? Am I destined to be the Last Knight Standing, destroying everyone else's hopes and dreams?"

"Honestly, Leo, I don't know," Terra answered dejectedly. Draco felt worse. Her eyes glowed yellow as she levitated several small pebbles into her right open hand and spun them around, watching them. "I mean, it could be a premonition, but it could also be just a dream. Who knows? But all I know is that you're not the kind that would fight for no reason." But Draco did have a reason: he wanted to be human again. His thoughts then strayed to when he had first lost control of himself and he shuddered. "Leo, what's wrong? You're shaking."

"I keep having nightmares about the first time I turned into that monster," Draco was talking about his Orphenoch form and the Ifrit Orphenoch. "I killed Blood, Johnny Rancid and those FOH guys. I keep having nightmares about those nights when I had blood on my hands." He clenched his fists. "You know what else makes me sick? I…I enjoyed it." Terra gasped.

"You can't be serious," Terra said to him.

"Note: serious face," Draco pointed to the serious expression on his face, quoting his friend, Ron Stoppable/Zodiac Knight Animorph. "Believe me, I hated the feeling. I hated the fact that I killed and actually enjoyed what I did. I even enjoyed fighting you guys."

"I remember that. You were gloating for a whole week about how you beat us," Terra reminded.

"And I hated doing that so don't remind me. But for some reason, I had the urge to rub it in your faces. I think Ifrit was the one doing the gloating."

"Can't you control Ifrit?" Ifrit was Draco's alter ego when he was Slade's apprentice. It was also the name of his Orphenoch form, the Ifrit Orphenoch. The evil consciousness was referred to as Ifrit by everyone else.

"Control? Maybe, I don't know. Yaminekoryu is keeping him in check, but who knows for how long? I haven't changed into my Orphenoch form for days and I'm afraid, if I do, Ifrit might take over." Draco feared that the most. Ifrit, even though he was being quiet, was still evil. He was the part of Draco that crazed destruction in all its forms and that scared him, immensely. That time when he showed his Orphenoch form to Mortuary, he was afraid that for a split second that Ifrit would take over. He was lucky that time, but he knew his luck wouldn't last.

"That bad, huh?"

"Believe me Terra, it gets worse."

"How?"

"I don't know and I don't wanna know."

They sat in silence, as was usual for them now. Terra had been wanting to ask him something since they had started talking, but had never found a way to get around to it. "Hey Leo, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Have you ever...ummm...thought about what your life would be like if your dad was still alive?" she asked tentatively. She knew that this was a VERY sore subject for him. If he decided not to answer her, she wasn't going to push the subject.

Draco sat silently beside Terra, gathering his thoughts. He rarely ever talked about his father with anyone, though that wasn't to say that he didn't play the 'What If ' game. He sighed and then decided to give Terra a straight answer, "Look, I don't really talk about my Otousan to that many people. It's kinda hard, you know?" Terra nodded, giving him the encouragement he needed to continue. "Do I ever think about what it would be like if he was still alive? All the time. But when I do think about it, I realize how differently things would be if he was alive. I probably wouldn't be sitting here with you right now. I'd most likely still be in Tokyo; I'd have never met you or any of the other Titans, much less Jinx. I wouldn't be a Knight, either. And there would be no way that I would be-" Draco just cut himself off, not able to say it, no matter how much he knew that it may possibly happen. Terra needed not ask what he meant. He meant the fact that he might possibly die one day very soon. And that scared him more than anything in the world. She was willing to bet that that was the reason that he fought as a Knight now: he fought so that he could become a human again.

"It's getting late," Terra said, "You better get some sleep," she advised.

"Thanks, Terra. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Draco," Terra said before she entered the Tower to sleep, she then whispered, "Good luck, Draco, and keep on fighting."

* * *

(Slade's Mansion)

Kat was in her room, contemplating on her most recent encounter with her little twin brother. She hoped he'd take her words to heart. He was enough of an idiot to believe she might actually want him to survive for some stupid, sentimental reason. That would encourage him to live if he thought there was any chance of reconciliation between them.

Kat grinned in the darkness of her room. '_What a naïve little moron!'_

'_He had _better_ not die before I fight him in the Tournament_,' she thought. '_I want it to be official. I want _everyone_ to know I'm better than him; that I was always better than him. They shouldn't have underestimated me and made him Draco.' _

While she was now happy with her powers as the Zodiac Knight of the Cat, she had never forgotten that first sting of betrayal she had felt when they had passed over the mantle of Draco to her idiot, twin brother. _She_ was the better fighter and wielder of power! And yet it was Leo who had become Draco and heir to the Hasuma School.

She looked forward to beating her brother. Slade-sama had helped her become much stronger. And with the little trinkets she'd been helping him get…

Kat grinned even wider, baring her ivory white, sharp teeth.

The Titans didn't stand a chance. She'd spare her brother though. The deaths of all his friends, especially his bubble-gum pink haired girlfriend, would inspire him to train even harder for the Tournament.

Then, her victory would be all the sweeter.

Kat purred as she settled back onto her bed to dream of vengeance and victory.

* * *

Emiko Narukawa Hasuma stood solemnly by the large balcony that was her bedroom window, thinking about everything. She wondered how everything that was her life could have changed so quickly. She supposed that it had all started with her husband's 'death'. Once it had happened, Ryuki and Neko had had similar but different reactions. While both of them had become very withdrawn, Ryuki's personality had changed with him using smiles to cover up his apparent sadness at his father's death, while Neko had remained just the same as ever. She was still sad that it had happened, but her personality had never changed.

Emiko herself was a completely different story. She had mourned over the loss of her husband greatly. For two days succeeding his death, she had sobbed to herself, wishing that her husband was there to wipe her tears away. Everywhere she went, everything she saw, reminded her of him. Only when she remembered that she had children to take care of and a design company to run did she make a mental promise to herself: she could not do this to her children, she couldn't be weak; they needed her now more than ever. And so she buried herself in work and the tedious process of raising her children. Rather than crying during the day, she waited until after her children were asleep before she locked herself up safely in the confines of her bedroom and sobbed herself to sleep.

Every night she dreamt different dreams: that her love had never died, that she had been able to save him and that he was really there beside her. She would wake up with a start and come crashing back down to the cold, harsh reality of this world and realize that she had been dreaming, that her love was not there and would never be again. She would start to sob again only to realize that she had run out of tears. Her sleep was no longer easy anymore as she slept fitfully every night because of the dreams and the nightmares that plagued her night after night.

She stood at her balcony quietly. She was alone, as she had sent all of the guards out so she could be alone. She remembered the night that he had really come back to her, that she hadn't been dreaming. Twelve years had passed, and her children had grown up significantly. That day, both the teenaged Ryuki and Neko had been acting very different, as though they both had a secret that they had to keep from her. She never questioned them, trusting that when the time was right, that both of them would be honest with her. That night, she had gone out for a walk on the private, gated grounds of her home in order to clear her mind.

She soon came to a favorite spot of hers: a grove of trees with all of her favorite flowers and a bench that sat nearby. She loved to come to this spot to think and to clear her mind. Suddenly, to her shock, sitting on the bench was her supposedly dead husband. When she saw him, and their eyes met, she wasn't sure what to feel. She felt so many things at that moment that she felt as though her mind was a contortionist, not sure which way to turn. Was this even real or was her mind playing tricks on her?

She walked forward with disbelief, tears streaming down her cheeks. She sobbed openly as they embraced each other. There were two questions that were running through her mind: How was Kyo-chan alive? How long had he been this way? Without reading her mind, he told her that he couldn't tell her how he was alive, only that he had been so for a long time. Her tears ceased and her happiness quickly turned to anger. She broke out his embrace and began pounding on his chests with her fists, begging and demanding him to tell her why he hadn't told her before now as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her pounding stopped, and he reached down and held her face in his hands, stroking her tears away with his thumbs.

"Emi-chan," he had said, "I must ask you to please not tell anyone that I am alive. I need for you to continue going on about your life as though I am still dead."

"But why? What about Neko and Ryuki? They deserve to know that their father is no longer dead," she said to him, puzzled and sadden by his request.

"I know that they deserve to know," he said, "But they cannot know until the time is right. I need your word that you will not tell another soul, especially them."

She gave him her word that she wouldn't tell anyone. It did hurt that she couldn't tell her children, but she was happy knowing that her husband was still very much alive and had been watching over them all this time.

They sat down on the bench and he proceeded to tell that their twin children were to become Zodiac Knights. He told her that he had left his deck in his things that were now stored in the attic, and that Ryuki had found it and had made a contract with his Zodiac Monster. Neko had received her deck that same day as well, and had fully accepted it. He told her of the tournament, and that there would only be ONE who would come out of it alive. He would watch over their children, but he was never allowed to interfere. At this, she began to cry again and threw herself into his arms. He held her in his arms and whispered soothing words in her ears. Once her crying had again ceased, he pulled back and told her that he had to leave.

"When will I see you again, if ever?" she had asked.

"I'm not sure," he said. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, walked over to him, and pulled him in for a bittersweet kiss. She tried to make a memory that she would always remember, to tell herself that he was actually there, holding her, touching her, kissing her, that this wasn't a dream of hers again. This was real… he and her together. He broke off the kiss, and with the look of utmost sadness on his face, he turned away from her and began to walk away from her, telling her that he would see her again soon. She watched him walk away from her, wishing that they could just spend the rest of their lives holding onto each other and never letting go. He disappeared from sight soon after.

Just as he had promised, he visited her again, several months later, this time in their bedroom at night as before. He was clad in some sort of armor, with a cloak and a staff. There were tears shed once more by his Emi-chan. They talked about their children, and Emiko's design company. They had made love and fallen asleep. He awoke a short time later, knowing that he had to leave and that it pained him to have to do so. He looked at his Emi-chan as she slept peacefully for the first time in years. A smile came to his lips as he watched her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and moved to get dressed. He left her a note, saying that although he would have loved nothing more than to hold her in his arms, he had to leave.

When Emiko awoke the next morning, she found the note that her Kyo-chan had left her. An unbidden wave of tears threatened to fall, but she forced them back. He had written that he had had to leave and that he loved her beyond everything else. She wiped her eyes and hid the letter. It was time for her to begin her day.

Emiko smiled as she remembered that visit, and the few that had come after that. The last time that she and Kyousuke had seen each other was months ago, right before she had gone to Jump City to see her children and to meet her son's girlfriend. Jen made him so happy. He deserved that, to have someone that would be a light through everything that happened to him. Emiko often saw herself and Kyousuke in Jen and Ryuki. She continued to muse silently as a slight breeze blew. Without turning around, she knew that he was there, even though she had locked her bedroom door and she had been completely alone. She tensed at first, until she recognized his presence, then she relaxed, knowing that she was safe. He had come to see her once more. She knew when he was standing behind her. She could feel him.

"How long this time?" she asked sadly.

_'Until the end of the world, that's how long I wish I could have with you.' _Instead, he said, "I'm not sure."

"Then we'll just have to make the best of the time that we have together," she said with a sad smile.

A little while later they laid together in their bed, tired from 'being' with each other. Emiko rested her head and one of her hands on his chest. She sighed sadly.

"What's wrong, Emi-chan?" he asked her.

"I wish that you didn't have to leave. I wish that we didn't have to keep this from our children. I hate it," she said with a choked voice.

"I know, I know," he said as he stroked her back. He knew that he had to get her mind on something else. "Have you seen Ryuki or Neko lately?"

He looked down at her face and saw how it brightened at first, then became sad once more. "What's wrong?"

"Kyo-chan, I'm so worried for both of them. I know that it's normal for a mother to worry for her children…but still," she said tearfully. She took a moment to collect herself, then wiped her eyes. Without missing a beat, she told him about the fashion show that she had done in Jump City, where she had met their son's new friends and his girlfriend Jen; she had seen their daughter as well. She continued on with her story by telling him that she had seen Ryuki recently, and that she had found out that he was an Orphenoch. At hearing this, Kyousuke exhaled heavily. He didn't need an explanation of what an Orphenoch was. He knew what Orphenochs were all right. Now his son was one. His son had a shorter lifespan now and there was nothing that anyone could do about it, unless…

He shook his head inwardly. He couldn't mess with time, not again, not since he had sent his children and his son's team mates into the future.

"You'd be proud of him, Kyo-chan. He's so much like you in so many ways, the similarities are uncanny," said Emiko wistfully. She gazed off to the side, a smile playing on her lips as she thought about her son and what Jen had told her about him. A thought struck Emiko, making her smile fade away just as quickly as it had come. "Kyo-chan, I just had the most horrible thought. What will Neko and Ryuki think when they find out that I have known for all these years that you were truly alive and not dead? They will surely hate me," she sobbed.

Kyousuke held his wife tightly, whispering soothing words into her ears and gently rubbing her back. Slowly, she calmed down. Once her tears had stopped, he took a breath and said "I don't think that they would hate you. They might be upset and angry, but they will never hate you. Hopefully, they will see why you did it and understand your reasons."

This answer seemed to placate Emiko for the time as she lay contentedly in bed with her husband. "How much longer must we act in secret, Kyo-chan? I wish that we could tell our children that we could be together and not have to keep this from them…"

"I know, Emi-chan…I know."

To Be Continued…

This chapter was co-written with Tanyeera, Angel1772, Zombi 138 and ZK Chromedragozoid (Me!). The last part was of this fic was sent by Angel as a present and thanks to her this makes a good ending to this chap.


	37. PT037: Timefire

Part 37: Timefire

It was pretty early in the morning in Jump City. The sun had barely begun to rise and a familiar necroplasmic Teen Titan was already out for a walk on the town. Mort left his bike back at the Tower. He felt like taking things slow after all that's been happening recently. Mortuary's most hated enemy, Brother Occultus, had returned. This made Mortuary feel really worried and he wanted to just leave Jump City and deal with all of this on his own to keep the others safe. Shadow insisted that Mortuary stay in Jump City with the Titans because of the fact that he could be taken out on his own if he wasn't careful. With all of that aside, Mortuary had a couple of appointments to attend to today.

One of Mortuary's appointments was with Vincent Harker, his adopted father, at an abandoned factory in town where he would be given a "tool" to use if he was ever in danger. Vince knew that his son was crime fighter of sorts. When Mortuary had finally reached the factory he saw one of his father's bodyguards waiting outside.

"Good to see you again, Mr. Smith," the bodyguard said with a nod. "If you'll please enter, Mr. Harker is waiting." Mortuary decided not to say anything and just walk in.

When Mortuary entered, it was dark and he heard a deep voice call out to him. "It's been a while, Craig." Suddenly, the lights turned on to reveal a man in his late thirties with slicked back black hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in a black business suit. Vincent Harker was not just a very good businessman, but also a very good monster hunter to boot.

Mortuary nodded, "Yeah it has. How've you been holding up, Dad?"

"I've been keeping busy, running the company, hunting some monsters, parties all that stuff."

"So, I believe you called me here to give me something," Mortuary said.

"Oh yes, that's right." Vincent then snapped his fingers and another bodyguard approached with a metal suitcase with the Harker Tech symbol on it. The bodyguard opened up the suitcase to reveal a strange type of wrist device, the device itself was red and black.

Mortuary approached and took the device out. "What is this?" Mort asked as he inspected it. It looked a bit like a hi-tech watch on closer inspection.

"I'm sure you're familiar with Smart Brain's Clock Up system," Vincent paused. "Now, before you say anything, I'm not trying to sabotage Smart Brain in any way. I know that some of your friends are linked to Smart Brain; one of them is even a CEO. I just made this for you, son, only you."

"How did you get that kind info?" Mortuary asked his adopted father. His father meant well, he knew that, but some of his methods were very questionable to say the least.

Vincent just smirked and replied, "Let's just say that some of my employees also work at Smart Brain." Well, sometimes even good businessmen need spies to look into their competition and Harker Tech and Smart Brain have been rivals for quite some time now. So, a little espionage was not uncommon. Fortunately, it never came down to any sort of sabotage and Harker only made this for his son.

"Thanks a lot, Dad," Mort looked at his watch. "I've gotta go. It seems that I have another appointment"

Vincent nodded. "Then you better get going and take care of yourself."

Mortuary smiled, "I will, Dad. I might even come back home sometime and see you."

Vincent smiled back, "That'd be great. See you around."

After Mortuary left he took one last look at the device "So it's like the Clock Up system, eh? I should be able to mow down Orphenochs faster with this little toy." His T-Com suddenly began beeping and he took it out. On the face was Pluto.

"Mort! Get your butt over here, NOW!" Pluto shouted. It sounded like there was a battle going on.

"On it!" Mortuary shouted, getting his game face on.

* * *

The Titans that remained in JC were Shadow, Pluto, Draco, Jinx, Blackfire and Terra. Don't forget, they also have an extra member in Mortuary, who had still not arrived. 

Shadowcobra, or Shadow, the only known living Vampangel, is leader of the team while the founding members, the original 5, were out on a mission fighting the Brotherhood of Evil. Shadow possesses shadow manipulation powers, healing powers, regenerative abilities and the ability to turn invisible. The latter power bestowed upon him by the Zodiac Snake. His other Zodiac Powers are Astral Projection and an enhanced 6th Sense. Aside from his supernatural abilities, Shadow was trained in the martial arts, most prominently the snake style. His girlfriend is Raven, one of the original 5, who had to go and fight the Brotherhood of Evil with the others. He doesn't show it, but he misses her. His uniform comprises of a black jumpsuit with matching purple gloves and boots with a purple cloak. In appearance, Shadow has black shoulder length hair with silver bangs, pale skin and blue eyes. His most distinctive features are the markings under his eyes and an inverted red triangle mark on his forehead dubbed the Mark of Sin. He uses the hood of his cloak as a collar and pulls it up to cover the lower half of his face. His real name is Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa-Akuma.

Pluto is the mad scientist of the group. He is a certified genius. Unfortunately, he earned his mad scientist moniker because he wasn't always careful and most of his inventions tend to either blow up or backfire. However, despite all the failures (and the grief he causes his fellow teammates) he is undeterred and keeps on building newer and better inventions. His girlfriend, Blackfire (who we will get to know soon) always encourages him and helps him out. (When I mean helps him out, I mean she sometimes likes to help him relax by making out with him in the back of his car the Blue Hound II). Pluto possesses the ability to generate and manipulate electricity as well as possessing nanobots in his body that allow him to change his body parts into tools or weapons. He also possesses invulnerability and immortality, powers bestowed upon him by the Zodiac Dog. He also possesses levitating abilities. Aside from his powers, he is trained as a swordsman. His uniform is a black jumpsuit, like Shadow's, with matching blue gloves and boots and a blue sleeveless lab coat. He wears a blue visor over his eyes to hide his identity. In terms of appearance, he is a good looking and fairly normal looking Japanese youth in his late teens with dark brown hair, spiked up, and blue eyes. His real name is Yoshiyuki Takada.

Draco is the ONLY Orphenoch on the team, but he was never always like that. He possesses psychic abilities like teleportation and telekinesis as well as cat-like senses, reflexes and agility. The power bestowed upon him by the Zodiac Dragon is pyrokinesis, or what he likes to call 'Firebending'. He can generate and control flames. Not only that he can also manipulate the earth (Earthbend) generate and manipulate ice, turn his body to sand, possess super strength and see glimpses into the future or past through touch. After becoming an Orphenoch through unforeseen circumstances, he gains the ability to transform into an Orphenoch form, regenerative abilities, further enhanced senses and shoot energy blasts. He dislikes using his Orphenoch abilities because he fears of losing his humanity. His uniform is a black jumpsuit with matching red gloves and boots, a red scarf around his neck and red goggles on his eyes. In terms of appearance, he is a Japanese youth, not older than 18, with long red hair and emerald green eyes. His real name is Ryuki Leonard Hasuma. His girlfriend is Jinx.

Now, the girls:

Jinx, also known as Jennifer Wilcox, possesses the ability to shoot hexes that can manipulate probability the worse way possible. A former student of the HIVE Academy, Jinx had been trained as a villain and mercenary. The reason was that she only saw her powers as a curse and wanted a way to vent. She was once an enemy of the Titans, mostly the original 5, but she gave up villainy when she fell in love with Draco and after he risked his life to save her. She has a troubled past, but a better future now with the Titans. The uniform she is currently wearing is a black tube top with matching black fingerless gloves that go up to her elbows, tight black shorts and blue combat boots. She also has on her trademark striped black and blue stockings. Armor plating has been added onto the top, gloves and boots. In terms of appearance, Jinx has pink hair tied up into her trademark horn-like pigtails (Draco thinks they are cute), grayish pale skin and pink cat-like eyes (Draco thinks her eyes are beautiful). Draco always compliments on her looks. Living as a hero now, she is glad to have found a better life and love.

Blackfire, also known as Komand'r or as Karmen Anders on Earth, is an alien from the planet Tamaran. She is the princess of the planet but she is banished. Before she became a Titan, she was an enemy and tried to frame her sister, Starfire (one of the original 5), for her crimes and also took over Tamaran. The latter crime had her banished. After months of contemplation, she returned to Earth to make amends. When she first met Pluto (in his armored form) she fell for him. She didn't have the nerve to face her sister at first but helped all the Titans during the Gamemaster Saga. She later became an official member of the team and began dating Pluto. Blackfire possesses super strength, the ability to fly and can shoot energy blasts from her hands and eyes. In terms of appearance, she is an attractive female specimen with supermodel looks, tan skin, stunning violet eyes and black hair. Her uniform is a black top, mini-skirt, thigh high boots, metal armguard and neck guard and some sort of body armor underneath. Aside from Starfire, she has her fair share of fans as well.

Terra, also known as Tara Markov, has the power to manipulate Earth. She too had a painful past that involved her inability to control her powers, a problem she no longer has. At first, she was a friend to the Titans, but because of misunderstandings she ran away only to resurface again to betray them…to Slade. Regretting her actions in the end, Terra nobly sacrificed herself to save her friends and dating. She was freed from her stone prison by mysterious benefactors and is back on the team. In love with Beast Boy, and missing him terribly because he is fighting the Brotherhood of Evil, she, like Shadow, takes her frustration out on her opponents. Her uniform is a black crop top with a yellow T in the centre, tight yellow spandex shorts, a brown belt and hiking boots with matching brown gloves. She also wears goggles, like Draco, except hers are blue. Over her shirt she also wears a leather jacket that has a large red wolf face on the back and blue stripes going down the arms. In terms of appearance, Terra has long blonde hair, bright blue eyes and very thin. One extra tidbit is that she was once on a team called the Red Wolves that was led by their currently absent member. She wears the jacket to honor them.

The remaining Titans had dubbed themselves the Z-Titans to differentiate themselves from the original 5 and worked together protect the city from crime, evil and villainy.

The Titans current adversaries, the HIVE Five, were once students of the HIVE Academy. After the school, or schools, were destroyed because of the Titans, the students scattered around on their own doing crime. The HIVE Five is a team comprised of 5 former students. Originally Jinx was a member of this group, including Mammoth and Gizmo, but they all left for better lives.

The HIVE Five members are…

Angel, the new leader, is a girl with yellow eyes, wears a silver helmet, red shirt and blue skirt with blue boots and gloves. She also has a pair of small wings that can enlarge themselves for flight. Not much is known about her except that she is involved with Kyd Wykkyd.

Kyd Wykkyd is REALLY mysterious. He looks almost like Batman, including the bat-like cowl and cape. The only exception is his bluish skin and red eyes. He is rumored to be a demon, or at least a half demon, and can teleport using shadow magic that is performed by using his cape. He NEVER talks, ever, unlike the next member…

Billy Numerous. He wears a red spandex unitard that covers everything except his face. His eyes are always covered by a black visor. There is a division symbol on his chesty. He NEVER stops talking and always has someone to talk to, even himself, since he can duplicate himself, hence the name. Ironically, he and Kyd Wykkyd are best friends.

Private HIVE. He acts like a soldier and carries the HIVE symbol as a shield to show his loyalty and respect to his former school. Dressed in a full black bodysuit with a yellow cowl, yellow boots and gloves including a pair of yellow shorts, the tight suit showed off his muscular build. Of course, despite his strength, he had been conditioned to only follow orders.

Finally See-More. He is an African American teen in a white uniform with green boots and green gloves. He wears an eye symbol on his chest. His green helmet covers his entire head, except for the lower part of his face. The helmet has an adjustable cycloptic eye. The eye can be adjusted to fire beams or create a force field to protect himself or to imprison his enemies. He also had a crush on Jinx, still does in fact, and this is why he hates Draco who he thinks stole Jinx from him.

So far, the fight had been going on WAY too long.

Shadow was going up against Kyd Wykkyd. They had similar powers so this was an interesting match as they both vanished only to reappear to trade blows before disappearing again.

"Don't talk much, do you?" Shadow questioned as he blocked a punch from Kyd before retaliating with a roundhouse kick that the villain blocked with his cape. "Good, I prefer quiet opponents." Shadow jabbed and punched at his opponent only to be blocked by Kyd's cape. Shadow then did a flip kick that nailed Kyd in the chin and was about to follow up with a flying kick until the demonic looking teen wrapped his cape around himself and disappeared. Shadow scanned the area, his eyes turning black for a bit, before Kyd lunged from the ground. Shadow did a split and then summoned his staff to jab it into Kyd's stomach. Kyd dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach. Shadow raised up his hand and sent a blast of shadow energy. Kyd used his powers to sink into the ground. To Shadow, this was like fighting Danny again. "Where are you…?" Kyd appeared behind him to hit him but Shadow used his power of invisibility to disappear before reappearing to counter attack. They began fighting and their actions did all the talking for them.

Draco was going up against See-More. After making fun of See-More's one eye by calling him 'One-eyes' or 'Cyclops rip-off', they started to fight for real. See-More adjusted his eye to fire a laser beam at Draco's feet. Draco saw it coming thanks to his Powers of Pisces that gave him Clairvoyance and short glimpses into the future. Draco grinned and then landed before dashing towards See-More.

"You're gonna pay for taking Jinx away from me!" See-More yelled as he kept firing, only for Draco to easily jump out of the way and dodging. "She was mine and you took her!"

"Incase you've forgotten, you were just a friend to her! She cared for you, yes, but she loves me now." Draco aimed a punch but See-More created a force field. "And I NEVER STOLE HER!" he jumped back and flung fireballs at the barrier, but the blasts only dissipated against the surface.

"You can't beat me! This barrier's solid energy!" See-More laughed.

"Solid energy, huh?" Draco grinned. He then looked under See-More's feet. "What about under your feet?"

"Huh?" See-More's single eye blinked as Draco stomped his foot and made the street underneath See-More explode and sending him into the air. He created a sort of 'eye-balloon' and landed back on the ground. He breathed, relieved, "That was close."

"So is my fist!" Draco yelled as he aimed a punch into See-More's eye, sending him reeling.

Blackfire was fighting against Angel. Since Angel was a flier, it was only logic for another flier to fight her. Both girls were having an aerial dogfight, trading blows as they flew towards each other. Blackfire used her blackbolts, but Angel blocked them by using her wings like shields before she fired her feathers like arrows. Blackfire got graved in the face but her body was protected by her armored suit. With a battlecry and eyes glowing, she flew straight at Angel. Angel smirked, her yellow eyes narrowed, as her wings enlarged and engulfed Blackfire like prison. Blackfire tried punching her way out but Angel's wings were like Adamantium. However, Angel's celebration was short-lived as a direct blast to her body forced her to let go of Blackfire.

"I said let me go," Blackfire said angrily as she cracked her neck. She fired her eyebeams and they hit Angel in the chest. The elder princess was pissed. "And I don't like to repeat myself." She cracked her knuckles and went to fight her again.

Terra and Jinx were going up against Private HIVE. The HIVE soldier looked at Jinx hatefully. "The punishment for betrayal is death!" Private HIVE announced as he aimed a fist at Jinx, but she somersaulted away.

"You okay, Jinx?" Terra asked as she flung rocks at the soldier who blocked with his shield.

"Yeah," Jinx nodded. "He's strong, but he's not too bright. All he knows is following orders." She flexed her fingers. "Ready to use that move we practiced?"

Terra grinned. "You bet!"

Both girls ran at Private HIVE and jumped up to aim flying kicks at him. As predicted, he raised his shielded arm to block and then threw them away. He laughed, "Leave fighting to the big boys, girlies!"

"Terra!" Jinx yelled. Terra got the signal and summoned up a large rock that she hurled towards Private HIVE.

"Jinx!" Terra yelled as Jinx covered the rock with her hex energy. The hexed rock smashed into Private HIVE's shield and shattered. The small particles of rock were like sand and invaded his eyes.

"I can't see!" Private HIVE hollered, hands on his eyes.

The girls then kicked him again, sending him falling.

Pluto was fighting against Billy and was getting REALLY annoyed. If he was in his armor he could be fighting Billy at his own game. Of course, Shadow wanted them to get used to fighting crime WITHOUT their armors and only resort to using their armors against Mirror Dimenson Monsters, Orphenochs, or any other threat that would require the protection and power of their suits. Pluto was getting annoyed NOT because of Billy's clones…He was getting annoyed by Billy's constant talking. He could zap one, but a lot more kept showing up. He was fighting 11 Billies now and none of them was shutting up.

"Hey, Billy!" yelled one Billy.

"Yeah, Billy?" replied another.

"Do you reckon this dog here needs to be put down?"

"I reckon he does, Billy! Let's go catch us a hound, Billies!"

"OKAY, BILLY!" all the Billies said in unison.

Takada was fighting them hand-to-hand, occasionally using his electrical powers to zap them or throwing them around with his telekinesis. Unfortunately, true to his name, Billy was too numerous.

"I wish I could use my Trick Vent now," Pluto muttered as he fired some more lightning bolts. "Or at least Mortuary should come."

"DOG-PILE THE DOGGIE!" the Billies crooned as they multiplied into 50 and dropped on top of Pluto.

Pluto, thinking, '_Well this is irony; the Dog Knight being dog-piled. This would be so funny if I wasn't stuck at the bottom_.' He tried to struggle and use his powers, but the Billies just punched and kicked him within the pile. It didn't hurt him much, unlike his pride. At least his powers would make sure he wouldn't suffocate, but hearing Billy's annoying voice multiplied and magnified was enough to drive the mad genius bonkers…

Mad genius bonkers….Isn't that redundant?

* * *

Mortuary cursed himself for not taking his bike. He had to run to the other side of town to help his friends out. It was then that it hit him like a ton of bricks; he had something that had the same effect as the Clock Up system. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the device his dad had just given him and all of a sudden the device lit up. 

"Password and voice confirmation required," spoke a computerized voice that came out of the device. The voice was female.

"What am I supposed to call you anyway?" Mort asked.

"I am called Timefire, an AI to help you in battles by assessing strategies and equipping you with the Timefire Suit as well as upgrading the Death Buster," Timefire explained.

"Explain how your system works," Mort ordered

Timefire did as told, "The Timefire system gives the user extremely quick speed boosts called 'jolts'. Only ten jolts can be used until the Timefire system must recharge. This system must be put on the left wrist."

Mortuary followed Timefire's instructions and strapped Timefire to his left wrist.

"Password and voice confirmation required," Timefire repeated.

"Alright then, let's see what this is about." Mortuary paused for a moment he then brought Timefire closer to his face. "Timefire!" Mort yelled into the device. His body was starting to glow with a red light. "Hold on guys, I'm coming!"

* * *

Back to the battle, the Z-Titans and the Hive FIVE were actually coming to a draw. This battle had taken longer than it should have. This got Shadow REALLY frustrated. If they were in their armors, they would have no problem against these 4 clowns. However, they were heroes and having an unfair advantage over their opponents would make them no better than villains. 

Although, the though of using Genosnaker was tempting and it crossed Shadow's mind several times.

"Where the hell is Mortuary? Didn't you contact him, Pluto?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah, I did, but I don't know where he is," Pluto responded.

"They probably had a sale at the gun shop or something," Blackfire joked

"Don't worry guys," Terra started. "He'll be here."

"So the rookie decided to hide, eh?" Private HIVE spoke up. "I don't blame him. He has every right to be scared, as you all should be."

"This is just boring, I reckon we just finish them off right now," Billy said.

"Bring it on if you think you can," Draco challenged.

The Z-Titans and the HIVE 5 were standing at odds, waiting to advance on each other. It was then that Angel gave the HIVE 5 the signal to attack. But, before they could, an energy blast shot between both groups. The blast came from an alley and everyone turned their attention there. Slowly, a figure emerged from the alley. The figure was clad in a red bodysuit which was black at the shoulders and upper back. The suit also had red gloves and boots. The boots had a black trim and there were also black bracers over the gloves and forearms. Around his waist he wore a black belt with a gun holstered at the side. The head was covered by a red helmet with a black face plate which had a red visor over the eyes; there was also a silver mouth plate.

The Z-Titans didn't know who this new stranger was, but Shadow had a suspicion on the figure's identity. The aura and gun were familiar.

The figure pointed at each one of the HIVE 5 and beckoned them towards him.

"Looks like the new guy wants to fight us all on his own," See-More said with a chuckle.

"Step aside, guys. I'll take him by myself," Private HIVE said while cracking his knuckles and running towards his opponent.

The red warrior just shook his head and pressed a button on his wrist device and in an instant he was behind Private HIVE. He tapped Private HIVE on the shoulder only to have him turn around to a fist in the face. Private HIVE was knocked unconscious and missing a few teeth.

"Woah," Jinx blinked.

"Did you guys see that?" Terra asked.

"He's fast!" Draco said.

"Yes, he is," Shadow said calmly.

"Who is he?" Blackfire questioned. "Where did he come from?"

"Wait, that almost looked like…" Pluto's eyes widened with realization. "Clock Up!"

See-More started his attack by shooting out energy eyes from his helmet. However, before they could connect, the red warrior (who I'll just refer to as Red for the rest of the fight) pulled his gun out of the holster and shot out energy blasts at each one of the eyes. He then took a shot at See-More which was a direct hit. Everyone gasped when they saw the shot connect until Red pointed at a screen on the gun that said 'Stun'. Everyone gave out a sigh of relief after that.

"I though he killed him," Draco said with relief. However, Ifrit was thinking, '_Wouldn't be much of a loss anyway_.'

Both Angel and Kid Wykkyd decided to attack Red at the same time. Angel shot out feather arrows at Red. As the arrows were approaching him, Red pushed a button on his gun which instantly turned it into a sword. He then used it to deflect the arrows. After the first wave of arrows, he didn't notice Kid sneaking up behind him and holding him in place. Before the next wave of arrows was shot, Red managed to push a button on his wrist device. As Angel shot the arrows, Red was suddenly behind Kid Wykkyd. Luckily, he was also able to dodge the arrows. Red looked at the screen on his device which said 7 on it. For his next attack, Red jolted six times between Angel and Kid Wykkyd, giving each of them a couple of hits each time. The device now had 1 on the screen

And last, but certainly not least, was Billy Numerous. The duplicitous Southerner said, "You might be able to take down two of my pardners at a time, but I reckon you can't beat 20!" Billy gave a confidant smirk as he was multiplying. Red just gave a smirk as he also multiplied himself 20 times too, which left Billy in awe. But Billy was ready to fight anyway. Both groups of Billies and Reds were trading blows until all of the Reds pushed a button on their wrist devices and boosted their attack speed. The Billies couldn't keep up with the amount of hits and were soon beaten. After being beaten, the dupes disappeared and both Red and Billy were just one again. All of the members of the HIVE 5 were lying around unconscious around Red.

"All jolts used. Timefire going into recharge mode. Timefire powering down," spoke a female computerized voice coming from Red's device. There was a bright red flash on Red's suit which soon removed the suit to reveal….

"MORT!?" Draco shouted in awe.

Mortuary is the outsider of the team of sorts, meaning he never likes to follow the team's plans to the letter. Mortuary likes to administer his own brand of justice which, for the most part, causes him to get scolded by Shadow. Mortuary wasn't always as ruthless as he is now; he lost some really good friends to become this way. Mortuary has the power of Necromancy due to the Necroplasm running through his veins. His Necromancy allows him to borrow energy from souls to increase his physical attributes. It also allows him to fire off energy blasts called Necrobolts. When he became a Zodiac Knight, he gained the power of Aries to create an entire army of himself at any given moment. Aside from his powers, he is also trained in kickboxing and marksmanship, using his powerful Death Buster gun to hit almost any target. His uniform is a bulletproof vest (which can also protect him from other things) with skulls and crossbones on it that is worn over a black t-shirt, black cargo pants, a utility belt, black fingerless gloves and combat boots. As homage to his old team the Red Wolves, like Terra, he too wears the jacket. In terms of appearance he is a normal looking teenager except for the multiple scars on his upper body. He also has long black hair and shining blue eyes. His face right now is covered in paint to make it look like a skull. His real name is Craig Smith. He's the only single member of the team.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Mortuary asked, like nothing happened. "Oh Draco, could you freeze those guys cause they might get back up and escape or something."

Draco nodded and said, "Time to put these guys on ice." With a blast from his hands, the HIVE 5 were all incased in ice, frozen solid.

"Mortuary, could you please tell me how you were able to use the Clock Up system and where that suit came from?" Shadow asked

"Oh, you mean the Timefire system? It's just a little gift from my dad," Mortuary replied.

Shadow knew who Mort was talking about. Vincent Harker. Harker Tech and Smart Brain were rivals in the technologies business and it wasn't rare to have spies in either company. The young CEO of Smart Brain Tokyo was going to keep a watchful eye on their little Knight of Aries…

"Now that's some interesting tech!" Pluto said in amazement as he admired Mort's Timefire watch. "I'd love to take it apart and see what makes it tick!"

Mort moved his arm away from the drooling dog. "Sorry Plutes. No can do."

"Maybe we should test this out further to see what more it can do," Draco suggested.

"I think the obstacle course is a good place to test it out," Terra suggested.

"Can't," Shadow shook his head, "You and Jinx tore it up yesterday practicing that new move you've been working on. It'll take days to fix it."

Jinx and Terra blushed, sheepishly, remembering how most of the obstacle course was just a bunch of large holes and the machinery was damaged. T.I.T.A.N. and Pluto were still doing repairs.

"How about the Mirror Dimension?" Draco suggested, "Mortuary, aren't your Gazelles due for a feed?"

Mortuary shrugged, "They have been a bit restless and been nagging me for some monster energy, but I haven't found even one."

"We can go look now," Draco said as he took out his Dragon Deck. "Ready?"

"Okay," Mortuary nodded as he too took out his Aries Deck.

"Don't be too long in there, boys," Terra reminded. "It's both your turns to make lunch."

"Okay, Terra," both Draco and Mortuary said as they stood in front of a nearby window and pointed their decks at it. Their belts materialized.

"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON!"

"EMPOWERMENT OF ARIES!"

"HENSHIN!"

Now both clad in their respective armors, Draco and Mortuary jumped in. The girls had left as Shadow and Pluto remained.

"Pluto, I want you to go in as well and record everything, alright?" Shadow commanded. He wanted Pluto to follow them. Shadow would watch from the real world.

"You got it, Shadow," Pluto saluted as he too took out his deck and summoned his belt. "EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DOG! HENSHIN!" Clad in his Dog armor, he jumped into the window as well.

* * *

When Pluto's Knightrider rolled into his destination, he saw that Draco and Mortuary were already fighting. They were fighting a pair of Flash Cheetahs. The Flash Cheetahs were known to be a very quick species of Mirror Dimension monster, able to exceed the speed of sound or even light. Well, the Clock Up system could easily match such speeds, but what of Mortuary's Timefire? 

"BRIGHT FLAME FORM!" Draco announced as he transformed into red and silver armored form. His green eyepieces flashed. The Flash Cheetah slashed at him, but he defended with his Draguntlet before countering with a kick.

Mortuary was using some Muay Thai moves and getting some good kicks here and there. The Flash Cheetah was then kneeled in the face by a knee strike and then a tornado kick. Both Flash Cheetahs were on the ground.

Pluto watched as the Flash Cheetahs demonstrated their uncanny speed. They rushed at Draco and Mortuary and knocked them off their feet before delivering some very swift attacks, all this while moving faster than the eye could see and appearing as blurs.

Draco got up and drew out a card before sliding it into his Dragauntlet. "XL Vent!" His black and red Excel Suit was activated. The suit had been built with special features, including one known as…

"Clock Up!" Draco announced and the watch on his right wrist responded, "CLOCK UP!" he began moving and fighting the Flash Cheetahs at their own speed.

Mort spoke, "Let's see if the hype about the Timefire is true." He said to Timefire, "Do you work with the armor?"

Timefire spoke, "Timefire is compatible with Aries Zodiac Armor. Please enter activation password."

"Good," he said. "TIMEFIRE!" he shouted and his armor began to glow, much to Pluto's surprise. The brown parts of the armor turned red. With a single jolt he rushed into battle.

Pluto could only see blurs as Draco and Mort moved around and fought the Flash Cheetahs.

In Draco and Mortuary's POV the world had stopped moving and the only moving objects were them and their adversaries.

All that was about to change.

Draco and Mortuary simultaneously activated their Final Vents.

"FINAL VENT!"

"DRAGON COMBUSTION KICK!"

"CALL OF THE HERD!"

Their Zodiac Beasts, Dragonzer and the Gazelles, were also affected by Clock Up and Timefire due to their connection with their respected Knights. Aiding their Knights, they helped finished off their targets.

Draco's flaming flying kick slammed into one Flash Cheetah as Mortuary's flying knee strike struck another one into submission after if had gotten a few quick hits from the Gazelles. The Flash Cheetah exploded and released orbs of energy. The Zodiac Beasts eagerly swallowed their bounty.

"CLOCK OVER!" Time and speed went back to normal for Draco and Mortuary.

Draco looked Mortuary's Timefire upgrade and whistled. "Sugoi."

"Thanks," Mortuary nodded.

Pluto nodded, having recorded the battle. He would then send this info to Shadow to review.

Timefire and Clock Up appeared to be just the same.

Was this a good thing, or a bad thing?

* * *

Shadow smirked at what he saw. "Timefire, huh? Well, it seems very helpful. I hope Mortuary can keep up with that little toy." 

To Be Continued…

Credits to Zombi 138 for helping me with this chap. He helped write it. Timefire, Vincent Harker and Mortuary were his ideas.


	38. PT038: Renia's Return

Part 38: Renia's Return

The Z-Titans had returned from another day of battling evil and were not in the best of moods.

"That was the most surreal experience I've ever had," Mortuary said.

"Tell me about it," Pluto agreed. "I thought I'd be used to magic after all this time." He groaned, "Apparently, I was wrong."

It had only been Mumbo Jumbo, or 'The Amazing Mumbo' as the insane blue skinned magician called himself. Since the Orphenochs seemed to be more of a threat compared to the usual brand of villains, they thought it would be easy.

Apparently, they were wrong.

"What is wrong with that person?" Draco asked, tired.

"Who knows?" Jinx replied, "I'm just glad that experience is over."

Mumbo was robbing the bank again when the Z-Titans arrived to stop him. Mortuary took one look at Mumbo and laughed, making fun of the magician. Mumbo didn't take it too kindly.

"Serves you all right for underestimating him," Shadow chided. He knew more than anyone not to piss off a magician. His whole family was made up of powerful magic users with equally volatile tempers.

"Hey, we beat him, didn't we?" Blackfire said.

"Barely," Shadow said pessimistically.

"He's behind bars, which I'm thankful for, now we can rest," Terra said as she stretched and yawned.

Let's just say the experience was very, very, VERY weird. As if their lives weren't weird already.

It was, however, about to get weirder.

Sitting on the couch, watching TV, was a little girl with long blonde and braided hair. She was wearing a sleeveless black zipped up shirt and black baggy pants. She wore brown combat boots. Slung over the back of the couch was a red overcoat. Not too far away was a very large pile of sweet potatoes and she was clearly eating one as she was watching wrestling.

The Titans, without a doubt, knew who this was. Unfortunately, Mortuary didn't and decided to comment, "Hey, who's the little kid."

The Titans all froze with fear as the blonde girl's back stiffened. She turned her head over to where she had heard **that** word.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE, BUSTER?" she yelled at the top of her lungs at Mortuary. The necroplasmic teen and Knight of Aries was literally blown away by the power of this little kid's voice. "YOU WANT ME TO MAKE A STATUE OUT OF YOU BECAUSE THAT CAN BE EASILY…" she then looked down and saw Brimstone looking up at her, wagging his tail. She stopped her tirade abruptly and picked the up little dog, despite his demonic appearance, and hugged him. "Oh, you're such a cute little thing!"

Mortuary was peeling himself off the wall and blinked in confusion.

Shadow stepped in front of him, arms crossed, and warned, "A word of advice, don't say **that** word."

"What? L-" his mouth was covered up by Terra's gloved hand.

"Yeah, **that** one," she said. She took her hand back.

"But, who is she?" Mortuary asked. "And how did she get in?"

Renia put down Brimstone and took her coat before putting it on herself. She walked over and introduced herself, brandishing a T-Com, "Renia the Crystal Alchemist!"

"She's a Titan?" Mortuary asked in shock, "But she's so-" This time Draco's hand covered his mouth before Mortuary said the dreaded 'L' word or any other word with the same meaning. The Titans sighed with relief, relieved that World War 3 had been safely avoided.

"It's good to see you again, Renia," Shadow welcomed her with a handshake.

"Hey, glad to be back," Renia said with a wink. "This place is like a home to me, y'know?"

"I do."

"So, who's the jerk?" Renia pointed to Mort.

"Jerk?" Mortuary said as he stepped over to Renia and bent down so they were eye to eye. "Listen here you l-" A black energy dome engulfed his head to drown out the sound of his voice. Mort cursed, but no sound came out. Shadow was doing this, obviously.

"That, Renia, is our newest member Mortuary. He joined the team less than two months ago. He's a real asset to the team despite what you saw," Shadow assured her.

"Well, Master Rorek taught me that first impressions are really important and he made a real lousy one," Renia pointed out. She then said, "Oh, I also brought some sweet potatoes. Help yourselves.

The Z-Titans, save for Draco, gaped at the pile. _Some_ sweet potatoes? It was a large pile that nearly touched the ceiling. How could she still call that _some_?

Draco, on the other hand, was happily eating a sweet potato alongside Brimstone and Silkie. Cyberdog just watched as it couldn't consume organic matter as of yet. "Hey, guys!" Draco shouted. "These sweet potatoes are delicious.!"

Shadow sighed and let go of Mortuary's head. Being able to be heard again, he was ready to give Renia a piece of his mind when he caught glowing glares from the girls. He gulped, knowing fully well what the three were capable of. He had a gun, the ability to duplicate himself and necroplasmic powers but these were some of the most powerful women in the city and he didn't want to push his luck. Letting his temper simmer down, he joined the others.

Mortuary took a sweet potato and looked at it warily. He had never had one, roasted or otherwise. He took a bite and chewed and agreed with Draco, "You're right! These things aren't half bad!"

So, the Z-Titans began eating the sweet potatoes. Blackfire ate a lot as she couldn't get enough of them. It was a VERY large pile so a lot of eating was required. Thankfully, they had Silkie, Draco and Brimstone around, some of the biggest eaters in the Tower. Oh, don't forget Renia, of course.

Jinx sighed happily, enjoying the hot taste of the sweet potato as it melted in her mouth. It was tender and just delicious. She didn't remember when she ever had something this good.

"Cheap and delicious," Terra commented. "Where did you get these, Ren?"

Ren was Renia's nickname and she said, "Here and around."

* * *

Kat was uncovering the smoking hole in which she buried some of the sweet potatoes she was roasting. The rest of her team, Cathy, Wintergreen and Slade were outside with her.

"They should be ready, guys," Kat said.

"It's too bad Joey had to leave, though," Rose spoke thoughtfully.

"Well, more for us then," Grant licked his lips. "At least this is one thing she can cook that won't cause food poisoning."

Kat peered into the hole and her eyes widened. She gaped at it and gasped before screaming:

"WHERE ARE MY ROASTED SWEET POTATOES?"

* * *

"I did manage to get some, didn't I?" Renia smiled.

Shadow, again, took one skeptical look at the pile, '_This is some?_' He too was eating sweet potatoes.

"Back on Tamaran, something that tastes this great would be considered a delicacy," Blackfire stated as she took another bite. She sighed, "Oh, X'Hal!"

"A good meal after a hard day of work is a good thing no matter what," Pluto put in his two cents.

"Exactly," Draco agreed. "Ever since I was a little kodomo I've always loved roasted sweet potatoes."

"We know," Shadow reminded, "You would always bring some home and roast them yourself."

"When you can shoot fire and have sweet potatoes, roast them," Draco said offhandedly. He handed another sweet potato to Brimstone and the little Kaiser puppy ate it with gusto. Silkie merely swallowed them whole.

Pretty soon they were all quite full, well except for Draco, Renia, Brimstone, Terra and Silkie, but that was expected of them. Even so, they still had A LOT more sweet potatoes to eat. Where were they going to keep them?

At the rate Draco, Renia, Brimstone, Terra and Silkie were eating, there was a possibility that none were going to be kept, except in these five stomachs.

Of course we all had our limits and these five were no different.

Draco belched, smoke blowing out of his mouth, "Okay, NOW I'm full." He patted his stomach.

"I can't eat no more," Terra added, belching loudly that it literally shook the Tower. The intensity of the burp would've made Cyborg and Beast Boy proud.

Even Brimstone and Silkie had enough as their tiny stomachs bulged, forcing the two pets to lie on their backs. Cyberdog/CD just tilted its mechanical head to the side and observed them with its tail wagging.

Renia, of course, was not stopping. Mortuary had to say, "Where does that all go in that t-" his mouth was covered by Terra since he almost said 'tiny' and Renia would've taken offence. The Tower wouldn't last if World War 3 broke out. Beast Boy learnt about Renia's temper the hard way and no one wanted a repeat of one of the young Alchemist's outbursts.

Renia burped. No matter how much she could eat even she had her limits. She picked at her teeth and took a swig of soda. "Now, THAT'S good eating!"

"So, anybody mind explaining how this l-" Mort got a few glares and corrected himself, "How she got on the team?" Everyone sighed in relief.

Pluto nodded and commanded, "T.I.T.A.N., please pull up the file on Renia."

Renia questioned, "Who's Titan?" She hadn't been at the Tower for a while so she was pretty clueless over the upgrades they had over the past few months.

T.I.T.A.N,'s face showed up on the monitor, much to Renia's surprise, and spoke, "Affirmative." Immediately, the monitor was replaced by file footage of Renia and a small commentary of Renia's abilities.

"Renia, codename Crystal Alchemist, possesses the ability to crystallize any substance on contact. She can either turn something into crystal or cover it with said substance. She also possesses a right hand made of crystal and the ability to perform a form of transmutation known as 'Alchemy'."

"Does that answer your question, Mortuary?" Shadow asked with a cocked eyebrow. Mortuary was shocked, staring slack-jawed, when he saw the file footage. This was something else. The footage of Renia beating Mumbo to a bloody pulp was funny but the battle with Malchior made him think twice about Renia's capabilities. For someone so young to have that kind of power, plus that kind of temper, was both frightening and amazing.

"Okay, NOW I see how she got on the team," Mort said as he finally realized it. He didn't know that the file was leaving some bits of pieces of Renia's past and origins a secret. Everyone else knew but they had no right to tell anyone else.

"Just don't make her mad," Pluto said as he rubbed his jaw. "Some of us learnt that the hard way."

"So, what are we going to do about these sweet potatoes?" Jinx asked.

"Allow me," Renia said as she took out a small satchel. She opened it up and the remaining pile of sweet potatoes was sucked in. She explained to the shocked Titans, except for the magic users, "Master Rorek gave me this subspace pocket bag to use to store all of my stuff. Makes packing a whole lot easier."

"Can you fit a person in there?" Mortuary asked.

"Want to find out?" Renia smirked.

"Alright, now that Renia is back, we should get to some training," Shadow said. Everyone, except Renia and Draco, groaned. "What?"

"Can't we rest a bit first?" Pluto pleaded. "I'm still pooped from that fight with Mumbo."

"Which is why we have to train," Shadow said firmly. Another round of groaning. He sighed. "Fine, I'll be in the gym. Would anyone like to join me?"

"I'll join you," Draco spoke up.

"Count me in!" Renia added. Brimstone barked as Renia carried him.

The trio and one demon dog left for the gym. The remaining Titans in the living room just gawked at the door.

"Honestly, those three aren't human," Blackfire commented as she petted Silkie.

"Blackfire, where have you been all this time?" Jinx asked as Brimstone rested his head on her lap.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's see…" Pluto began to list, "Shadow's a Vampire and Angel hybrid, Draco's an Orphenoch and Renia's a Homunculus. Does that answer your question?"

Mortuary then spoke up, "A Homunculus? What's that?"

Pluto slapped his forehead for blabbing. "Oh, shit! Never mind, Mort. It's nothing really."

"No," Mort said firmly. "I want to know what you meant by that, by Homunculus?"

Terra sighed. "Okay, Mort," she said but then advised, "But please promise not to tell Renia that you know, okay? She doesn't like it when we talk about her past behind her back."

"It can't be that bad, right?" Mortuary questioned. The look on everyone's faces spoke, "You have no idea…"

"Alright," Terra began, "A Homunculus is…"

Mortuary listened…

* * *

After having learned this new info about Renia, Mortuary wanted to take a walk around the Tower to just think of a few things. His recent visit to the Xavier school with Leo and Jen had got him thinking about the young Crystal Alchemist in a different way. Was she just like him? Mort had learned recently that he was not really the last survivor of an alien race, when his mind was read by Jean Grey he was actually able to discover his own origin that he was a clone but he didn't know what he was created for.

Mortuary wanted to learn as much as he could about himself before his time was up. Mortuary thought if he could possibly be a Homunculus as well or just a scientifically born clone. Mortuary knew one thing now that he found somebody that he could actually really relate to now, someone that had been born the same way he had. There was also the fact that Renia had the same temper as him if not shorter.

Mortuary was getting bored with just walking so he thought he should head to the gym and see how the hot tempered Alchemist fought. When he entered the Tower gym he saw Renia sparring with Draco. He leaned against one of the walls and studied his friends. He then noticed Brimstone right next to him, growling. He just took one look at Kaiser puppy and simply said, "Shut up." Mortuary was never too fond of Brimstone. In fact he hated it when Brimstone would sneak into his room and think the Death Buster was a chew toy.

Mortuary walked up to both Draco and Renia and said, "Hey Leo, mind if I take over?"

Leo crossed his arms and smirked, "I dunno, Craig. Renia over here packs quite a punch."

"Yeah, and I wouldn't want to fight a weak jerk like you anyway," said Renia with a confident grin.

"I'll have you know that I'm probably the strongest member of the team. So if you don't want to fight me I'll understand if you're scared…." Mortuary turned his back to Renia "….shorty."

Renia's eyes widened and then narrowed, teeth gritted. She demanded, "What did you say…?"

Draco looked worried, "Um…Mort? I hope you didn't say what I thought you said because if you did…"

Mortuary just said reassuringly, "Trust me, Leo. I can handle her."

Renia's aura flared up. It was sky blue and magical in origin. She said through gritted teeth as a transmutation circle appeared under her feet, "You think so…do you?"

Shadow was training via shadow boxing by literally bringing his shadow to life and sparring with it when he heard the commotion. He shook his head, sighing, and calculated how much damage would be caused and how much would it cost to fix it.

"HANDLE THIS!" Renia roared as she went on the attack. Renia punched Mort across the face with her crystal hand which made Mort stagger back a bit afterwards. He recovered quickly and let out a small chuckle.

"What're you laughing at?" Renia asked, confused. "I just punched you across the face!"

"I just think it's cute that you thought that punch hurt me." Mortuary removed his protective vest as well as his belt and holster. "I want you to give me everything that you got. No holding back on anything."

The fight began with Mortuary performing a dive kick which Renia was able to dodge. Renia used her powers to create a crystal pole to fight with. Renia swung the pole swiftly and Mortuary had activated necro-shields on his arms to be able to block the pole. Renia's pole assaults were getting her nowhere. She was actually surprised with Mortuary's skills as she figured him to be the type of guy that was all talk. Mortuary took Renia down with a quick sweep and leapt up in the air to perform another dive kick. Renia quickly got back up and was able to dodge this second kick as well. As soon as Mortuary hit the ground, he shot a necro-bolt at Renia which hit and knocked the young alchemist back a little. Mortuary rushed at Renia and started attacking with swift punches but Renia was able to move around them swiftly. She then did a couple of back flips to get distant enough from Mort. Renia made a solid crystal ball and launched it at Mort. Mortuary blocked it with a necro-shield which sent the crystal back at Renia. Renia was ready for the crystal ball's return as she summoned the crystal pole she and got into a batting stance. As soon as the ball was near, Renia swung as hard as she could and soon as the ball was hit it flew as fast as lightning…..into Mortuary's forehead. The Knight of Aries was out cold from the force of the impact.

Renia's eyes widened with shock as she covered her mouth. "Um, that didn't look so good."

Draco ran to Mort to see if he was OK. He was alive since he was still breathing and had a pulse. "You alright, Craig?" He asked as he started to slap him a bit.

Mortuary opened his eyes slowly with a dazed look in his eyes. "Hey, you're not my regular doctor," Mortuary muttered as he was delusional at the moment.

Shadow approached and gave out a small chuckle. "I think you broke Mortuary, Renia."

"Is he going to be ok?" Renia asked

Shadow nodded. "Yes, he'll be fine. Mortuary's got a really hard head on those shoulders." Shadow then turned Draco, "Leo, can you take Craig to the infirmary for me? I'll be up there shortly to try and stop his impending headache."

"Sure thing, Shadow," Draco said as he slung Mort's arm over his shoulder and carried Mortuary off.

"Looks like you showed Mortuary of what you're capable of. I'm actually surprised and impressed that you were able beat him because he can be quite ruthless," Shadow said

Renia just shrugged, "Like I said, he's a weak jerk."

"A jerk, he is. Weak is something he's far from being."

"What do you mean, Shadow?" Renia asked.

"Mortuary's lost a lot of things in his life as we all have; friends, loved ones, lovers. That type of thing would cause people like us to just hang up our "capes" and quit or at least drive us to brink of quitting. Mortuary is different. He keeps pressing forward, and he keeps fighting. Though, I don't agree with his vengeful attitude, willingness to kill, and most of all his habit of disobeying my orders. I will agree with what he said though; he is the strongest of us."

Renia thought of Mortuary a little differently now. She thought that maybe she could lighten up on him a little, just a little.

* * *

At least half an hour had passed and Mortuary walked into the common room with bandages wrapped around his forehead. As soon as he walked in he saw strange looks on everyone's faces. Then it hit him. They were trying to hold back from laughing.

"OK, out with it," Mortuary said as he had defeat in his voice.

Everyone in the Tower common room burst into laughter as they had heard about what happened in the gym earlier.

Terra spoke up, "Sorry Mort, but it was hilarious to hear about how it went down."

Mortuary sighed, "Well at least I can be a source of entertainment, eh?"

"Did the healing go well?" Shadow asked. "Because I think you can take the bandages off now."

"Let's see," Mort said as he begun to unwrap the bandages. "I think I'm good. I don't feel any pain or anything."

Shadow walked up to Mort and took a look at him. "Yes, I think you've completely recovered."

"That's good. Man that hurt like hell."

"Well, good thing you're recovered because I have a job for you. I'll also need Draco, Terra, and Renia to come as well." Shadow started to walk into the hallway towards his room/office and everyone he called followed. Draco even brought Brimstone.

As soon as they got into Shadow's office/room, they were facing Shadow who was sitting at his desk. Around his shoulders, and freaking Renia out a bit, was a large python. Brimstone snapped at the large snake and it hissed in response. The Snake Knight was also petting a tarantula that was on his desk like it was a little kitten. This would've unnerved normal people, but the people in the room with Shadow knew him better enough to understand his tastes in exotic pets. Mort's eyes went to the fish tank filled with piranha and gulped.

Shadow began debriefing them, "Sources tell me that there is an illegal fighting and betting ring operating within the city. The police can't do anything because they can't pinpoint its location so they want us to help them bring it down. That is why I've asked you here, Mortuary. You know enough about the inner workings of one of these operations, am I correct?"

Mortuary nodded and said, "Town hopping wasn't easy and I needed the money. There was no way someone with my skills could get a normal job so I did the next best thing. The money was good, plus I get to beat up some guys."

"Good, so you have the field experience for this sort of undercover mission," Shadow said. "Terra, Draco and Renia will accompany you and-" Shadow was interrupted when the pink haired witch and user of the Scarab Inzecter barged into his room. She didn't look all too pleased. "You could've knocked, Jinx. By the way, what is it you want?"

"I want in on this mission!" Jinx said to him, leaning over the table to look him straight in the eye.

"No," he denied her.

"What?" she looked ready to hex him through the wall as her eyes glowed pink.

"No," he repeated. "We already have enough people for this mission. We don't need anymore."

"But…" she began to protest.

"This is about Draco, isn't it?" Shadow asked. Jinx looked over her shoulder at Draco who smiled back at her and she sighed.

"Yes," she admitted. "It's just…"

Shadow gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry. He has good teammates with him."

Jinx gave Shadow a deadpan look, "You mean even Mort?" Mortuary gave her a slightly irked look, feeling offended, while Renia snickered. Jinx sighed, "Fine. But, keep me posted, okay?"

"I will, Jinx," Shadow nodded. Jinx turned around and went over to Draco. She gave him a hug and he hugged back.

"Just…be careful for me, okay?" Jinx said to him, almost like a whisper.

"Hai, Jinxy-chan," he said to her, calming her a bit by rubbing his hands up and down her back. She let go, gave him a quick peck on the lips and left the room.

"You know what your mission is, correct?" Shadow asked, making sure they knew what they were supposed to do.

"We're supposed to take this place down, right?" Terra asked eagerly.

"Don't forget to take into custody the people responsible," Shadow reminded.

"I hate to be rude, but what about me?" Renia said, pointing to herself, "I kind of stick out because of my height."

'_Or lack there of,_' Mortuary thought. He didn't want to risk another concussion by saying it out loud.

Shadow asked, "Didn't Rorek teach you any spells to change your appearance?"

"There was one," Renia said, remembering. "A glamour spell. It'll disguise me. Why?"

"Use that to disguise yourself as one of the fighters," Shadow said.

"You mean we're going in as fighters?" Draco asked. Brimstone barked.

"Correct," Shadow nodded.

"Sweet!"Renia grinned, punching her crystal hand into her normal palm. "I'm gonna be kicking butt!"

"Don't be too eager, Crystal," Shadow advised, using her codename. "Remember that you're supposed to expose this place and find evidence. You're NOT supposed to turn it into a war zone."

Renia sulked. "Fine…"

"So we'll be spying on them, huh?" Terra asked. This brought back bad memories for her.

"Correct. Each of you possesses skills that are valuable for this mission. You all can adapt to any situation when it calls for it and you all can support one another well," Shadow said. "Now, you may leave."

The 4 Titans and one demon pup walked out of his room and began discussing their upcoming mission.

"The police can't find it?" Terra scoffed. "Yeah right," she snorted. "I bet that these cops are being paid to keep quiet."

"True," Draco nodded in agreement. He had matured and wised up. He knew that not all police were clean and law-abiding. Some abused their power and became as dirty as the criminals that they were supposed to catch.

"So, how are we going to find this place?" Renia asked, holding Brimstone in her arms.

Mortuary gave them a grin, a grin Terra knew all too well since she worked with Mortuary since their days in the Red Wolves. "I think I know a guy who can tell us exactly what we need to know…"

* * *

The 4 Titans arrived at the bad part of town, riding on their custom made motorcycles. Mortuary's bike, the Impaler, was created to have the metallic skull of an impala mounted at the front and rocket boosters fitted in the back. Terra's bike, the Machine Inzectron, was made for her since she was the holder of the Cutter Inzecter. The symbol of her Inzecter is located on the windshield. The bikes were standard issue, but Pluto had made some 'modification'. Terra's bike was green and Renia was riding with her. Draco was riding on one his many bikes, the ZX-Dragchaser. Brimstone rode in his jacket, the little demon puppy's head poking out.

"So, where are we headed?" Draco asked Mort through a com-link built into their helmets.

"There's this snitch I went to when I wanted to know where a fight was going to be. The last time I saw him was before you all busted the last place I was fighting at," Mortuary answered. "He hangs out in a really ratty looking bar. You'll see."

"Can't wait," Terra said sarcastically.

The three bikes were parked in front of the bar. Since it was in the bad part of town, petty crooks hung out here a lot. There were drug dealers in the alleys and who knows what lurking in the shadows. Draco, not being accustomed to such places because of his upbringing, looked around nervously. He was mature, but places like this still made him feel a little uneasy. Terra, Renia and Mortuary, since they had enough experience on the road, on the other hand were not unnerved by such places.

Mortuary pushed the door of the bar open and immediately the eyes of everyone inside fell on them. Draco felt like he was on display, especially since he was carrying his dog in his arms. These guys looked ready to eat them up for breakfast, lunch and dinner before spitting them out and beating the crud out of them.

"I'll wait outside!" Draco said hastily before Terra pulled him back in by his scarf, nearly choking him.

"Just relax," she whispered to him, "And let Mort do all the talking."

Draco whispered back, "THAT'S what I'm afraid of!"

The Titans were going undercover, in disguise, incognito. Whatever term that was being used they had changed their appearance slightly to pose as civilians. Renia had put on a glamour and looked the same, except taller. She looked 18 now and had curves, wearing the same clothes minus her red coat and was receiving lecherous leers, just like Terra. Since Terra had on a black crop top under her leather jacket with tight denim shorts that exposed most of her legs, she was receiving a fair amount of leers herself. Her hair was in a high ponytail and a pair of shades covered her eyes. Both girls were blondes so I don't need to tell you what was going through some of these men's minds. Beast Boy would kill them if he was here. Mort looked the same except without the skullish face paint. He was still wearing a bulletproof vest under his shirt and had his gun hidden just incase. Draco had exchanged his boots for sneakers and his usual elbow length gloves for wrist length ones. Over a red shirt he wore a black jacket, unzipped, with matching pants and his hair was braided. Around his neck was his trademark scarf. Renia had put a glamour spell on him to make him look like a normal Japanese teen with black hair and brown eyes. He, however, was still wearing his signature goggles on his forehead. Brimstone had on the Doberman puppy disguise thanks to the collar around his neck that generated a hologram to hide his true demonic dog form.

Mortuary walked up to the bar and took a seat he called out to the bar tender, "Get me your best rum."

"You 21 there, buddy?" the bar tender asked.

Mortuary reached for his wallet and pulled out an ID that had a picture of him but it said that his name was Eli Fox and that he was 21.

"Thanks, Mr. Fox. I'll be sure to give you the best we got." The bar tender went to the back of the bar get the rum for Mort. Mort turned to the other Titans and beckoned them over and they sat at the stools next to him. One of the crooks sat next to Renia and was about grab her until he felt a hand around his wrist, Renia's right hand.

"Keep that hand off or I'll tear it off!" Renia told the thug threateningly before letting his arm go. He saw the look in her eyes and had felt her stony grip to know she meant business. He staggered away, running scared. Terra smiled impressively.

"Nice," Terra grinned.

"Thank you," Renia nodded.

The bar tender returned and asked, "So what brings you to this ditch, Mr. Fox?"

"I wanted to know if you've seen Louie Chambers around here as of late. I've got a couple of questions for him."

"What do you want with Louie?"

"Me and my friends here are from out of town and we're looking to make some cash. All of us are also fighters."

"So you want to see if Louie's booking any matches is that right?"

"Yeah, you got it in one and I also wanna get my title back."

"I remember you now. You're the guy that beat Ox a couple of months back. What was your fighting name though? Wasn't it Grave or something?" He then frowned when he saw what Draco was holding. "I'm sorry, but no dogs allowed."

"Gomenasai," Draco apologized, bowing his head.

Terra lied, "Forgive him. He doesn't speak any English."

"Well tell him to keep his dog on a leash, at least," the bar tender said to her.

Draco whispered into her ear, "Not speak English?"

"It was the best I could do," Terra replied. "Sue me. What's your deal anyway?"

"These types of places," Draco began, "Okaasan always told me they were bad."

"She's right, but you're legally an adult now," Terra told him.

"I know…but still…" Draco couldn't finish.

"You've faced demons, monsters and who knows what and a place like this scares you?" Terra questioned. It seemed ridiculous to her after all they had faced in the past year.

"So how do you know this Louie guy?" Renia asked Mortuary.

"He got me connected and helped me find work fighting in the underground ring. I don't like him, I barely even tolerate him, but I needed the money back then," Mort said disdainfully. "Let me warn you, Louie Chambers is a weasel and would sell his own mother just for a quick buck." Mort then saw the door open. "And there he is now." The Titans watched as Louie Chambers walked in. "Let me do the talking." They nodded.

Louie Chambers was a Caucasian male with a very short buzz cut. His hair, or what was left of it, was brown. He wore an expensive looking jacket and pants with a white collared shirt underneath. He also wore a silver earring on his left ear and wore a Rolex watch and rings on his right hand.

Louie sat at his usual table and ordered a drink from one of the waitresses before spanking her. She slapped him and continued on her way to pick up his drink. He took out his little black book and began making calls with his cell phone. He did not notice two blonde girls and two guys slowly approaching him.

"Hey, Louie," Mortuary said in a low angry voice. "How have you been?"

Louie's back stiffened and his sweat ran cold. He knew that voice anywhere but he hoped that he was wrong. "Talk to you later!" he said apologetically into his cell before putting it into his pocket, along with his black book. He turned his head over his shoulder and saw that he was looking right at Mortuary. "Hey, Morty!" he gritted with false pleasantness. His voice was cracked and he looked ready to run. "Haven't seen you around lately!"

Craig lifted Louie up by his jacket and looked him dead in the eye. "Louie," he said, his voice both threatening and even, "Do you mind telling me about any new fighting rings lately? Me and a few of my friends are interested in joining." Louie looked to see two blonde girls and a Japanese guy with him. They looked almost familiar.

"Sorry, Morty," Louie apologized. "There hasn't been any business lately. Coppers flushed us out." He was then smashed upon his table with incredible force and making it break. He groaned in pain. Mort grabbed him again dragged him over to the pool table and forced him to bend over on top of it. A lot of people were watching but no one did anything. This was just a normal occurrence here.

"Louie, Louie, Louie," Mort shook his head as he held Louie down. "Don't lie to me, man."

Louie protested, "I'm not!" Mort raised Louie's head up and slammed it onto the table, hard. "I'm telling you the truth!" Mort did it again.

Terra leaned down and said sweetly, smirking evilly, the look she had as a villain showing, "You better tell him. He looks ready to break your skull open." Louie began to sweat.

Draco didn't say anything, still trying to act that he didn't know English like Terra had suggested. He looked around, feeling less tensed. Was it the adrenaline caused by the situation? It felt…it felt…good…The rush of this was unbelievable…

"Better tell us, Louie," Renia said as she picked up one of the pool balls and crushed it with her gloved crystal hand. "Or your family jewels gets it!"

Seeing what Renia did caused Louie's eyes to shoot wide open. He shouted, frantically, "OKAY! OKAY! I'LL TALK! I'LL TALK! JUST LET ME GO!" Mortuary did. Louie rubbed the wrinkles out of his suit. "Jesus Mort, could you be anymore rough?"

"Just talk, Louie, before I have my friend here sic his dog on you," Mortuary pointed to Draco with his thumb. Brimstone barked and snapped his teeth, baring the sharp fangs. Louie gulped, remembering Renia's threat, and nodded.

"They'll have my head for this if I tell you!" Louie said.

"Just talk!" Terra snapped.

"Okay," Louie calmed down and then shouted out, pointing at Mortuary, Draco, Renia and Terra, "THESE GUYS ARE TEEN TITANS!" The Titans' eyes widened with shock. They looked around to see most of the people getting out of their seats brandishing crude looking weapons, knives, chains and anything to cause bodily harm. The waitresses screamed and ran out of the bar. Louie grinned triumphantly.

"Kuso…" Draco muttered under his breath.

Mort grumbled, "Ah, Hell no." They had just been screwed big time.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Lousy Snitch. This is an opening to a new arc so be prepared. Zombi138 helped me out. How was it? Well, a shout out to him. R and R, kay?


	39. PT039: Interrogations

Part 39: Interrogations

"Ah, Hell, no," Mortuary said.

"You think I'm an idiot, Morty? The Titans had a new member who called himself Mortuary for the past few months and you'd think I'd write it off as just a coincidence? Fat chance!" Louie laughed. Renia smacked him on the back of his head.

"Shut up!" she yelled.

"I knew you should've changed your codename," Terra said, getting into a fighting stance.

"I like my codename," Mortuary retorted childishly, "Besides, you still go by Terra and you used to work for Slade."

"The people got over what I did," she replied back.

"I'd hate to ruin this Hallmark moment, guys," Draco began, "But I think we have bigger problems right now!" One guy came towards them with a charge and swung it down only for Draco to swing his arm to smash it to pieces before kicking the guy away in the gut.

"Time to kick some ass!" Renia shouted excitedly, grinning. A guy took a swing at her with some brass knuckles and she blocked it before punching him in the stomach. Another guy came over with a knife and she knocked it out of his hand with a chop before giving him a heel kick in the chin.

Mortuary let go of Louie to defend himself from a baseball bat coming to his head. Louie decided to make a run for it through the chaos as every one of the patrons started fighting with one another while attacking the Titans.

"He's getting away!" Terra yelled as she ducked under a chain headed for her head before she swept her assailant off his feet. She then used her right arm to block a pool cue that broke in half. Hidden under her sleeve was her Cutter Glove and it was pretty solid and could take a lot of damage from these thugs.

"I think we have bigger things to worry about!" She smashed a chair over some guy's back and used what was left of it to hit a guy in the face.

Draco ordered, "Brimstone! Get him! Hayaku!" the little hellhound barked in affirmative and went after Louie. "Good luck, boy," he muttered before he caught an arm and flipped him over on his back.

Mortuary and Renia were fighting off thugs left and right. Their fists met faces…and then each other's faces with a sickening thud.

"OW! YOU HIT ME!" Renia shouted, holding a bloody nose.

"YOU HIT **ME**! YOUR HAND IS FRIGGIN CRYSTAL!" Mortuary shouted, hand on his eye, "JUST STAY OUT OF MY WAY, SHORT STUFF!"

All Hell then broke loose.

"**WHAT?**" Renia screeched. She grabbed a guy who made a grab for her shoulder and flipped him over her own shoulder. She then grabbed another guy and smashed him onto the pool table. She grabbed a pool cue and made her way towards Mortuary. "**YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT, MISTER!**" she threatened.

"BRING IT ON, SHORTY!" Mortuary goaded her on.

"Mort, for God's sake, don't antagonize her!" Terra shouted as she grabbed a pool cue and swung it about like Robin had shown her with his Bo-staff and knocked out some people

Suddenly, the door burst open and two policemen came in with their guns trained on everyone. "EVERYBODY, FREEZE!" Well, trained on everyone who was conscious, which just so happened to be the Titans. The rest of the people were on the floor either unconscious or too much in pain to move.

Draco was not known to be sarcastic. That was usually either Raven or Shadow's thing. However, since neither of them was here, he thought he should be the sarcastic one, "This night just keeps getting better and better," he grumbled with his hands up.

"TAKE IT BACK!" Renia had Mortuary in a headlock, not even acknowledging the cop.

" NO WAY MISS SHORTY PANTS!" Mortuary shouted back.

"I SAID FREEZE!" repeated one of the cops only to be knocked out when Renia hit him.

"SHUT UP!" Renia shouted.

"YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!" his partner yelled.

POW!

He was knocked out too.

Terra blinked. "Okay…?"

Soon, sirens blared outside of the bar.

"Dear Kami…" Draco groaned.

* * *

Shadow was in his office doing his work. Being CEO of a branch of one of the most prominent technologies companies meant that he would always be busy. He didn't have time for any missions as of late since he had to use all his time to read over his files, file his reports and sign document after document. For the longest time the Vampangel had always hated paperwork. There was a large stack of papers sitting by him and another stack on the other side of him. One stack had already been signed and stamped while the other stack was still waiting for his signature and stamp. Eyes narrowed, he hissed, "I hate paperwork…" his forehead had a throbbing vein on it. He looked like if he got any sort of bad news, he would blow a gasket.

His SNK-Phone rang and he flipped it open before putting it to his ear. "Hello?" he greeted. "Draco? Was the mission a success?" he listened to Draco's explanation and his eyes widened considerably.

"YOU'RE WHERE?"

* * *

Terra, Mortuary, Draco and Renia were in a jail cell together. Both necroplasmic and alchemical teens were giving each other a dirty look.

Draco was standing near the bars, gripping them nervously. He had to go through getting his fingerprints and mug-shots taken and put into the police records. He had a criminal record now. It wasn't too serious, but if this leaked out to his mother…well, I think you can guess what might happen. On a plus side, at least this couldn't get any worse.

He looked over his shoulder at his friends. Renia and Mort were giving each other the evil eye on a bench while Terra sat between them to act as a barricade. It was unfair to her since Mort was her friend for a very long time and Renia was like a little sister to her. Draco could almost smell the tension, so to speak, and he was not liking it at all.

The bar fight had not been part of the plan and under normal circumstances he wouldn't have enjoyed it. But the rush of knowing he was doing something wrong and not caring was, well, both delicious and frightening. If he didn't get it under control, he might become addicted and do something bad.

Draco looked at his SB-Watch. Since the incident with the Behemoth Orphenoch and probably before even that, Shadow had put in a lot of time and money on research about Draco's Orphenoch gene and a way to suppress it so that he wouldn't change and go out of control. Draco had appreciated the effort, knowing fully well that Shadow cared for him. But would it be worth it if it didn't work? Finally, by studying mutant power inhibitors (which Draco disliked for obvious reasons) and uncovering how they were able to suppress the powers of mutants by dampening the energy field around the X-Gene, Pluto, as well as Fixit and Gizmo, (Jinx had asked for his help and explained the situation. The minute genius was glad to help) were able to modify the technology to work on his Orphenoch Gene. Draco remembered all the blood work they had to do and using the results from the tests on his blood sample taken back when he was in Japan those many months ago. Finally, they were able to fit it into his watch and it was now acting as an Orphenoch inhibitor. They did have Draco test it out, in which he feared he would change and rip them apart, but he couldn't change. He joyously hugged them all and cheered, "YATTA!" as loud as he could. He smiled at the memory and promised to get something for them when the time was right. Shadow helped too by providing the funds for the research and the resources. Of course, did they really have to put the needle in him so many times to draw blood?

Shadow walked over to their cell, dressed in his civilian clothes. He was standing with an officer.

"These are your friends?' the officer asked.

Shadow admitted, a little shamefully, "Unfortunately…"

"Ichijyo!" Draco walked over to Shadow joyfully. "Thank Kami you're here!"

"You've come to bail us out!" Terra said hopefully as she stood next to Draco and gripped the bars.

Being half vampire gave Shadow empathic abilities much like Raven and he could just feel the thick tension pouring out of the bars. He looked at Renia and Mortuary glaring daggers at one another. He could only guess what had happened since he knew what both of them were like as well as their tempers. He decided not to comment.

The officer unlocked the cell door and opened it up. "You're free to go." The Titans walked out of the cell and thanked Shadow in their own way. Shadow was not going to let them off without a lecture, "This was supposed to be simple information gathering mission, not an excuse to get into some pointless brawl!"

"He/She started it!" Mortuary and Renia pointed to one another accusingly and then glared at one another. Shadow just ignored them and went on.

"I don't care who started it!" he retorted, angrily and annoyed. "Disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, assaulting an officer…" he listed. "I would've expected this kind of behavior from Mammoth or even Blackfire, but you?"

"We're sorry, Shadow," Terra apologized.

"Gomenasai, Ichijyo-san," Draco apologized dejectedly. Shadow smiled and placed his hands on both teens' shoulders. Shadow had to admit that his life had become much more interesting since he joined the Titans. Despite them all driving him nuts in their own way and giving him a migraine every now and then, they were his friends and nothing could change it no matter how much he tried. They were his friends and he would never abandon them…No matter how tempting it was.

"That's okay," he said, giving each of them a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. He then looked at Renia and Mortuary. "You two have anything to say?" Renia and Mortuary turned to look at each other, glared, and then turned away with a scoff/snort with their arms crossed. Shadow sighed but he knew that sooner or later they would have to make up. "Come on," he said. "Let's go home."

"But what about Brimstone?" Draco asked, worried for his pet, "I sent him to chase after Louie Chambers."

"You don't have to worry about Brimstone, Leo," Shadow said reassuringly. "And as for Chambers..." he let that trail off. "Come on, Pluto's waiting for us in his car. I took my ZX-Rider here so I didn't ride with him." He offered, "Anyone want to ride in my sidecar?"

Renia didn't want to be in the same space with Mort so she said, "I do."

"What about our bikes?" Terra asked.

"The auto-drivers kicked in and they went straight back to the Tower," Shadow informed her. They're back in the garage all safe and sound."

"Oh, OK," Terra said.

After picking up their personal belongings that had been confiscated (They didn't bring their communicators, just SB-Cell Phones. It would be hard to explain why they had Teen Titans communicators and not blow their cover), including answering some questions about Mort's gun, the 5 teammates walked out of the station and towards Pluto's car. The Dog Knight was in civilian mode too. Mortuary rode shot gun as Terra and Draco rode in the back.

"Brimstone-chan!" Draco yelled out happily as the demon pup had been waiting for him in Pluto's car. The little Kaiser pup jumped into his arms and licked his face.

"I sent Pluto after I got your call and he tracked down Brimstone through the collar. Also, since Brimstone is still a dog, Pluto was able to find him thanks to his connection to the Dog Zodiac. When he did he also found Mr. Chambers with Brimstone stuck to his leg and looking ready to rip it off. Pluto caught him so now he's waiting at the Tower, in the interrogation room actually," Shadow told Draco.

"Good boy!" Draco said to his dog and Brimstone barked. "You're getting a treat when we get back, yes you are!"

"Good job, Brimstone," Terra petted the little hellhound who then licked her hand.

"What about me?" Pluto asked.

"You're getting a treat too!" Terra said.

"Sweet!" he grinned.

Shadow got on his ZX-Shadow Basher as Renia hopped into the sidecar after putting on a helmet.

"Let's roll," Shadow said. Both vehicles drove off towards Titans Tower. There, they would get all the info they needed, if of course Louie survived his interrogation.

* * *

The Titans and Knights made it back to the Tower without incident. As Shadow had said, Draco, Terra and Mort's bikes were safely back in the garage. Everyone got out of the vehicles and went in, Renia in the front and Mortuary in the back as nobody wanted another fight to break out.

"I'm going to head up to the interrogation room. Anyone want to come with?" Shadow asked.

There were a few "not really's" that were issued, but Terra and Mortuary had both said yes to his proposal. As they took the elevator up to the floor where the interrogation room was, Terra grew curious about something.

"So Shadow, how are you going to get this guy to talk? We threatened him with everything under the sun and he still wouldn't squeal," said Terra.

"Got that right. Instead, he squealed on us, which ended up in us getting arrested," said Mortuary ruefully.

"Don't worry. I have a method that will make him cave," said Shadow, as he grinned evilly. The elevator bell dinged and the trio made their way to the interrogation room.

"I'm going in. You two, stay out here; if you want, you can listen in," said Shadow, as he indicated to the wall and to the button that could be pressed in order to hear the conversation inside the interrogation room and to the two-way mirror that was used to see into the room. Terra and Mortuary looked at each other silently, speaking with their eyes, asking if they really wanted to listen in. Without another second's hesitation, they both flew forward and pushed down on the button at the same time.

Shadow entered the room and swiftly shut the door behind him. Louie had been pacing the room, anxiously trying to figure a way out of the room. As he had no powers, he couldn't get out; not that he could have gotten out if he had tried to. As soon as Shadow entered the room, he sat down in a chair and gestured to the chair across the table from him. "Please take a seat, Mr. Chambers," he said in a commanding tone.

The Snake Knight's tone told Louie that this was one Titan that was currently VERY angry. He sat down as he had been told. "So what am I here for? Oh, wait, wait, wait. You want information on the fights right?" Shadow merely nodded and locked his fingers together, waiting for an answer.

"Well, you ain't getting anything out of me! I'm not stupid! You Titans'll go in there and screw up all my hard work, and that ain't gonna happen!" said Louie menacingly.

Shadow pursed his lips and shook his head demurely, as if to say 'You have no idea who you're dealing with.' "Mr. Chambers, just give me the information that I want, and you can be on your merry little way out of here. What do you say?"

Louie sat silently, thinking for a way to change the topic. A light bulb went off in his head as he thought of one. "How do you do it, man?"

Shadow knew what Louie was trying to do, but decided to humor the man, just this one time. "What do you mean, Mr. Chambers?"

Louie snorted. This guy was definitely not as smart as he looked. "I mean, you got all these babes around here, and yet, all of you Titan guys might as well be eunuchs. Hah, I know if I could, I'd be doing any and all of them if they wanted me to."

At this, Shadow grew enraged. There were currently six ladies who, at one time or another, had lived in the Tower and been on the team. One of them was currently his girlfriend, another was one of his closest friends, and the rest either annoyed the living daylights out of him or they were dating his friends and were like little sisters. That's not to mention that said comment was being disparaging toward most of his friends, no matter how crazy they drove him. Other than Raven, he considered all of them to be like sisters to him. He strode forward and grabbed Louie by the front of his shirt, yanking Louie's face towards his own. Louie let out a yelp like a dog, to Shadow's satisfaction. "If you EVER so much as THINK about ANY of them in that way EVER AGAIN, I WILL know, and believe me, it WILL NOT be pretty!" Shadow hissed. "Am I in any way, shape, or form misunderstood?" Shadowcobra's eyes turned briefly into their red on black demonic appearance.

Louie shook his head no sharply. Apparently, he had misread this guy. He was not one to be trifled with. Shadow's eyes were glowing red as he stared menacingly down at Louie. Shadow remembered what he was supposed to be doing: getting the information. He took a deep breath to calm himself and relax. He turned his back to Louie and grinned evilly. "Mr. Chambers, I have a few things to take care of, would you care to watch a movie while I'm gone?" he asked sweetly.

"Uhhhhh……..sure, I guess," Louie said, who was shocked by Shadow's sudden hospitality. He had thought he was going to get his butt kicked. Shadow walked over to one of the walls and grabbed a remote off of it, but not before grinning maniacally into the two-way mirror.

Terra and Mort, who had now been joined by Draco, Jinx, and Renia (Renia was standing at the opposite end of the mirror, as far away from Mortuary as possible), were unsure of what to expect, but they knew that whatever it was that Shadow was going to do, it would not be good.

"What do you think he's gonna do to him?" asked Jinx, who had wrapped her arms around Draco.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think it's gonna be good, whatever it is," said Mort.

"I say he'll beat the crap out of him till he squeals. I hope he does, anyway," said Renia.

"No, Shadow won't do that, Ren. He'll do something a lot better than that. Besides, that's what we did and it didn't work, so I don't think it's going to work now," said Terra.

Inside the interrogation room, Shadow pointed the remote at a point in the ceiling and hit a button. Once he did so, a big screen TV, a DVD/VCR combo player and a surround sound system were lowered from the ceiling. Shadow walked over to the DVD player and opened it to see what movie was in it. When he saw that the movie he wanted was in the player, his face held a wicked grin which was missed by Louie, but not his fellow Titans. '_This'll have him singing in no time flat_,' thought Shadow. "Here we are, Mr. Chambers, one of my absolute favorites. I'll be back soon and you had better be ready to talk then!" Shadow hissed.

Louie cringed and shrank back into his seat, trying to get as far away from the Snake Knight as possible. He watched Shadow exit the room hastily and only then did he regain his "tough guy" composure. He relaxed a bit in the chair that he was sitting in. "Might as well get comfortable, I got a movie to watch. I hope it's a good one." Little did Louie know that this movie would be the last one that he would ever want to watch. Shadow had added a bit of his magic into the movie to make it a little more realistic.

* * *

30 minutes later…

The hallway outside of the interrogation room was empty. The only noise that could be heard in the hallway were the screams that were being issued from one Louie Chambers. As a matter of fact, the only noise that could be heard at all were the screams. Everyone had gone off to somewhere else in the Tower to try and be be rid the screams that were filling their heads. After Shadow had left the interrogation room, it was only then did he let even a fraction of his emotions show. He went to the training room and proceeded to beat up a punching bag for the next 15 minutes, as he couldn't beat up Louie for what Louie had said. He then went to the living room and sat quietly, reading a book, the screams not bothering him in the least. After another ten minutes, he got on the elevator to attend to their "guest", only to be joined by Draco, Jinx, Renia, Terra, Blackfire and Mortuary, all of whom seemed to be in dire pain.

"Are you all right?" asked Shadow.

"Make them stop already, someone please!" begged Renia.

There was a chorus of agreement from the other Titans. Shadow grinned evilly. His plan was most definitely working. The Titans were now going out of their minds as well. The elevator bell dinged and everyone stepped into the hallway, where the screams got louder as they approached the source. Pluto came rushing up the stairs, ticked off to no end, Blackfire right behind him.

"Would someone PLEASE make those screams STOP already? It's bad enough when you can hear them, but it's even worse when you have very sensitive hearing, like I DO!" complained Pluto.

"It's only been 30 minutes, and he's been screaming the entire time. Talk about weak nerves. I might turn the movie off, in another ten minutes or so," he grinned sadistically.

"Couldn't you have just read his mind? That would have been a lot easier than all of us having to listen to him scream like a banshee," said Draco.

"Now where would the fun be in that?" retorted Shadow.

Terra reminded, "Shadow, what's fun for you usually gives us nightmares."

Shadow retorted, "You just don't know what fun is."

Pluto decided to butt in, "Excuse me, but fun is hanging out with your friends. Fun is going to the mall, or playing sports or making something or even fixing your car or something." He then paused, "Okay, so that's just fun for me. But watching scary movies that give me nightmares when I'm both asleep and awake is NOT my IDEA of FUN!"

Shadow quirked an eyebrow and said, "We've faced Trigon and probably Hell itself and the movies I watch still scare you?"

All the Titans present, except for Renia and Mortuary, shouted, "YES!!"

Mortuary then asked, not having any experiences with watching any of Shadow's movies, "Come on, guys, they can't be that bad, right?"

"You've never seen his movies, right?" Terra questioned back. He shook his head. "Lucky you."

Draco answered, "That's because we voted not to let Shadow make us watch any of his movies a few months ago. They were causing us to lose sleep. We banned him from suggesting movies for movie night so he watches them in his room with Raven."

Mortuary nodded in understanding. If the Titans banned Shadow from suggesting anymore movies they must've been bad enough to cause trauma. He would have to ask them from Shadow later so he could watch them in his own room.

Mortuary then said, "Eh, you're all just a bunch of sissies."

Terra ignored him and said to Shadow, "Are you gonna ever go back in there and see what he'll tell you, Shadow?"

Shadow said, "After his screaming dies down. I'm enjoying it too much."

Draco then said worriedly, "Look, I don't like the guy at all, but he sounds like he's suffering. Don't you think that's just a little much? It's like cruel and unusual punishment."

Renia muttered, "After getting us in trouble I think he deserves it."

Shadow said, "Maybe…I think he's had enough. I'll go in and turn off the TV."

"Now?" Draco questioned. He needed to sleep and he didn't want their informant to go catatonic on them or become traumatized.

"How about 5 more minutes?" Shadow said with a creepy grin.

Terra said firmly in a commanding tone despite knowing that Shadow was in charge, "Go in there, turn off the TV and see what he says, NOW!"

Shadow sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, how about 2 more minutes?"

"I don't think she stuttered," said Blackfire as she backed up Terra. "I'm starting to agree with her. My ears are ringing and I need to sleep. Go in there and do what she says, or I can tell Raven what you've been doing." This was an apparent threat to tattle on Shadow to Raven. Raven was a half-demon but she was also still somewhat humane even towards their enemies. What Shadow was doing right now would be considered both cruel and unusual punishment even for a snitch like Louie Chambers.

Shadow lamented. "Fine...I'll go in and turn it off. My ears are starting to ring anyway. Even I have my limits at causing people psychological pain."

Pluto spoke quizzically, "You do?" It didn't seem like Shadow to just give up like that.

Shadow shrugged. "Not really, but I'm not going to let her," he looked at Blackfire pointedly before continuing, "Tell Raven about this."

Pluto snickered, "Whipped."

Shadow shot back, "And you're not? You let your girlfriend call you 'doggy boy' and lead you around on a leash, and I'm the one that's whipped?" Shadow laughed, "That's rich!"

Pluto snapped, "She calls me puppy!" He then realized what he just said before adding to defend himself, "Wait, that didn't come out right."

Renia and Mortuary laughed.

Shadow reentered the interrogation room to see Louie Chambers, stuck to his seat with his eyes wide, skin pale and frozen with fear. He turned off the TV and leaned over the opposite side so that he was looking Louie in the eyes.

"So, ready to talk?" he said. "Or would you like to have another viewing?"

"I'LL TALK! I'LL TALK! JUST, FOR CHRIST'S SAKE, DON'T MAKE ME WATCH THAT ANYMORE!" Louie cried like a little girl. Shadow almost felt sorry for him, almost.

"Calm down and tell me what we need to know and we'll let you go." The spell he'd cast on the movie made Louie feel like he was inside and suffering the same fate as the characters. Louie also couldn't close his eyes or look away due to the same spell. It was one of his favorite interogation tactics and it made movie night more fun for him. Unfortunately, that'd been the cause for the ban.

Louie nodded and said, "This new ring is being run by these two guys. I don't know who they are really. They just showed up out of nowhere but they already got a strong hold on the business."

"Names," Shadow said. "I want names."

"But they'll kill me!" Louie saw Shadow ready to turn the TV back on. "Okay! Okay!" Louie took in a deep breath of air and said, "They call themselves Mr. J and Danuth."

Shadow smiled. At least they were getting somewhere. The names could've been fabricated but he could sense that Louie was being truthful. He would do a search on the names later. He then asked, "Now, tell me where the fighting ring is?"

Louie then gave Shadow all the information he needed, not wanting to be traumatized any longer.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Both Zombi138 and Angel17712 helped me out with this chap. They've been helping me out a lot lately. A shout out to them.


	40. PT040: Undercover

Part 40: Undercover

After getting the answers of out Louie the hard way (it was fun for Shadow though), Renia, Draco, Terra and Mortuary were ready for the second phase of their mission. They were going to go undercover and infiltrate the fighting ring to take it down from the inside out. All they had to do was to bring Danuth and Mr. J to justice and the rest would be easy.

Louie had told them that the fighting ring was situated in the slums of Jump City. The slums had the highest homeless rate in Jump City and the highest crime rate of all since the police did not care for this place. Shadow patrolled the place a lot at night and had become a sort of a legend like that Spawn character they had heard about in the alleys of that other city. In any case, the slums were also safe as long as Shadow was around and his monsters guarded the homeless and the poor.

The three, now disguised, bikes rolled into the area and pulled up in front of a condemned building. The riders removed their helmets and looked at it with disdain. The riders were in fact four members of the Z-Titans in disguise.

"You sure this is the place?" said Renia as she removed her helmet and scrunched up her nose. "It stinks."

"It's the slums, what do you expect?" replied Terra. She took off her helmet too. Draco and Mortuary took off their helmets as well.

Mortuary saw Draco covering his nose and asked, "You okay, Leo?"

"I'm fine," Draco said. "It's just that I have a super enhanced sense of smell and this place reeks to me. Ugh, I think I'm gonna pass out."

"Try wrapping your scarf around your face," Mortuary suggested. Draco did.

"Arigatou, Mortuary," Draco thanked him with his now muffled voice.

"Hey, that also adds some mystery to you," Mortuary complimented.

They dismounted from their bikes and made their way to the entrance hidden in the alley. They saw so many homeless people and couldn't help feel sorry for them. However, they had a mission so they had to put their sympathy into the back of their minds.

"So many homeless," Draco said sympathetically.

"It wasn't so long ago that I had to live like this," Renia said as she remembered the time before the Titans took her in.

"Me too," Terra added.

"Come on, guys," Mortuary said to them briskly. They reached a metal door and Mortuary knocked.

"Password?" a gruff voice behind the door asked.

"Calamari and Crocodiles," Mortuary said.

The door unlocked itself and swung open slowly. The metal door creaked since the hinges were rusty. Draco gulped a bit.

"Come on, don't be a scaredy-cat," Renia pushed him in.

"And pretend not to speak English," Terra added.

"Hai," Draco nodded.

They walked down the dark steps. It was quite unnerving for them. They had to put on a show since they were going undercover as underground fighters.

"I guess they were taking the underground thing a little bit too seriously," Terra commented. "No wonder the cops haven't found it."

"Or the cops don't care," Renia remarked. "This is the slums, T, cops don't care about it anymore."

Terra nodded, knowing Renia was right.

"We're here," Mortuary told them. "Now, remember who you are. I'm Eli Fox."

"I'm Terri Wilson," Terra said.

"I'm Rebecca Elric," said Renia.

"Jiro Satomi," Draco said.

There were a lot of people in the area and a fighting ring in the centre. There was also a betting board with names of fighters. Some of the fighters here, both male and female, looked like they meant business and were willing to kill to win.

The Z-Titans got themselves signed up as newbies. Their matches were coming up soon. Renia was stoked and Draco was starting to feel the adrenaline pouring into him as he fidgeted in anticipation. Terra looked at them nervously thinking that they just might blow their cover.

The first few matches were fun to watch even if they were a bit violent. The only restriction was no weapons and you pretty much could do anything to bring your opponent down, even kill. By the end of the day the best of the best were paid…a lot so the ring didn't have a short supply of fighters.

Mortuary looked around and saw cameras everywhere trained on the fights. They were feeding the images to where the people who were betting on these fights were sitting comfortably. They were probably rich snobs and this disgusted Mortuary. He had been rich but he would never indulge in gambling on people's lives. Draco felt the same way.

The MC called for the newbies this time. Renia heard her alias being called. She smirked and flexed her fingers. She was ready. She walked up to the ring and heard hooting and wolf whistling from some of the males. She had to admit that her glamored disguise was hot. She waved and the Z-Titans groaned.

"She's enjoying this WAY too much," Mortuary groaned.

Terra said in defence, "She just loves to fight."

Draco agreed, "I remember once when she pummelled a few stone blocks to dust. She enjoyed THAT a bit too much too."

Renia's opponent was all muscle, but Renia just looked bored. He made a lunge for her and swung his fist. She ducked under it and slammed him in the gut **hard. **Her right hand made contact and the Z-Titans knew what her right hand was made of.

"He's gonna feel that in the morning," Mortuary snickered as the guy doubled over for Renia to raise her leg and heel kick him in the back of the neck. He was down. It was possible that those who made a bet on Renia's opponent lost a lot of money and were not happy.

"WINNER, REBECCA ELRIC!"

Renia stepped off the ring and a lot of the male fighters backed away in fear and awe of her. She approached her friends.

"That was fun," Renia admitted. "But I need more of a challenge."

"You might get it," Mortuary nodded.

Draco heard his alias being called. "I'm next. Wish me luck, guys."

Draco stepped up in front of his opponent. He looked almost promising, almost. The demon inside him was smirking. This was what he wanted: senseless violence.

It just took one punch for him to win and the guy went flying into a wall. Draco sweatdropped while his friends slapped themselves in the forehead.

"WINNER, JIRO SATOMI!"

"Whatever happened to keeping a low profile?" Terra asked as Draco approached them.

"Gomenasai," he apologized. "I must not know my own strength."

"No kidding," Renia agreed.

"I'm next," Terra said as he stepped up. Using some of the training she had from Slade she won easily.

"WINNER, TERRI WILSON!"

And the next match…

"WINNER, ELI FOX!"

* * *

The 4 Z-Titans breezed through their next few matches and the odds changed. They were gathering a lot of attention from the 'investors'. A little too much attention, unfortunately as Danuth and Mr. J watched the various monitors of their office. Four of the monitors were focused on Mortuary/Eli Fox, Draco/Jiro Satomi, Terra/Terri Wilson, and Renia/Rebecca Elric.

"They seem promising," Mr. J admired.

"Yes, they are," Danuth agreed. "I do hope they don't disappoint us like the last group. They didn't even last long."

"If they are the strongest of the bunch, they'll survive the process. If not well that's not much of a loss anyway."

* * *

"You know, guys," Draco began, "If we win the next few matches we might get to meet the big bosses themselves."

"You mean Danuth and J?" Terra asked. "I guess. It might not be tonight though."

"Don't be too pessimistic," Renia grinned. "The faster we get to them, the faster we nail them and the faster we can finish this and go home."

"I guess," Draco shrugged.

"WINNER, ELI FOX!"

"Mort's done," Renia said as she looked over her shoulder. Mort was approaching them. He took off his shirt and Renia found herself admiring his muscles. "Woah…hunky…"

"What?" Terra asked.

"Nothing!" Renia said quickly, trying to hide her blushing face.

Mortuary was rubbing the sweat off his face. When the names of the next fighters came up, Renia and Terra looked at each other with shock.

"No way…" Terra gasped.

The next match was Rebecca Elric VS Terri Wilson. This was going to be both an intense and awkward fight.

"I guess we better give them what they want," Renia said with a shrug. "C'mon, T, we better make this look good."

"Y-yes," Terra nodded, feeling an awkward sense of guilt. She was going to be forced to fight her own friend. It brought some really bad memories for her; her betrayal for that matter and being reminded of that was not one o her most favourite things.

The two blonde girls walked up the ring. Mort and Draco had no idea who to root for since both girls were team mates and friends. They both knew that this was not going to be easy for both girls, both mentally and physically.

Renia and Terra stared each other down. When the command, "Fight!" was announced, the girls circled each other, eyes narrowed.

Renia was the first to attack and lunged for Terra. She struck with a right hook and then a left. Terra dodged to the side and then retaliated with a roundhouse kick. Renia blocked it before kicking Terra square in the chest. Renia wanted to apologize but they had to make it look good for the mission.

Terra's eyes glowed yellow for a second before she regained control of herself. She couldn't risk blowing her cover and jeopardizing their mission. They had to make it look good. Though she didn't have the same amount of training in the martial arts like Robin, Slade did teach her enough and she was able to match Robin when they had fought hand-to-hand those years ago. Gripping her fists and gritting her teeth she let out a yell and charged for Renia. She punched Renia in the face before going for her gut. When Renia doubled over she struck her with both her fists into her back. The blonde haired Crystal Alchemist fell. Draco and Mortuary gasped as Terra raised her foot to stomp but Renia rolled out of her way and grabbed a hold of Terra's leg with her own and tripped the geomancer off her feet. Terra pulled herself out of Renia's grip before she tackled her. The two girls began rolling on the ground, screaming at each other and pulling at each other's hair. The men howled and wolf-whistled at the cat-fight. Mortuary and Draco groaned.

"I didn't need to use my Powers of Pisces to see this coming," Draco commented.

"They're getting a bit too into it, aren't they?" Mort asked.

"Well, you know Terra and Renia," Draco said. "Those two have pretty volatile tempers."

"I remembered one time I made Terra mad and she made me fall into a hole she made. Then there was the time when she buried me under mud."

"Well, Renia sometimes like to hit Beast Boy. He always kept calling her short. I don't think he learnt his lesson."

"Maybe the constant blows to the head were affecting his memory."

"Maybe."

The girls got off each other and charged at one another. They both swung their fists and….

WHAM!

Draco and Mortuary flinched.

The girls had hit each other in the face at the same time and knocked each other out.

It was a draw.

* * *

Terra and Renia both woke up with splitting headaches. They were both sitting by a wall.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Mortuary spoke with a smirk and crossed arms.

"Daijoubu?" Draco asked worriedly.

"Ow…" Renia groaned as she held her head. "What happened?"

"I think we went a little overboard," Terra replied.

"No kidding," Mort said. "You both even got into a catfight."

"Oh dear God…" Terra moaned in embarrassment.

Soon, Draco and Mortuary's aliases were called.

ELI FOX VS JIRO SATOMI

As they were heading out to the ring Mortuary suddenly felt weak in his legs and soon enough he was on his knees with an all too familiar pain in his chest and throat. The necro-sickness had taken over. He covered his mouth and his hands were instantly drenched in blood and necroplasm. Mortuary looked over to the side to see Terra staring wide eyed at him. He muttered, "Oh shit."

Terra approached Mort. "What's wrong with you?" Terra asked worriedly

Draco quickly got in between them. "Mort, you know you should always check if your food is fully cooked before you eat it," Draco 'scolded' Mortuary hoping he could fool Terra into thinking it was just something Mort ate.

"Draco, shut up," Terra said knowing how bad of a liar Draco was. Terra turned her attention back to Mort. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Mortuary sighed, "Yeah, but not right now. We still have a mission to finish"

"You should sit this next fight out," she advised with concern in her voice.

"No, I'm not blowing our cover," he protested.

Terra crossed her arms "Fine, but as soon we get back to the Tower you've got some explaining to do. Same goes for you, Draco." Draco gulped knowing that when Terra finds out the truth it was not gonna be pretty.

"Let's go, 'Jiro'," Mortuary said.

"Alright, 'Fox-san'," Draco responded as both got into the ring. They faced each other. Draco bowed and Mortuary did the same. When the command "Fight!" came on, they both charged at each other.

Their moves were like blurs. While Draco was skilled in the martial art of his family's dojo, Mortuary was a practitioner of the Thai martial art known as Muay Thai. It was basically kick-boxing.

Draco went with a open palm strike but Mort leaned back and did a flip, hitting Draco in the chin. He then flipped back to his feet and elbowed Draco in the chest, sending him back. Draco then did a spin and aimed a chop at Mortuary's neck, which he blocked but then Draco followed up with a roundhouse to Mort's stomach. Mort doubled over and Draco was about to finish him off with a heel kick when Mort's elbow met with his gut. Draco doubled over and Mort's fist was rushing towards his face. He grabbed it then spun Mort over onto his back. He was going to punch Mort in the chest but Mort flipped back over to his feet and planted a punch into Draco's back. Mort rolled away and got back to his feet and cracked his neck. He grinned. Mort grinned back.

The adrenaline was getting to them.

They charged at each other and swung their legs to kick each other but their legs slammed into one another with equal force. They pulled back and punched each other only for their fists to meet. They then pulled back and then head butted each other.

WHAM!

The two girls flinched as well as several of the spectators.

The boys had just knocked each other out of the fight like the girls. What were the chances of that? It was another draw.

* * *

"Itai…" Draco groaned as he messaged his head.

"Leo, you got one hard head," Mortuary said, "Literally."

"You do too…" Draco replied.

"At least I don't have super strength," Mort retorted.

"Thank Kami I didn't activate my Ox power or you'd have one splitting headache."

"I'd have to agree on that."

Suddenly a man in a black suit approached the four of them.

"Mr. Fox, Mr. Satomi, Ms. Wilson and Ms. Elric?" the man said to the four of them.

"Yeah?" Mort responded.

"Hai?" Draco said.

"Yes?" Terra replied.

"What?" Renia remarked.

"Mr. Danuth and Mr. J would like to see you all now. Please, follow me," the man said to them. The 4 Z-Titans looked to each other.

Terra said, "It seemed that we've made an impression."

Mort nodded in agreement, "Good. The sooner we do this the better."

"Time to kick some tail," Renia grinned and cracked her knuckles.

Draco's eyes narrowed. He looked concern with all this. This was just too easy but he chose not say anything until they met J and Danuth. For some reason his Power of Pisces was trying to warn him of something all night but he wasn't getting a clear picture. It could've been the adrenaline pumping through his system that made all the images blurry. The only thing that was clear was what looked like a giant squid and a crocodile.

The man in the black suit led them towards a door in the far back and away from the rest of the fighters. He opened the door and said, "Please, go inside." They did as told thinking there was no danger but there were in for a rude wake up call. The door behind them closed and several ceiling lamps lit up. They were in a hidden corridor and awaiting them was another man in a black suit, this time of Chinese descent. "Follow me," he said much like the previous black suited man. He led them down the corridor and they all reached a door. He opened the door and they all entered.

"It is good to finally meet you 4, finally," spoke a pale elderly man in a black suit and fedora. He also stood on a walking stick. "I am Mr. Danuth."

"And you can call me Mr. J," said Mr. J. He was a large and muscular African American. He was also bald and wore a tailored white suit.

Both well dressed men were obviously the ones running this business. The Z-Titans must've made an impression to be finally able to meet the big bosses. However, Draco was sensing that something was off. He just wasn't sure what but he knew very well that it was bad…very, very bad.

Danuth began, "You four have proven yourselves to be very excellent fighters. Of what my associate and I have witnessed tonight, we saw the amount of skill and strength that you possessed and you have impressed us greatly." He stroked his moustache and said, "Which is why I think that you 4 are perfect candidates."

Candidates? Candidates for what? The Titans began to wonder if this was a trap. This just seemed a bit too easy and sudden.

"What do you mean by candidates?" Mortuary asked.

"Well, my boy," Danuth grinned.

"I think we should show you," J smirked as well.

Both Danuth and J suddenly morphed into their Orphenoch forms. Mortuary, Draco, Renia and Terra gasped in shock. This wasn't what they were expecting.

Danuth's Orphenoch form was based on a squid. His organic armour was white and sleek with white boots that had pointed up toes and a cape. His walking stick had morphed into a staff with a bulb on the head. His head…well, he had a squid for a head and his hair was flailing about like tentacles. He was the Squid Orphenoch.

J's Orphenoch form was fearsome. His organic armour was scaly and dark grey, except for his upper arms and thighs which were a light grey. His head looked like a humanized alligator's head with rows and rows of sharp teeth and a long tail extending from the back of his head to the ground. It waved about as he looked at them with his toothy grin. He also had sharp claws on his hands and clawed toes.

"You see, we're looking for strong people to add to our Orphenoch ranks and you four seem to be the most perfect choice. We have seen very exceptional people before but alas not many of them survive the process," Danuth the Squid Orphenoch said.

"If you do survive and become Orphenochs you're ours, if you don't well that's not much of a lost now, is it? We could always look for more," J the Alligator Orphenoch shrugged.

What's going on here?" Renia asked.

Draco did a quick introduction, "Renia, Orphenochs. Orphenochs, Renia." He then added, "We'll explain later. Right now we have to fight for our lives."

Mortuary grinned and said, "I guess we'll survive then."

"But we're not joining you, ya freaks!" Terra shouted. Draco flinched. He really didn't like the word 'freak' even if it wasn't being directed towards him.

"I don't think you have much of a choice," Danuth said. "Now hold still." He pointed the head of his staff and the bulb shot a glob of ink at Renia's face. She raised up her right hand and the glove tore apart to reveal a crystal shield that she had morphed from her crystal one. This shocked both Orphenochs. "Interesting…"

"I don't know what's going on, but you freaks just messed with the wrong guys," Renia said.

Mortuary and Draco took out their Zodiac Decks and summoned their belts.

"EMPOWERMENT OF ARIES/THE ZODIAC DRAGON!" they slid the decks into their belts. "HENSHIN!"

Their armours encased their bodies and both Danuth and J finally recognized them.

"YOU!" both Orphenochs exclaimed.

"That's right, freak," Mortuary said s he pointed towards Danuth. "We're the Titans ad we're bringing you down, dead or alive!"

"You can come quietly or do we have to get rough with you?" Draco added. He didn't want to be forced to kill them but if they didn't give them a choice, then there was nothing else he could do.

Terra threw off her jacket and revealed her Cutter Glove. The Cutter Inzecter smashed through the floor and jumped onto it. "Henshin!" Terra cried.

"HENSHIN!" the Cutter Inzecter echoed and the armour encased her as well.

Renia, the only one not in armour, pouted, "Hey, no fair!" She was surprised, of course, but now she had to concentrate on the battle ahead. There was going to b a fight so she had to concentrate. Reforming her hand, she then clapped them together to change her body into crystal. If these monsters were dangerous then she would need both a good offence and defence.

Danuth sighed, "It seemed that we have misjudged you. Master Occultus wants you dead, Mortuary. It's a pity, though. You would've made an excellent Orphenoch and your friend the Dragon Knight would've been welcomed to our utopia. Your two female friends would've been welcomed too if they allowed themselves to be sired."

"Fat chance, freak!" Mortuary shouted.

"Like I said to your master before the answer's no!" Draco shot back.

Terra and Renia nodded, ready to fight.

"Well, if you want to fight then we're only happy to oblige," Danuth said. J snapped his fingers. Soon, 4 men in black suits appeared as well. They then morphed into their Orphenoch forms. "But we won't be the ones you'll be fighting. Good night to you all." Danuth and J then made their escape.

"Get back here!" Mortuary shouted but was stopped in his tracks by the Gorilla Orphenoch. The large ape-like Orphenoch swung its large fists and smashed Mortuary into the wall.

The Stag Beetle Orphenoch had thick armour all over its body and was designed after that of a samurai. His weapon was a pronged staff. This was Terra's opponent.

Draco's opponent was an Orphenoch that looked like it was based on a Rhinoceros Beetle. The Rhine Beetle Orphenoch looked similar to the Stag Beetle one in terms of armour and weaponry but with one horn instead of two.

Renia's opponent was an Orphenoch based on a panda bear. It would've been ridiculous if it wasn't out to kill her. The Panda Orphenoch's body was pure muscle and fat and looked like a heavily armoured sumo wrestler.

Mortuary ran forward and aimed a kick for the Gorilla Orphenoch's chest but the armour there was thick. The Gorilla Orphenoch then punched Mortuary in the head and sent him back before swinging its large fists around to hammer Mortuary away and send him flying. Mortuary got up and fired up beams of green necroplasmic energy at the Orphenoch. The beams smashed it to the floor. Mortuary then jumped up and aimed a drop kick laced with necroplasm. It smashed into the Gorilla Orphenoch's chest. It was in pain but not destroyed.

The Stag Beetle Orphenoch charged at Terra. Terra dodged to the side and elbowed it in the head. She then jumped up and kneed it in the chest before delivering a powerful head butt. She then aimed her Vulcan cannons at the staggering Orphenoch and opened fire. The shots forced the Stag Beetle Orphenoch back a few feet. Terra then charged and swung at the Orphenoch with her Cutter Inzecter's mandibles. Sparks flew on impact. She then concentrated her powers and summoned up several rock spikes that she sent flying at the Orphenoch.

Draco ducked under a spear thrust before doing a sweep kick. The Orphenoch got back up and charged. This time Draco's Pisces Power kicked in so he was able to see the strikes before they hit him. He dodged, evaded and ducked after the strikes impressively. He then used the Power of the Ox to punch the Orphenoch into the wall and then sent a fireball flying at the Rhine Beetle Orphenoch. The Orphenoch recovered and charged back at Draco. Draco sighed and aimed before firing a freeze beam that encased his opponent in a block of ice.

For Renia, fighting the Panda Orphenoch was a bit easy since she had the advantage of her height. She was in her true form and with her height she was able to dodge under the punches and even if the Panda Orphenoch was able to hit her, the crystal covering her body was a great defence. She jumped back and fired several crystal spikes. Some spikes bounced off but a few pierces through the Orphenoch's armoured hide.

Mortuary took out his gun and fired several times at the Gorilla Orphenoch. The Orphenoch crossed its arms and blocked the shots. Mortuary the concentrated his necroplasmic energy into his gun and fired necro-bullets at the Orphenoch, which broke through its defences. Several more shots blew holes into the powerful looking Orphenoch's body and blue flames spewed out of its body. It then disintegrated.

Terra fired from her Vulcan cannons and used her powers at the same time. She then ran forward and punched and kicked the Orphenoch relentlessly. She also sent boulders that made cracks in the Stag Beetle Orphenoch's body. Finally, with a yell, she then plunged the mandibles of her Inzecter into the Orphenoch. Blue flames spewed out of its body before it disintegrated.

Draco thought he had won, but the Orphenoch broke out and charged at him. Draco sighed and sidestepped its attack before swinging his forearm to slam it into the ground. The Orphenoch was not giving him any other choice. It was either him or it. Draco's Dragblade popped out of his Dragauntlet and he turned around just as the Orphenoch got up and turned to charge at him. He stabbed the Dragblade through its chest. The Orphenoch's body spewed bluish flames before disintegrating into dust. Draco sighed sadly and he cried under his helmet. Another life taken and added to his list.

Renia had enough and pressed her hands into the Panda Orphenoch's chest. Using her transmutation powers she changed the Orphenoch into crystal. She swung her fist back and then swung it forwards. The impact smashed the crystallized Panda Orphenoch to pieces.

The Z-Titans regrouped together after reverting to human form. Draco lowered his head in despair. They knew it had to be done but did it have to be this way?

Well, they knew where the fighting ring was and since Danuth and J were gone they knew that this thing wouldn't last.

"Come on," Mortuary said, "Let's report this to Shadow."

"Yes, let's," Terra agreed.

Renia yawned, "I'm tired."

"Let's go home," Draco said with a dejected sigh.

* * *

Back at Zandia, Danuth and J stepped up behind Occultus who had just finished giving his speech to his Orphenoch minions. Danuth bowed his head and said, "I apologize, Master Occultus. The mission was a failure. We were infiltrated by Mortuary and his friends."

"Was the Ifrit Orphenoch there too?" Occultus asked.

J scoffed, "Yeah, but he's still against us. I agree with Asakura, it's better to just kill him now."

Occultus shook his head and smiled, "Don't be too hasty, J. The boy is still young and there is still time. When the time comes he will be ready see things our way. I'm sure of it."

* * *

The report Shadow had received from the others worried him so. Occultus was becoming bolder. He was obviously using the fighting ring as a front and using it to find the strongest fighters and then turning them into Orphenochs to join his army. It was a good thing that they were able to stop it even though Danuth and J got away. It was safe to say that they weren't going to attempt the same thing again since the Titans already knew who they were. When they showed their faces again, the Titans would be prepared.

In the meantime, Shadow had a lot of paperwork to do. This was going into their records.

* * *

Mortuary and Terra were on the roof of the Tower and Mortuary was about do something he never wanted to do, but he thought it was wrong of him to hide this. So, right now, he was ready to tell Terra about his condition no matter what would happen.

Mortuary took in a deep breath and started, "Terra, what I'm about to tell you is very hard for me to say but you need to hear it. I'm dying, Terra."

Terra slapped him. "That's not funny," she said.

"I'm not joking. I have a disease called necrosickness and it's killing me"

Terra slapped him again while her eyes were starting to tear up. "You're lying, you have to be."

Mortuary was starting to tear up as well. "I really wish I was. I really want to live."

Terra shook her head. "First Leo and now you too? It's not fair!" Terra burst into tears and dug her head into Mort's chest. "It's not fair!" Terra screamed. Terra pulled Mortuary into a hard embrace "You're not supposed to die, I love you, and you're my brother. We're all supposed to grow up together."

Mort rubbed Terra's back before lifting her chin up with his finger. "Hey, do you really think I'm gonna let some lame disease take me out? I'm not going anywhere, I'm gonna fight and beat this thing. I'm a Red Wolf and Red Wolves don't go down without a fight, right?" Mort asked.

Terra couldn't help but smile. Every time she was sad back then Mort would always find a way to cheer her up. Terra nodded "Right"

Hiding in the roof entrance was Renia, she heard everything and she finally realized what Shadow had said about Mortuary. "He **is** the strongest of us."

To Be Continued…


	41. PT041: Trouble in Chinatown

Part 41: Trouble in Chinatown

Jump City was not one of the most normal cities of this Earth. How could that be? Well, for starters, it had its own team of teenage superheroes defending it as well as various super-villains committing crimes. It was not a normal city at all, but the Titans made sure that it safe. Because of all the strangeness that happened which rivals a place in Japan called Nerima, the citizens were not all that weirded out. Therefore, seeing a giant green Chinese Dragon flying through the air did not cause unwanted panic, unless said dragon was causing chaos of course. The citizens of the city were used to things like this anyway. Riding upon the dragon were 4 people: 3 teenagers and one pre-teen.

"Are you sure this is the place, Dojo?" a boy with yellow skin and a round bald head asked the dragon. He was dressed in a red shirt and black pants with black sandals. His name was Omi.

"Listen, kid," the dragon replied back. "Tracking down newly activated Wu is easy. Going after Wu that's been stolen is not so easy. So pipe down, okay? I'm trying my best."

"I really can't believe it took us this long to track down the Wu," said a Brazilian boy with tanned skin, brown eyes and hair. He wore a white shirt with green sleeves and an orange long sleeved shirt underneath with brown pants. His name was Raimundo.

"We were busy training and tracking down new Wu to care about the Wu that was stolen. It was a good thing that Cat-girl didn't take ALL the Wu," said a Japanese girl with black hair pulled back in a braid, a blue tank top, red jeans and blue sneakers. Her name was Kimiko.

"Fat lot of help that did," grumbled a big blonde Texan wearing jeans, a blue cowboy shirt, brown cowboy boots, a red scarf and a brown cowboy hat. His name was Clay. "Spicer and his bots nearly thrashed the temple the last time he tried to get to the Wu. It was lucky that we still had our Wudai weapons at the time.

Omi scanned the city and saw something that caught his eye. "What is that?" he pointed. It was a Tower on an island. The Tower saw shaped like T. "Quite an unusual looking building."

Kimiko, the Japanese girl, said, "That's Titans Tower, home to the Teen Titans."

"Teen…Titans?" Omi scratched his bald head. "Who are they?"

"Superheroes, Omi," Raimundo clarified. "Like the ones in comics."

"Wouldn't I like to meet them fancy heroes," Clay whistled at the sight of the Tower.

"Focus, guys!" Dojo called. "We're here Wu hunting and not sightseeing."

Not too far away, at ground level, another group of people were looking for something in the city.

A tall Chinese man in a blue shirt and yellow pants asked an old Chinese man wearing a white shirt, yellow vest and blue pants, "Uncle, are you sure this is the place?" The old man, Uncle, slapped him. "Ow!"

"Do not doubt Uncle," Uncle snapped. He was holding what looked like a glowing lizard. "This tracking spell senses the Talismans. They are here."

"Good, so whose butt do we kick!" said a young Chinese girl who was wearing an orange hoodie with a white long sleeved shirt underneath add blue jeans. Her hair was chin length.

The Chinese man chided, "Jade, violence never solves anything."

"But, Jackie…" Jade whined.

"No, Jade."

With them was a man in a trench coat who wore a red mask (El Toro Fuerte), an attractive Chinese woman in a black jump suit (Viper), and a large Japanese man in a white shirt and black overalls (Tohru). Oh, there was also a young boy that was Jade's age in a green shirt and brown pants.

"Capt. Black wants us to go after this thief who stole the Talismans, correct?" asked the masked man. He had a Mexican accent.

"Yes, El Toro," Jackie nodded.

"You think it's the Dark Hand?' the beautiful Chinese woman asked.

Jackie shook his head, "I'm not sure, Viper. It could be but that girl seemed too young to be working for someone like Valmont or anyone else for that matter. Besides, Valmont's broke and in jail as are the rest of his henchmen. Right now, our orders are to retrieve the talismans and bring the thief to justice."

"I have to admit that I'm impressed that a girl was able to break into Section 13," Viper said with a smirk.

"The Talismans are close," said Uncle.

Paco, the young Mexican boy accompanying them, looked up and said, "Is that a dragon?"

* * *

In Slade's lair, to be precise his monitor room, Copycat was watching all the monitors with great interest.

Copycat, also known as Neko Katherine Hasuma, is a Japanese girl who possesses the Zodiac Power of Mimicry. That power would be dangerous in the wrong hands and she, unfortunately, is a Knight of Evil. Her jealousy drove her to the darkness and she has never looked back. She is evil through and through, or so she thought. Kat apparently has a bit of a softer side. Once living with the Titans after a fight with Rose, her girlfriend and Slade's daughter, she showed great heroism by rescuing a child from a burning building. Such behavior would be strange as she is a villain, but she just couldn't let the child die. Unfortunately, she is still an enemy of the Titans despite all that. Her biggest rival is Draco, her very own twin brother.

Slade's monitors could see all that was happening in Jump City with hidden cameras planted nearly everywhere in the city. There were no secrets to Slade as he knew who was doing what which supplied plenty of blackmail material. Not all businessmen were clean and they performed shady business deals and not all politicians were clean as some of them had dirty little secrets that could cause a scandal. Slade had cabinets full of tapes that had a near unlimited supply of blackmail material. Stuff like that could be useful at the right time and could be sold for the right price.

Copycat, being Slade's apprentice, was required to collect secrets; the kind of secrets that could lead to great wealth and power. This was part of her training since she would be required to be a spy if the occasion called for it.

Copycat was wearing her armor, minus the helmet. Her hair was unbound and she still wore that little black bow ribbon. Her goggles were on her forehead. Her eyes narrowed as her lips curled into a smirk, revealing a small portion of her sharp canines.

"So, they're here," she spoke, "Took them long enough." She let out a chuckle. Slade walked into the monitor room and stared at his apprentice.

Slade is a criminal mastermind who is also the Titans greatest enemy. He has tried to make both Robin and Terra his apprentices but failed. The latter caused his death but he was resurrected by the demon Trigon to carry out his orders, which he hated. It was at this time that he discovered Copycat and he saw the perfect apprentice. Unlike Terra and Robin, Copycat did not have much of a conscience and Slade had no reason to blackmail or threaten her seeing that her drive to be the best was enough for him to warp to his whim. At first she didn't respect him but soon began calling him 'Slade-sama' out of respect for him. Apparently, Copycat sees him as a father figure and cares for him.

"What interests you so, Katherine?" Slade asked.

Copycat looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Slade-sama." She turned and bowed before standing straight. She pointed to the monitors. "Just saw something interesting. Apparently, some people have come here to reclaim what they have lost."

"Oh?" Slade said as he looked at the monitors. "Ah, yes, the Xiaolin Warriors and the J-Team."

Copycat scoffed, "The J-Team? Who came up with that? A child?"

"Actually, yes," Slade replied coolly.

Copycat looked at him, "You're joking, right?"

"I never joke."

Copycat blinked and then chuckled.

"So, what will you do now, Katherine?" Slade asked, although he knew the answer from the look in her eye.

"I think I'm going to entertain myself for awhile," she said before summoning her helmet over her head again. She then, like all Zodiac Knight, leapt into a nearby mirror portal and into the Mirror Dimension.

* * *

In the giant T-shaped structure Omi had been admiring, the Z-Titans were just chilling out in the living room. It was already lunch time and Draco was at the stove cooking a meal for his friends and teammates. Since Cyborg and Beast Boy had left with the original 5 to fight the Brotherhood of Evil, there would not be any "Meat VS Tofu" arguments that would cause everyone to starve. Brimstone was at his feet, his tongue hanging out as Jinx stood next to him, admiring his handiwork. Her Scarab Inzecter was perched on her shoulder as her Scarab Belt was gleaming around her waist. Her boyfriend had a pot of something cooking and Jinx sniffed in the aroma and sighed.

"That smells heavenly," the pink haired sorceress purred.

"It'll taste good too," Draco added as he used a spoon and took a sip. He smacked his lips and then reached for some spices before sprinkling them into the concoction. "5 more minutes and it's done." There was also a rice cooker nearby cooking, well, rice.

"Good, coz I'm starved," spoke Renia, also known as the Crystal Alchemist. Silkie the pet mutant silkworm was resting on the couch as Renia was playing videogames against Mortuary. They were playing a racing game and were getting really into it.

"I'm gonna win this time, Ren," Mortuary said.

"You think so, don't ya, Morty?" Renia countered. She pressed a few buttons, "Well eat my dust!"

"Hey, no fair!"

"Too bad, so sad," Renia mocked. "WHO'S BAD?" she shouted out victoriously.

"Damn it," Mortuary grumbled, "Seems like my skills are rubbing off on you."

"Heh, if I was rubbing off on your skills I'd be losing," Renia said before noticing the scowl on Mort's face. "I was just kidding, geez"

"I thought so," Mort said with a cocky smirk.

Renia suddenly had a strange feeling whenever she looked at Mort's eyes and she was always wondering why. The answer hit her like a ton of bricks '_Oh man, am I crushing on Mortuary?_' she thought. Renia then shook her head '_He's like three years older than you, besides he's probably not interested in a relationship of any kind. I mean, if I were in his shoes I probably wouldn't be either. He's not like the other guys here, he's a rebel. He's got a whole different look to him; the raven black hair, those bright blue eyes_' Renia shook her head one last time '_Ok, time to stop thinking about the Necromancer like that_'

Mortuary noticed Renia's strange behavior, "Is everything ok, Ren?" Mort asked

Renia nodded quickly, "Yeah, yeah, everything's fine"

"Lunch is ready!" Draco announced as he poured the contents of the pot into 9 plates of already scooped out and steaming rice. Wait a minute…9?

Why 9?

To answer that question, let's go to the garage, shall we?

* * *

"You've got it all wrong!" yelled Pluto, the Titans' resident mad scientist. "This goes in there!"

"And I said this goes in here, dog-face!" countered a bald boy wearing a black Smart Brain jumpsuit. This is Gizmo, a nasally voiced and short boy that used to be a villain. Now he works in Smart Brain JC in Research and Development. He's a genius, but not big on manners. The only person he listens to is Jinx.

Both of them were fixing up Draco's Jetslinger and were arguing over what parts went where. Often times, they would stop and argue…Actually, this was pretty much a frequent thing since these two were forced to work together.

"What did you say, shortie?" Pluto glared.

"Want me to write it down, drool-face?" Gizmo glared back.

"That's it!" Pluto's hands crackled with electricity. "It's on!"

"Bring it!" Gizmo activated his back pack and laser blasters came out.

Pluto, like I said before, is the Tower's resident mad scientist. He is also one stubborn dog. He won't accept the fact that he might be wrong even a little bit. He is a little self absorbed because of his genius and is oblivious to the damage he can cause with his mostly faulty inventions. Despite all this, however, his inventions do work…sometimes.

"Oh boy," Blackfire, Pluto's girlfriend, groaned. "You want to break this up or should I, big guy?"

"You do it," the large man grunted. "I did it yesterday." This large individual is Mammoth. He has orange hair and REALLY BIG muscles. He's dressed in a Smart Brain jumpsuit too but with the sleeves torn off and with his old boots and bracelets. He used to be a criminal but now works as a bodyguard for Smart Brain JC's CEO, John Worthing. He's all muscle, but he's really sweet inside. He's friends with Jinx and Gizmo and listens to the former since she used to be team leader during their villainy days.

"Fine," Blackfire sighed. "Hey! Puppy! Gizmo! Break it up!"

Mammoth shook his head and smiled, arms crossed. Never in a million years would he have thought to go straight but here he was now with a job and making an honest living. It beat getting hauled off to jail and this time he could beat up guys and not get sent to the dog house. It was honest living plus his paycheck was bigger than any amount of money he had ever stolen.

When he got that call from Shadow he felt frightened. After leaving the HIVE Five with Gizmo since Jinx joined the Titans, Mammoth had watched the news and saw the guy in action. In front of Mammoth's own eyes was Shadow using his powers and he was REALLY scary and Mammoth was not the type to be easily intimidated, he was always the one doing the intimidating. He gulped and answered and Shadow said 5 words that meant more to Mammoth than anything, "Would you like a job?"

Mammoth began questioning him and Shadow had told him that Jinx recommended both of them for their skills and Shadow also explained the perks. Both former HIVE students rushed to the chance. There was no interview. They were already in as Shadow, one of the CEO's of Smart Brain Corporation, had recommended them and that was enough. All they needed to do was to demonstrate their skills and then use them for the good of the corporation.

That had been so many months ago and neither Gizmo nor Mammoth regretted it.

CRASH!

BANG!

BOOM!

(Sigh…)

Gizmo was pulling at Pluto's hair while the Dog Knight was stretching the midget's face. Gizmo blew raspberries at Pluto as the Dog Knight tried to restrain himself from shoving his sword up his-

"BREAK IT UP YOU TWO!" Blackfire roared and Pluto immediately dropped Gizmo.

"Okay, Blackfire!" Pluto responded.

Gizmo snickered, "Whipped." Pluto glared, his hands crackling with electricity but the glare he got from Blackfire forced him to disperse the spark.

"Don't you two remember what Shadow said?" Blackfire asked. "You two are supposed to work together. The vehicles need to be repaired and you two are the only ones with the technical know-how to do it," she placed her hands on her hips and she narrowed her glowing violet eyes. "So there's no time for senseless bickering. It's been a week and you should be getting along now."

Pluto pointed childishly, "He started it." Gizmo stuck his tongue out at him. Blackfire placed her left hand on her face, her Fire Bracelet gleaming from her wrist. The Fire Inzecter flew around over her head before perching itself on her shoulder, making a few beeps. She was turning into a babysitter for these two. Well, at least they had Mammoth if anything went too violent.

Draco's voice announced from the Tower PA system. He said, "LUNCH IS READY!"

"Finally, I'm starved," Pluto rubbed his tummy, licking his lips.

"Why don't you chew on a bone?" Gizmo mocked.

"Why don't I have some baby-back ribs?" Pluto growled. He was then pulled away by Blackfire.

"C'mon, Yoshi. We better go before lunch gets cold," Blackfire said as she flew to the elevator with him.

"C'mon, Gizmo," Mammoth said as his pint-sized friend followed him with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, yeah," Gizmo rolled his beady eyes.

* * *

Copycat watched them, hidden in the Mirror Dimension and watching them with her red eyes. The Xiaolin Warriors had just landed in a hidden part of town and their dragon had shrunken down to the size of a gecko. Not too far away, the J-Team were stopping at a café and having lunch. The Xiaolin Warriors also decided to have lunch at the same café.

Perfect.

Both groups were in the same place and out in the open. She would strike quick and fast and without hesitation. They were an obstacle and obstacles were to be eliminated. Behind Copycat were her Zodiac Beasts, Techno-Panther and Psycho-Rogue, and they were both starving.

Copycat's lips curled into a cruel smirk behind her mouthpiece. Oh, this was going to be so…delicious.

* * *

Terra was outside of the city, in the desert, doing some training. She was using some of the 'Earthbending' moves that Draco had shown her. Moving her body into fast, firm and quick punches, jabs and kicks, she manipulated the stone and sand around her to her whim. She was barefooted since Draco suggested that Earthbending worked better when a person had direct contact with the Earth. She indeed felt closer to the Earth when her toes dug into the sand. Strapped to her right forearm was her Cutter Glove. The green and yellow armguard was gleaming under the hot sun as she wiped the sweat off her brow. Her communicator beeped and she heard Draco's voice saying, "LUNCH TIME! COME QUICK!"

Terra smiled, her stomach grumbling. She put her socks and shoes back on and put her Red Wolves jacket back on. She summoned a boulder and jumped on it, riding it towards the Tower as she made it fly.

She looked down at the city as the wind swept through her blonde hair. It took a very long time for the citizens to trust her again since the **incident **several years ago. She smiled as the Tower came into view. She heard clicking and looked down to see her Cutter Inzecter clicking its mandibles. She picked it up and the little robot crawled onto her shoulder. She giggled as her Inzecter tickled her.

Renia had been back for a few months and Terra was happy that her adopted little sister was around and she was also glad that Ren was getting along with Craig. Shadow was away in England, attending a week long conference with the other CEO's of the branches of Smart Brain Corporation. Their meeting place would be Smart Brain HQ in London where Shadow's father was owner and President of Smart Brain Corporation.

The week had been slow, just a few robberies and muggings that the Z-Titans stopped. Of course, they nearly had to restrain Renia when one of those criminals said something that ticked her off. Three guesses what it was.

Terra neared the Tower and smiled. First she was going to take a shower and change her clothes. She had sand in her hair and needed to shampoo it. The Cutter Inzecter clicked its mandibles and she giggles again as the metal tickled her cheek.

She missed Beast Boy, really she did, and hoped that he'd return to her…Then they'd get 'reacquainted' if you catch my meaning (wink, wink).

She was almost starting to tear up when she remembered Craig's confession about his condition. She'd known Craig for the longest time and loved him like a brother. She stopped herself from crying and simply repeated, "He can never die. He's too strong for death to handle."

* * *

The Z-Titans sat around the table where they usually ate their meals. Mammoth and Gizmo had joined them. In front of each of them was a plate of rice with the curry Draco had made. For some reason, Draco's curry was, well, glowing. This was the type of curry that would need a tub full of cold ice water to quench the heat. This was Draco's Volcano Curry.

"Itadakimasu," Draco spoke as he scooped up some rice with his curry on it. He looked to his friends. "Well? Dig in."

His friends looked uncertainly at the glowing curry. It looked almost like lava for some reason.

Gizmo whispered to Mammoth, "You sure this is safe?"

"How should I know?" Mammoth whispered back. "I've never eaten THIS before."

"C'mon, guys," Draco pleaded, "The curry's great. There's chicken, beef, carrots and potatoes. I also added some of my special herbs and spices. It's perfectly safe."

Pluto stared at it and said, "It is?"

"Brimstone's having some," Draco pointed out.

"No offence, but Brimstone's a demon dog from a hell dimension," Mortuary spoke.

"What's your point?" Draco asked Mort.

"Never mind," the Knight of Aries sighed. He had known about Draco's cooking style. When he cooked anything else it was okay. But, when it came to anything hot and/or spicy…

Well, I think you get the point.

"Well, if you cowards don't mind, I'm gonna eat some," Renia said boastfully as she scooped some of the rice and curry and put it in her mouth. She chewed and smiled. "Hey, this isn't so bad."

"Arigatou, Renia-chan," Draco smiled.

The others looked at each other and shrugged. Taking scoops of the rice and curry with their spoons they then put them in their mouths.

Their eyes bugged out, steam escaped their ears and their faces went red as they immediately rushed to the sink.

"OUT OF MY WAY!"

"HOT! HOT!"

"MY LIPS ARE BURNING!"

"MY TONGUE'S BURNING!"

"OH MY GOD!"

"DEAR X'HAL!"

"MY THROAT'S ON FIRE!"

Various shouts were being released from them as Draco, Brimstone and Renia looked at them, blinking.

"Wonder what's wrong with them?" Draco asked Renia, oblivious. Renia shrugged.

Suddenly, the alarms blared.

T.I.T.A.N. announced, "Trouble in Chinatown!"

"TITANS! LET'S GO!" Draco shouted.

"IN A MINUTE!" They were still fighting at the sink for the water. Draco sweatdropped.

* * *

"What are these things? Jack Spicer's robots?" Omi asked as she used his martial arts against a humanoid robot. "Wudai Neptune! Water!" He fired off a powerful blast of water that shorted the robot's circuits out.

"They look too advanced to be Jack's!" retorted Kimiko as she too fought some of the robots. "Wudai Mars!" Fire!" She, in turn, created a powerful flaming attack that incinerated the robots.

"Whatever they are," Raimundo began as he ducked under a claw swipe, "They're getting on my nerves." He shouted out, "Wudai Star! Wind!" He blasted the robots away with a gale.

"They're more relentless than a buffalo in a rodeo," Clay quipped. "Wudai Crater! Earth!" The cowboy covered himself in rock and smashed through the robots.

Jade and Paco stood at the sidelines, watching the Xiaolin Warriors do their work. "Woah, look at them go!" Jade said but then added, "But Jackie's better!"

"No, Yade," Paco shook his head, " El Toro is better."

"Jackie."

" El Toro."

"Jackie!"

" El Toro!"

Uncle pulled them to safety, "Aiyah! Uncle too old for this!"

Both Tohru and El Toro worked together and crushed the robots' heads with their fists after discovering they were merely machines. Tohru smiled and said, "Feels like old times!" he then tackled a few.

"Agreed!" El Toro nodded as he elbowed a bot in the head before performing a German Surplux. He then jumped up and did a double-footed kick in one's chest.

Viper and Jackie were forced back to back. They used whatever martial arts training they had to take care of these bots.

"Who sent them?" Jackie said as he ducked. "They don't seem magical." He kicked one away.

"Looks like somebody doesn't want us around," Viper said as she ducked and punched one in the gut. She flicked her wrist in pain. "Ow."

"You alright?" Jackie asked.

"I think-" She was kicked to the side by a Slade-Bot.

Copycat was still watching them, studying their moves and memorizing them. She had seen the Wudai Warriors fight before but never like this. It would be quite an interesting match later on.

"BLADE OF THE NEBULA!" Raimundo's Wudai Weapon changed from sword to a pair of nunchakus connected by a tornado. He swung his weapon around and blew the opposition away.

"BIG BANG METEORANG!" Clay threw his Wudai Weapon and it split into several boomerangs that sliced the bots apart.

"ARROW SPARROW!" Kimiko also threw her Wudai Weapon and they destroyed the Slade-Bots by going right through them.

"SHIMO STAFF!" Omi spun his Wudai Weapon around, letting it turn into a Halberd before slicing apart several enemy robots and then turning it into a double-headed mace to do the same.

Several more Slade-Bots were being destroyed by the J-Team.

Copycat smirked and flinched at the robots' destruction. However, they were just cannon fodder, nothing more. The real threat would come soon and she would strike them at their weakest.

The Slade-Bots kept coming and coming and despite their skills they were still quite human.

Copycat's Cat Deck glowed. She growled. That could only mean…

"TIGER MOTORSMASH!"

"CALL OF THE HERD!"

"FROZEN HUNTER!"

The Knights arrived, fully armored, and using their Final Vents to finish off some more Slade-Bots. Scrap and burning metal littered the street from the assault. The Wudai Warriors and the J-Team watched them in awe. Uncle, upon the look on his face, knew who they were.

"Zodiac…Knights…?" Uncle said slowly.

"Wow," Raimundo looked impressed. "Who are they?"

"I dunno, but I'm glad for the assist," Clay said, tipping his hat.

Dojo's eyes narrowed. He knew that Zodiac Knights existed in this era, but to see them again was not something he would ever dream of. Dojo also had a strange look of familiarity when his eyes fell on the Knights, especially the Dragon Knight.

"Da…Shi…?" Dojo spoke slowly.

The girls, Mammoth and Gizmo also joined in. Mammoth, like El Toro and Tohru before, used his incredible brute strength to rip Slade-Bots apart one by one.

"You have great strength, young one," El Toro complimented.

"Thanks," Mammoth said. "Hey, who are you?"

"I am El Toro Fuerte."

"Friends call me Mammoth."

"I can see why."

"Mammoth!" Jinx shouted, throwing hexes, "Stop making small talk and fight!"

"Yeah, ya big hairy ape!" Gizmo shouted as he fired missiles and lasers while flying around with his jet pack.

Terra summoned up stone hands and bashed them on the robot soldiers while Blackfire swept in and fired her blackbolts.

Renia created a crystal spear and did a come hither motion. 5 Slade-Bots charged. Jackie, seeing Renia, was ready to help but was stunned when she effortlessly impaled the Slade-Bots with her spear. She smirked and then placed her hand on the ground. Blue lightning traveled from a newly formed transmutation circle and Slade-Bots caught by it were turned to crystal. Those who saw this shattered the crystallized bots to nothingness. Other Slade-Bots were impaled upon crystal spikes that shot out of the ground.

Draco was using his ice powers to freeze the Slade-Bots before Mortuary shattered them with quick elbow strikes, knee strikes and kicks. Trained in Muay Thai, he was a killing machine and both Draco and he made a good team as they did a pose. This caused Jinx and Terra to sweat drop.

"They've been hanging out with each other WAY too much," Jinx said.

"Agreed!" Terra stomped her foot and impaled a Slade-Bot behind Jinx with a stone spike as Jinx hexed a bot behind Terra, blowing it up. Another stomp of her foot sent several Slade-Bots flying as the ground exploded under them and making them easy targets for Blackfire who shot at them like flies.

"Thanks," the two girls said to each other and saw the Slade-Bots surrounding them. The bots charged but were then forced back when the Scarab Inzecter flew around and forced them back before flying into Jinx's awaiting hand. The Cutter Inzecter crawled over to its master and leapt into Terra's hand.

"Thanks," Jinx said to the robotic bug before sliding it onto her Scarab Belt. Terra threw off her jacket and attached the Cutter Inzecter to her Cutter Glove armguard.

Blackfire, in the air, saw this and summoned her Fire Inzecter and then attached it to her Fire Bracelet.

The girls said in unison, "Henshin!"

"**HENSHIN!**" The Inzecters announced loudly.

The Inzecter suits encased the girls, much to the J-Team and Xiaolin Warriors' surprise. Jinx, Blackfire and Terra, now enhanced by the suits, went on the attack.

Jinx's hex powered punches and kicks destroyed and took the Slade-Bots apart on contact. She then went into a flip kick that knocked one bot's head off before going into a sweep kick and following up with a hex wave that sent the bots sailing.

Blackfire was flying through and smashed a few Slade-Bots in her way by using her fists. Her blackbolt blasts were also powered up, flying towards their targets like burning death.

Terra was shooting at the Slade-Bots with her Vulcan cannons, making sure as not to hit any of their allies. She also smashed her foot on the ground and sent a wave of road at the Slade-Bots which sent them sailing into the air. She then aimed up and fired several dozen successful shots at them, destroying them.

Pluto shouted, fighting off the Slade-Bots with his sword, "Girls, Cast Off now!"

The day the girls had received their individual Inzecters several months ago, they had been properly instructed on their suits' strength, weaknesses, functions and capabilities by Shadowcobra. They knew how to transform and use their suits effectively since they'd practice and trained in their suits to get used to them since the day they first donned them. They had also made connections with their Inzecters once they realized that the robotic bugs were sentient. The girls, right now, were going to reveal another feature of their Inzecter suits.

The girls, nodding, placed their hands on their respective Inzecters. Jinx used her thumb to push a button on her Scarab Inzecter. Terra pulled the mandibles of her Cutter Inzecter back. Finally, Blackfire twisted her Fire Inzecter a bit on her bracelet. Parts of the armor plating, mostly the ones covering the head, the torso and arms, expanded out as electricity surged through them and detached as steam escaped from the gaps and joints.

"Cast off," Jinx said before the Scarab Inzecter split open completely to reveal some sort of miniature energy generator

"Cast off," Terra said before she pulled back the mandibles of her Cutter Inzecter all the way back.

"Cast off," Blackfire said before pressed her hand on her Fire Inzecter and spun it around, 180 degrees, on her bracelet so that the back end of the firefly-like Inzecter was facing forwards like her fist.

"**CAST OFF!**" The Inzecters announced again before their respective suits exploded off them and revealing sleeker versions of their armors. The armor that blew off was like shrapnel and smashed into several Slade-Bots, taking them out of the battle.

"CHANGE SCARAB BEETLE!" The Scarab Inzecter announced. Jinx's body armor was purple with matching gauntlets. Her helmet was still black with a pair of purple eyepieces that were originally hidden under the visor and two small horns on top. Her eyepieces flashed. Her armor was modeled after a Scarab Beetle.

"CHANGE FIRELY!" The Fire Inzecter announced. Blackfire's armor had a red and black trimmed chetsplate that looked like a beetle's carapace, like Jinx's, and her helmet was red with a pair of black eyepieces and antennae. Her gauntlets were black with red a trim. The eyepieces flashed. Her suit was modeled after a firefly.

"CHANGE LEAFCUTTER ANT!" The Cutter Inzecter announced while the mandible blades on her back moved up to her helmet to create mandible horns. Terra's armor was green with a yellow trim. Her chestplate was green with yellow horizontal stripes. Her gauntlets were green with yellow trimmings. Her helmet was also green with a pair of blue eyepieces and mandible horns and antennae. Attached to her shoulder guards, where her Vulcan cannons once were, were a pair of katana swords with serrated edges and resembling ant mandibles. The blue eyepieces flashed. Her armor was modeled after a leafcutter ant.

Jade said, "Cool…" Paco nodded in agreement.

The Inzecter suits were not just the next generation of Smartrooper suits, not at the least. They were Smart Brains' attempt to create their very own team…of Masked Riders. And it looked like the SB Corporation was pretty much successful.

The Inzecter Troopers were here in their true glory. They had Cast Off from the bulky and powerful Strong Modes to the sleek and agile Speed Modes.

Pluto, seeing his girlfriend's armored form, said, "Wow, she's hot."

Draco nodded in agreement as he saw his girlfriend's armor too. He also whispered, "My kawaii girlfriend…is a Kamen Rider…Like me…" Not exactly a Kamen Rider, but she looked nearly identical to one to be one. '_Kamen__ Rider Jinx?__ No…Kamen Rider Scarab…_' he mused mentally, thinking of all the evil they could fight together.

Terra removed her Cutter Katanas from her shoulders and began slicing the Slade-Bots apart while Jinx fired hex beams. Blackfire's fists were glowing like hot flames as her fists melted through the Slade-Bots.

"Okay, girls!" Jinx ordered. "Just like we practiced!" she shouted out, "Clock Up!" She slammed her hand on her left waist pad.

Terra and Blackfire shouted out, "Clock Up!" too, hitting their left waist pads.

Pluto and Draco, who were already in Excel Mode, after seeing this also shouted out while pressing the faces of their Excel Watches, "Clock Up!"

"**CLOCK UP!**" Was the unanimous announcement of the Inzecters and Excel Watches.

Mortuary shouted out, "Timefire!" his armor turning to its red Timefire setting before he jolted.

The Knights and Troopers went full throttle, using Clock Up (Timefire in Mortuary's case) and sped up to obliterate the remaining Slade-Bots who appeared to be moving like snails to their vantage point. They were moving so fast that, to Mammoth, Gizmo, Renia, the J-Team, and Xiaolin Warriors, they appeared to be blurs.

In the viewpoint of the Clock Up and Timefire users, however, everything else appeared to have stopped completely since they themselves were moving at hyper speed and were nearly undetectable by the naked eye. They struck at each of the Slade-Bots with precise hits, powerful and effective enough to cause damage.

With the announcement of, "**CLOCK OVER!**" The Knights and Troopers reverted to normal speed, watching as the Slade-Bots were destroyed. There were still many more, however, but both Draco and Pluto had it covered.

"**SURVIVE!**"

Transforming into Survivor Mode, the Dog Knight and Dragon Knight then activated their Final Vents.

"**SURVIVOR FINAL VENT!**"

Dragonrizer appeared, much to the surprise of Dojo and the Xiaolin Warriors.

"Now **that's **a dragon," Raimundo spoke up, gasping in shock.

"That is the moooooooost magnificent creature I have ever seen," Omi said with eyes sparkling as Dragonrizer roared.

Dojo crossed his small arms and snorted, "He's not THAT hot."

Darkraider also showed up. Both Pluto and Draco leapt upon their respective Zodiac Beasts and, bringing more surprises to the J-Team and Xiaolin Warriors, the monsters transformed into their motorcycle forms.

"Nice bikes," Viper complimented.

"I bet my sis Jessie would like one of them fancy bikes," Clay said in agreement.

"DARK TORPEDO!"

"DRAGON METEOR FIRESTORM!"

The Knights destroyed the remaining Slade-Bots as they rammed into them through and through, not letting any one of them survive. Seeing Dragonrizer shoot out fireballs made Kimiko smile.

"THAT'S hot!" Kimiko exclaimed. Dojo scoffed jealously.

Jackie had seen a lot of weird things, but this just takes the cake.

The Inzecter Troopers saw only three Slade-Bots left. It was time for them to test out their finishers on the field. Jinx pressed the leg buttons on her Inzecter in a straight order. "1, 2, 3," the Inzecter spoke up as the respective buttons were pressed. Blackfire pushed the thorax button on her own Inzecter as well. Terra put her Cutter Katanas together to form a pair of scissors.

"Scarab Smash," Jinx said before the Inzecter exclaimed, "SCARAB SMASH!"

"Meteor Fist," Blackfire said and her Inzecter exclaimed, "METEOR FIST!"

"Mandible Cutter," Terra spoke before the Cutter Inzecter exclaimed, "MANDIBLE CUTTER!"

Electrically charged power flowed from their Inzecters and raced through their suits. Their eyes flashed as the charge up was complete.

Jinx jumped up and did a perfect tornado kick that slammed into her Slade-Bot. Blackfire ran forward and executed an uppercut that sent her Slade-Bot flying. Finally, Terra held tightly to her Ant Katanas and combined them to form a pair of large serrated scissors, or ant mandibles, before slicing the Slade-Bot in half at the waist. The Slade-Bots were destroyed as they blew up from the Triple Trooper finishers.

Copycat had seen enough and vanished. This did not escape Draco's attention, however, but he chose to ignore it…for now.

The heroes immediately congratulated one another, complimenting each other. When the Knights and Troopers' armors disappeared (the Inzecters flew away, crawl in Terra's case), Kimiko and Draco looked at one another.

"Ryu-kun, is that you?" Kimiko asked in shock.

"Kimi…Kimi-chan?" Draco asked back.

Jinx looked between the two, "Um, you know each other?"

Suddenly, to the heroes' surprise, a pool of darkness formed in the street. Uncle was ready to cast a spell to 'disperse the evil' but was stopped by the Titans when they saw it was only Shadow, clad in his uniform. He looked at the mess and then to the Titans before asking, "Alright, what did I miss?"

To Be Continued.

The Z-Titans, J-Team and Xiaolin Warriors will get acquainted in the next chap. I hope you're ready for this crossover insanity. I know I am. Oh and Jackie Chan Adventures, the Teen Titans and Xiaolin Showdown do not belong to me. Jeffrey helped out with this chap a bit, though.

The Inzecter suits have two modes. The first mode is Strong Mode in which defense and strength is emphasized more by the heavy looking combat armor. The secondary mode is activated when the Strong Mode outer armor is Cast Off. This secondary form is known as Speed Mode since the user of the wearer of the suits can only use Clock Up in this form. The reason the Knights were testing out the Axel, Dash On and Clock Up systems was to create these Inzecters in the first place.

Okay, Terra is the only one with any weapons in her Inzecter suit, both in Strong Mode (her Cutter Vulcans) and Speed Mode (Cutter Katanas). Should I give Jinx and Blackfire weapons too? If so, what should they be?

BTW, it's been a few months since Renia came back and the girls received the Inzecters meaning. The core Titans have been gone for nearly 5 months fighting the Brotherhood of Evil.


	42. PT042: Let's Go Zodiac Xiaolin Showdown!

Part 42: Let's Go! Zodiac Xiaolin Showdown!

Pieces of Slade-bots littered the area where the fight had occurred. Nobody was hurt, thankfully, but there was a lot of damage to the area that needed immediate repairs, which was why Shadow had decided to show up after his week long meeting. He surveyed the scene with his red on black eyes and calculated how much the damage would cost to repair. His eyes then went over to his teammates and finally to the other people that had remained. They had obviously helped out to fight off the army of Slade's robotic troops since they seemed exhausted from battle. He also noticed an old man trying to cast a spell to ward off evil spirits. He sighed. This was going to need a report but he wanted details first.

"Alright, what did I miss?"

* * *

Copycat had returned to Slade's lair, ready to report. Her armor disappeared off her body just as she leapt out of a conveniently placed mirror necessary for Tartarus' entry into the Mirror Dimension.

"I have come to report, Slade-sama," Copycat said as she lifted up her goggles to reveal her storm blue eyes.

"Go on," Slade said, without moving from his place in front of the monitors. He had seen what had happened but wanted to have some of his apprentice's input.

"It would appear that we may need help. I was able to defeat those monks months ago, but they are now prepared. The J-Team is an unexpected variable as well. They seem to be a mismatched team, but in reality they are in harmony. I do not know much about them; however, they must also feel the same way about me, which is a point in our favor. The J-Team had no experience with fighting me, but they do seem to have experience with fighting a large quantity of opponents. These monks seem to, as well ," she reported.

"Very good, Katherine," Slade complimented, "Your analytical skills have improved."

"Thank you, Slade-sama," Copycat said, bowing in respect. A few months ago, Kat would've dove into battle just for the fun of it without as much as a plan. Now, with Slade's tutelage, she had learnt to be patient and gather information about her opponents. It wasn't her style, but she soon adapted regardless. She could deceive others with her many faces and was an expert of persuasion, however, there was still that little glitch involving her anger management issues. She then asked, "Have Rose and Cathy returned yet?"

"They are still enjoying their day at the park," Slade answered. "Grant is in training with his monster and weapons in the Mirror Dimension." He then turned slightly and queried, "Do you really need the others for this?" Slade asked.

Copycat gave Slade a toothy grin. "Yes," she answered. "And please tell them to bring some of the Wu." Before she was about to leave, she added, "Oh, and are the new androids ready, Slade-sama?"

"They are. Of course, they would've been ready ages ago if a certain someone hadn't had a temper tantrum." Slade glared at her, his eye narrowed.

"I was stressed," Copycat defended.

"In any case, I do hope that you won't be needing their help."

"Nekokage needs the practice. She's old enough to fight now despite her age."

"Are you sure she's ready?" Slade asked. Nekokage was little Cathy's codename. It meant Cat of the Shadows. Cathy is the mutant girl that Copycat had found in a dumpster in Bayville more than two months ago. Slade had adopted the little mutant girl at Copycat's request. Not only does Cathy possess the ability to turn invisible, she also has an accelerated growth rate. One week was equivalent to one year of our time with her, and she was already physically 15 years old. Despite Slade having been accused as being a cold-hearted bastard by both Robin and Terra, he loves the little mutant girl like she was his own. Both Slade and Copycat have been training her and she is making magnificent progress.

"She says she is," Copycat said. Her tone was confident, but she faltered. "But I'm not too sure," Copycat admitted while she shook her head. "I can't risk it. She's not ready no matter how much she says so. And I think she thinks I'm overprotective."

"She's your daughter," Slade said. "You have to be a little overprotective."

"She's one of the only things that reminds me that I'm not totally heartless, Slade-sama; both her and Rosey-chan are precious to me."

"So, you wish for Rose to bring Cathy back here before she joins you, correct?" Slade asked.

"They're at the park, right?" Copycat asked. "I think they'll know where to find me when the attack begins." She then walked off somewhere and said, "I need a shower."

When Kat had disappeared, Slade pressed a button on the console and said, "Aqua, ARMS, return to the lair to pick up your toys." He then added, "The same goes for Nekokage." He then sat down on a chair. He focused on the monitors showing the J-Team and Xiaolin Warriors. They were an unwanted and unexpected variable and if they were a threat to his plans they would need to be eliminated, the usual.

Cinderblock, Atlas, Plasmus and Overload had gone and 'joined' the Brotherhood of Evil, Wintergreen too. However, it was all just a part of Slade's plan. They would spy on the Brotherhood and find out about their plans. Wintergreen, the smartest of them, would hack into the Brotherhood's computers and steal any sort of vital information Slade would need for any future endeavors. He did truly miss Wintergreen, though the others were expendable. That had been several months ago, and now he was reaping the fruit of his labors.

He knew the Brotherhood of Evil was planning to eliminate all the young superheroes in the world, well, at least all the young heroes they were aware of. Jericho/Joey/Scizzors was one of them. Slade sighed sadly. He had so much hope for Joey but his young son had chosen to rebel and decided to use his powers for good. It wasn't much of a loss. Joey didn't have the heart to be evil. He was by far the least corrupted of his children. Grant and Rose wanted to make him proud, Kat wanted power but also a father while Cathy saw her as her grandfather. He had used these and warped them to become soldiers to further his goals.

Slade took out the Cancer Deck Joey had left behind. He had turned his back on Slade and Tartarus and left the deck behind. However, Slade kept it just incase as per request from Kat. She had told him that 'once a Knight, always a Knight' and there was no way Joey could escape his destiny. He would be back to reclaim his deck and Slade would be waiting. Joey wanted his voice back and he knew that too. It just a matter of time until his wayward son would return to him.

* * *

The Z-Titans brought their guests to the Tower after a whole lot of questioning and getting to know one another. Uncle still glared at Shadow the whole time but Shadow decided not to question it; he read Uncle's mind and found that the old man was set in his views that ALL demons were evil. It was like Mortuary's hatred for Orphenochs, although that had simmered down, somewhat.

When they had all gone up to the top floor where the common room was, which took several trips since they had so many people coming (The J-Team and Xiaolin Monks), Draco was immediately tackled by a familiar black demonic canine with red demonic runes and horns. The dog was Brimstone and he had grown since the last few months. He was about the size of an adult Doberman but Draco had been told that Kaisers took much longer to grow and were much bigger in their true adult forms. Uncle flipped out at that moment as he jumped on one leg, waved his glowing puffer fish around, and chanted a spell to banish demons. Shadow immediately put a stop to that as he used his telekinesis to snatch Uncle's items away.

"Demons are evil!" Uncle insisted, glaring daggers at the purple cloaked Titan.

"That demon happens to be a pet of a friend of mine, old man," Shadow hissed. "So please do not attempt to banish any demons around here. You are all guests here, so I would like it if you behaved as such."

Uncle crossed his arms and muttered, "I sense dark magic within you."

"Dark isn't always evil," Shadow countered with a hiss. "You best remember that, old man." Though Shadow was taught to respect his elders, Uncle was really starting to get on his nerves. Luckily for the old man, Jackie was around to calm things down.

"Uncle, he is right," Jackie said, "We are guests here and we must behave as…"

"Wow! Look at this place!" Jade exclaimed as she saw the interior of the Common Room. She even saw the large TV screen. "Aw man….why can't OUR TV be that big?!"

"Jade, behave yourself," Jackie scolded.

Uncle wasn't the only one giving Shadow the evil eye. Omi was staring, eyes narrowed, at Shadow, too. He had seen and been evil and would never be that again. Therefore, anyone with even an ounce of darkness in them was untrustworthy. His eyes, however, wandered over to Draco, who was petting his demonic dog. How could a Knight like that except a demon, even just as a pet? It just didn't make sense to the young monk.

"Please, make yourselves at home," Shadow said to their guests. They all sat, or stood, around as they didn't have much seating space.

Jinx looked at Draco and Kimiko. Apparently, the two were childhood friends and hadn't seen each other in years. Kimiko must've recognized Draco through his auburn hair and green eyes. The hex mistress' eyes narrowed. Was she jealous? She knew Draco loved her; there was more than enough evidence to support that, but she couldn't help but feel threatened by Kimiko's presence.

"He's so cute," Kimiko said as she pet Brimstone on the head. The hellhound looked scary and was furless but his skin was so soft. Kimiko found this out after stroking the smooth skin. "How did you find it, Ryu-kun?"

"Let's just say that's a very long story, Kimi-chan," Draco answered with a smile.

"Like how you became a Knight and Titan?" Kimiko asked.

"Yes, but if I tell you my story promise me that you will tell me what you've been up to as well."

"That's a deal."

The two friends chatted with each other. Jinx's eyes wandered to the Brazilian boy who was also glaring, but not at Kimiko. His eyes were on the red haired Dragon Knight who was talking to the Japanese girl. Did he have a crush on her, and was the girl unaware of it? This bore looking into.

Shadow took his place, acting as the current leader of the Titans while the core team was away. He took charge of the situation. He wanted, no, demanded answers and he would get them.

"First," Shadow began, "I would like to welcome you all to Titans Tower and thank you for your help."

"It was our honor, Senor…" El Toro said.

"Shadow," Shadow answered, "I am called Shadow, Mr. El Toro Fuerte. And please, there is no need to be formal."

Jackie then said, "We did not intend for that to happen. We were all just stopping for lunch when those robots attacked."

"And we kicked their tinhorns," Clay added, with a grin. Shadow sighed.

"Those robots belong to an enemy of ours," Shadow said. He turned to the computer, "T.I.T.A.N., please pull up the file for Slade."

"Who is he talking to?" Omi asked curiously. Immediately, a yellow smiley face with a black T on it and blue eyes appeared. This was the face of T.I.T.A.N.

"Affirmative," T.I.T.A.N. replied as the file on Slade was pulled up for all to see. It showed Slade's masked face, his profile, and the list of his crimes. Kimiko, being a techno freak, was amazed by the sophistication of the technology. Jackie, after helping Section 13 so many times, was also impressed despite seeing all the hi-tech gadgets Section 13 developed. Jade was astounded too.

"This is Slade," Shadow explained, "Out of all the city's criminals, this man has managed to elude us time and again. He is a dangerous individual and would not hesitate to do anything to further his goals. He wishes to take over the city, and then the world. Thankfully, we have been able to stop his plans. Slade also wished for an apprentice which he finally received."

"An apprentice?" Paco asked.

"Someone to follow in his footsteps," Terra answered, still feeling guilty from the memory. "He'll do anything to find an apprentice and he always gets what he wants." She shuddered, thinking of what she had done as Slade's apprentice.

This hit a sore spot in both Omi and Raimundo. They had been swayed towards evil before and never wanted to again. It had taken a very long time for them to redeem themselves. However, the pain of betrayal was still there. It would linger in their hearts, reminding them of the mistakes they'd made, and would never make again.

Shadow then looked at the J-Team and Xiaolin Warriors. He said, "Now, tell me, why would Slade want to attack you all?"

"Um, Shadow," Pluto said, raising a finger. "What makes you so sure that they were the targets?"

Shadow said to T.I.T.A.N., "Surveillance footage, please." It was done. It showed the Slade-Bots suddenly showing up and attacking Chinatown. Based on the attack pattern, it showed that they were heading for the J-Team. The J-Team fought back and the Xiaolon Warriors arrived as well to help in the fight. "Does that answer your question, Pluto?" he directed this towards Pluto. Pluto nodded. Shadow then questioned, "The two questions here are why Slade would want to target you people, and also why you're here in the first place. Care to enlighten us on either of these points, ladies and gentlemen?"

Jackie answered on behalf of the J-Team. He knew he would be breaking some rules, but he believed the Z-Titans could be trusted with this information. "Several months ago, a mysterious person who assumed Captain Black's form infiltrated Section 13 and stole some very dangerous artifacts."

'_Assuming someone's form? Masaka_…' Draco thought. He knew only one person who could do that.

Raimundo, as Shoku Warrior, answered on behalf of his team, "The same thing happened at the Xiaolin Temple. Some crazy cat-girl just broke in and took all our Wu."

"Wu?" Blackfire questioned.

"The Shen Gong Wu," Omi clarified. "Sacred mystical power objects with incredible power. In the wrong hands they could prove devastating. This cat girl, who was not Katnappe, broke in and stole all of the Shen Gong Wu from the vault. We went to fight her but…"

"She could copy your moves, right?" Draco asked.

"How did you know?" Kimiko asked.

"Because I think I know who you're talking about," Draco said. '_I just hope I'm wrong_.'

Shadow didn't want to believe this, but if Draco's assumption was right then they were in a whole lot of trouble. "I told you before that Slade had found an apprentice." Another file was pulled up, this time showing a very familiar face to everyone present.

"THAT'S HER!" The Xiaolin Warriors and J-Team exclaimed.

"I was afraid of that," Shadow said grimly.

* * *

Copycat, ARMS and Rose stood in their armors within Slade's lair. Slade had called for them to tell them the next phase in his plan. Actually, it was Copycat's plan while Slade had done some fine tuning for her. With the three Knights of Tartarus (their new team name) was a girl with chin length black hair and dressed in a tight black ninja uniform. She also wore a black bow in her hair and a black mask over the upper half of her face with holes for her eyes. She also wore a belt that bore Slade's symbol on the buckle. Her ears were pointed and she had a long black tail swaying behind her. She looked about 14-15 years of age.

"Mama," the girl said to Copycat, "How much longer must we wait?

"Patience, Nekokage," Copycat said to her adopted daughter. Yes, this was Cathy and she had grown to the age of a teenager after all those months. Her growth spurt had reached its maximum and she had gone through puberty. Her X-Gene given power, invisibility, had also been perfected as were her cat-like abilities. Both Copycat and Slade had a hand in training her and today was the day of her first mission. "And control that tail of yours."

"I've tried, mama," Nekokage said apologetically. "It is only that I am far too excited. The Titans will soon fall and the city will be ours." Apparently, she had been warped towards evil but still remained loyal to her adopted parents (Kat and Slade).

"You're not the only one excited, kid," ARMS said in agreement. "With these toys that Kat got for us, we can't lose."

"Don't be too excited, Grant," Aqua/Rose said to her eldest brother. "I've seen into the future and this battle could go both ways."

ARMS snorted. "Yeah right."

"Pride cometh before the fall, Grant. You would do best to remember that," Slade said as he appeared before them. Nekokage had to fight the urge to run over and embrace her adopted grandfather. She instead grinned while her tail waved uncontrollably.

"So, what do we do now, Slade-sama?" Copycat asked after she bowed.

"I recently contacted a few people who can help us with our problem. They've dealt with both the J-Team and the Xiaolin Warriors, so I thought that their assistance might just come in handy.

Copycat grinned. Her and Slade's plan was coming into play very, very soon. Soon, she'd have her brother's head on a silver platter and she would finally prove herself as the better warrior.

* * *

Shadow began his explanation, "This person, who you say stole your items, is known by the codename Copycat. As her name states, she has the ability to copy any powers and abilities from anyone she sees for a certain period of time. The time frame in which she is allowed to keep the powers is undetermined, but it is limited. The longest she has kept some powers was a month, but she may have improved on her power storage ability. This is an unfortunate talent she has developed over the last few years. She is one of our most lethal enemies, and is in fact right at the top of our list."

"This person must be brought to justice and forced to return our Shen Gong Wu," Omi said firmly.

"And the Talismans, don't forget," Jade added.

"What are these Talismans, may I ask?" Draco questioned.

Being the most knowledgeable, Uncle began telling Draco what he knew. "The Talismans are the source of power for a powerful and evil demon sorcerer known as Shendu. He is the demon of fire, taking the form of fearsome dragons. The Talismans which he draws his power from are derived from the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, and each Talisman possesses a unique power." Uncle paused. "However, his powers were separated from his body and scattered to the four winds in order to subdue him. Only recently had he arisen. Even then, he was defeated yet again."

"Shendu, I've heard of him," Shadow said.

"The 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac…" Draco muttered. "Just like us."

"It is unknown how Shendu possessed such power, but there is a legend that might explain it." Uncle gave Draco a look before continuing. Draco silently urged him on. Uncle said, "This legend states that Shendu might have been… a Zodiac Knight."

The Z-Titans shouted, "**WHAT?**" Draco paled. This wasn't going to be something he wanted to hear. If Shendu was a Zodiac Knight and being a dragon demon, the most likely position for him to have held would have been…

"He was one of the ones who held the power and armor of the Dragon Zodiac Knight."

* * *

The people Slade had contacted had arrived and they were as just as powerful, if not as evil, as Slade himself. They had a bone to pick with the J-Team and Xiaolin Warriors.

Valmont, former leader of the Dark Hand. He wanted revenge on Chan for foiling his operations and making him broke. Slade had liberated him from prison, and now he was cleaned and clothed. With him were his Enforcers:

Finn was a red haired skinny man who looked like he belonged in the 70's.

Ratso was a large man who was slightly hunched over.

Chow was a Chinese man in a black jacket and yellow shades.

Finally, his most powerful Enforcer was Hak Foo. He had a muscular built with spiky red hair and moustache. He was the most capable fighter of the Enforcers despite his habit of shouting out his attacks.

Time and again they had been recruited by various villains and time and again were defeated by Chan. They were now free and wanted revenge.

Next up were the enemies of the Xiaolin, the Heylin.

Jack Spicer is a goth boy and self proclaimed evil boy genius. However, he is also very incompetent.

Chase Young was once a warrior for good but gave up his soul for eternal youth. He is really far older than he looks and can change into a dragon/human hybrid. The soup that allowed him to keep his youth is made from dragons.

Wuya was once an all powerful sorceress but was defeated by Grand Master Dashi before being sealed into a magical puzzle box and cursed into a spirit form. Jack freed her once before, but she was sealed again only to be released once more. The last time she was back in her human form she nearly caused the End of the World. However, she only had her human form and no longer with all of her power thanks to Chase Young.

Hannibal Roy Bean was one of the most evil creatures in the entire universe. Considered worst than End of the World Evil, he was the one responsible for turning Chase Young evil before being betrayed and trapped in the Yin Yang world. Now free, he wishes to take over the universe. Despite his size he is very dangerous plus he has a suit of armor that he can call when he wants to fight. Right now he appeared in his suit of frighteningly impressive armor.

Slade smirked. With these people fighting aside him there was no way the Titans could win. Plus with the Shen Gong Wu, Emperor Belts, the Talismans and an army of robot soldiers at his command, it would only be a matter of time before the Titans fell and the city brought to its knees.

* * *

"Sumimasen," Draco said, feeling slightly uneasy. "I…I need to go…to the roof. I need fresh air." Draco excused himself and quickly went to the roof via teleportation. He disappeared in a vortex of fire, much to Kimiko's amazement.

"Sugoi…" Kimiko said.

The Z-Titans' eyes fell on Uncle. They knew Draco was worried about turning evil, and that tale had scared Draco. Draco would only think that he would become, which was somewhat understandable since one of the Dragon Knights before him had become evil.

"I'll go keep him company," Jinx offered as she rushed towards the roof with Brimstone following closely by. Right now Draco needed her for comfort and someone to lean on.

Shadow decided to ease the tension and said, "Now, before we continue, you all must be hungry. I think Draco had prepared something for you all. Please, help yourselves."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Jinx asked as she saw Draco standing on the roof, looking at the ocean. It was a stupid question since she knew he wasn't alright, but she asked it anyway out of love and worry. She was very concerned for him, to say the least. Draco turned to look at her, his green eyes showing sorrow.

"Is that my destiny?" he asked her. She didn't question him; she knew what he had meant. "Is it my destiny to become evil like Shendu? Am I going to fall into the darkness? Is that who I will become?" His voice rose and became panicked as he finished his questions, his desperation easily heard in his tone.

"No!" Jinx protested as she approached him. She looked him in the eye but he turned away. She made him look at her by holding his chin. "You're not evil, baby, and you never will be."

"But I might become evil, Jinxy-chan," he said, with intense self-revulsion. He placed his hand to his chest. "There's something inside me, Jinxy-chan, something evil. Ever since I became an Orphenoch, I have fought to suppress it. I can't get rid of it, Jinxy-chan, it's still there. And it wants me to kill…" He hung his head low. "I don't want that to happen, but I'm just so scared."

Jinx wrapped her arms around him, holding him to her. He rested his head on her shoulder as she embraced him comfortingly. "It's okay…" she said gently. "I'm here for you, we all are, and we won't let that happen."

"Jinxy-chan, can you promise me something?" he asked.

"Anything," she said soothingly.

"If I ever turn to evil and if there is no other way to bring me back," he said before pausing. He then said, "I want you to kill me."

Jinx pulled away, eyes wide with shock and horror. "Wh-What?"

"I want you to promise, no, I want you to **swear **that if I ever turn evil that you will do everything in your power to destroy me."

"I can't do that!" she shouted back, eyes brimming with tears. "I won't!"

"But you have to," he said, sighing sadly. "I'm going to die anyway, Jinxy-chan and if I turn evil that is what I want."

"I don't want you to die!"

"Neither do I, but what choice do I have?" Draco took in a deep breath of air. "Every night I have nightmares, and with my Power of Pisces, Clairvoyance, they could be visions. I see myself causing destruction and death. I don't want that to happen. Please, Jinx, promise me this one thing."

"No!" she shouted at him, eyes filled with tears. "I won't…"

Draco then realized what he had done. "Baka…" he scolded himself before slowly pulling Jinx into a hug. She cried against him. "Gomenasai, Jinxy-chan."

"Please, don't talk like that anymore," she pleaded.

"I promise, Jinxy-chan," he said.

Kimiko arrived on the roof, "Hey, Ryu-kun!" she shouted and then noticed the scene in front of her. "Oh, am I interrupting anything?"

Jinx and Draco pulled away from each other before the Dragon Knight wiped Jinx's tears away with his scarf.

Dojo was riding on Kimiko's shoulder and saw the Dragon Knight's expression. He decided to say something, "Hey, kid." Draco turned to look at the diminutive green dragon. "Forget what the old man said. I see you and I know you won't become evil."

"How did you-" Draco began but was interrupted.

"When you've lived over 1500 years you learn to pick up on stuff like that," Dojo replied. He then continued, "We all have our own fair share of demons, kid, but you can't let them eat you up from the inside. Shendu was always evil and when he won the tournament he wished for all the Chinese Zodiac powers. He was stopped in the end. When I see you, I don't see Shendu, all I see is a kid trying to do good and with friends always by his side who care about him."

"That was really insightful, Dojo," Kimiko said, impressed.

"When you hang out with old Master Fung you learn a thing or two, kid," the dragon replied. He then said to Draco, "Kid, do you know who was the Dragon Knight before Shendu?" Draco shook his head. "My old pal Dashi! " Dojo answered proudly. "Grand Master Dashi to be exact."

"Dashi was a Zodiac Knight?" Kimiko asked with shock.

"How do you think he defeated Wuya the first time? I was his Zodiac Beast. Back then the armor was green." He then directed the next statement to Draco, "So kid, remember that it's not the armor, but the person using the armor. Shendu was evil but Dashi was good. It's all a matter of how you use that power."

Draco nodded, "Arigato, Dojo-sama."

"Dojo-_sama_," Dojo smiled. "I like the sound of that, kid." He then saw the way Brimstone was looking at him and the way the dog was licking his teeth and lips. "But I don't like the way your dog is looking at me."

"Be nice, Brimstone," Draco said to his pet and the demon dog complied. He licked his master's hand. Suddenly, Shadow appeared from the shadows. Dojo shivered. He didn't like dark magic at all.

"We've got trouble," Shadow said.

* * *

The city was under attack. Jack's Jack-bots were doing damage at the same time as Slade's robot army. Hannibal was in his suit of armor and with him were the other members of the side of Heylin. Valmont's enforcers were also following him loyally. They were all armed with Shen Gong Wu.

With them were Copycat, ARMS, Ravager and Nekokage. Around Nekokage's waist was a familiar looking hi-tech belt with what looked like a phone attached to the buckle. It also had a stylized looking 'A' on the surface.

"THORN OF THUNDERBOLT!" Chow commanded and a bolt of lightning blew up a car.

"Watch this!" Finn laughed, "FIST OF TEBIGONG!" he punched a hole in an abandoned bus.

"Check this out, guys," Ratso said as he shouted out, "EYE OF DASHI!" a blast of lightning blew another car up.

"Gentlemen, please restrain yourselves," Valmont said. He was using the Monkey Staff as a cane. Hak Foo was wearing the Two-ton Tunic as a fashion accessory.

Chase rolled his eyes. He, of course, didn't need any Shen Gong Wu. He was already a very powerful martial artist. These fools were merely playing with them like toys. His eyes wandered over to Copycat who was wearing the Golden Tiger Claws. She seemed to be capable of using the item more as a weapon than an escape device. Her cohorts were armed with Wu as well. ARMS was wearing the Jetbootsu and Aqua was holding the Orb of Tornami. Strapped to Nekokage's back was the Sweet Baby Among Us.

Chase remembered that Dashi was once a Zodiac Knight. The fool did not know the power he had then and now the power was being used again for good. He had heard that a new Dragon Knight had been chosen, but he was too busy trying to recruit Omi to ever encounter Draco. However, he had heard of the young Knight's endeavors. Following closely behind Chase were his army of tigers, lions, leopards, panthers and cheetahs. Once noble warriors, they were turned into Chase's minions.

Wuya, a witch, had very limited magic but was able to conjure up her rock warriors nevertheless. They were stupid and slow, but they made up for it with their sheer brute strength. Her Wu was the Ruby of Ramses.

Jack Spicer was wearing the Shroud of Shadows as a cape. Hannibal had the Moby Morpher, but would not use it yet. He was in his armor and would use it only as a backup.

The villains were causing havoc and people ran panicking. This would prove to be something very difficult for our heroes to deal with.

Copycat knew that sooner or later her brother would arrive and…

Well, speak of the devil.

The Knights were already clad in their Zodiac Armors and the girls, except for Renia, were clad in their Inzecter suits, still in Strong Mode. With the Z-Titans were the J-Team (Jade and Paco were left behind because this was too dangerous. Uncle was too old to fight so he was left at the Tower too). The Xiaolin Warriors were present, too, and were wielding their Wudai Weapons with Raimundo in front. Shadowcobra was leading the Titans. The heroes looked at the army behind the villains and gulped.

Copycat's red eyepieces were immediately concealed by a grilled red visor. Draco's eyepieces were glowing under his faceplate.

There was an unsteady silence as the two groups faced one another. The Jack-Bots, Slade-Bots, rock monsters and big cats stood ready for their masters' commands.

Then, all hell broke loose in a figurative sense.

"JACK-BOTS, ATTACK!" Jack shouted out.

"SLADE-BOTS, ATTACK!" Copycat ordered

"RIP THEM TO SHREDS!" Chase commanded.

"CRUSH THEM!" Wuya shouted.

"TITANS! CHARGE!" Shadow shouted out.

At this point, all hell broke loose in a far more literal sense.

The Z-Titans, J-Team and Xiaolin Warriors were taking down the armies of robots, rock monsters and cats effortlessly while trying to fight the individual villains.

Copycat looked at Draco, who stared back at her in turn. They both bowed to one another before assuming their individual battle stances.

"I wish for you to return what you have taken, oneechan," Draco said to his sister.

"Sorry, little brother," she said, "Stole them fair and square."

"If you refuse to return them, then I shall take them from you."

"Very well."

The 'Fang Claws' of Draco's Dragauntlet extended and he rushed at his sister and nemesis. Copycat rushed at him as well. They swung their weapons. The Golden Tiger Claws and Dragclaws struck one another, causing sparks to fly.

Nekokage glared at the Z-Titans. She looked to Renia who glared back at her. She grinned and revealed the Sweet Baby Among Us. Renia laughed, "What's that for?"

Nekokage only answered, "SWEET BABY AMONG US!" causing the babyish looking Wu to grow to giant size. Renia's eyes widened.

"Oh crap."

Nekokage also revealed another nifty trick. She took the phone out of the buckle, flipped it open, and dialed in a code.

"Standby," the phone replied.

"Henshin," Nekokage said before slamming the phone into the belt.

"Activate!" the phone said again. Blue energy lines raced up her body and in a blue flash she was clad in a set of blue armor with triangular shoulder-guards, a jetpack with blue wings and a blue A on her chest. The helmet had an inverted 'A' on it to make the helmet look more insectoid with the legs of the 'A' acting as antenna. Cold purple eyes looked at the Alchemist that was throwing crystal spikes at the Sweet Baby Among Us.

Shadow was watching this while he was using his shadow powers and martial arts skills against the robots. He narrowed his eyes. The ALPHA suit had been awakened. He then saw ARMS coming at him and kicking him. Shadow leaned to the side and did a back flip to avoid ARMS' attack. The green Knight then took out his gun and fired at Shadow only for the Snake Knight to deflect the shots with his staff.

Mammoth was using his brute strength against the many robots when he heard someone yelling, "BEAR STRIKES APE!" he turned around and found hands grabbing his shoulders. He looked to see Hak Foo. Mammoth's eyes narrowed.

"Who you calling an ape?" he pulled away and struck at Hak Foo.

"TWO-TON TUNIC!" Hak Foo shouted, activating the Wu he was wearing and Mammoth recoiled in pain.

"ARROW SPARROW!"

"BLADE OF THER NEBULA!"

"BIG BANG METEORANG!"

"SHIMO STAFF!"

The Xiaolins were kicking robo-butt and shattering rock monsters to pieces. Wuya watched this with interest.

Pluto, not liking cats, was fighting with Chase Young's big cat army. He shot lightning bolts at them, stunning them. Gizmo helped out too by firing his missiles at them, sending them flying.

Jackie was facing off with Valmont, and the criminal was using the powers of the Monkey Staff.

"ORB OF TORNAMI!" Aqua shouted out as she sent a wave of water at the Inzecter girls (Terra, Jinx and Blackfire). The girls ran away to avoid the blast and countered with their powers. Jinx sent a hex-wave, Blackfire shot a blackbolts and Terra flung a few rocks and fired a few shots from her shoulder cannons. Aqua avoided them easily and used the Orb of Tornami to blast them back.

The remaining Enforcers were going up against the J-Team. Viper flipped and jumped over Chow's lightning blasts from the Thorn of Thunderbolt while she moved in and snatched the Wu from his hands.

El Toro was going up against Finn and despite the power of the Fist of Tebigong, Finn was unable to hit the more skilled Lucha Libra fighter. A fist in his face caused Finn to go unconscious and lose his Wu.

Ratso looked up to see Tohru glaring down at him. He tried to activate the Eye of Dashi but Tohru put that idea to rest as he grabbed Ratso's arm and wrenched the Wu out of his hands.

Jack ran, actually flew, for the hills when his robot army was defeated. Such a coward. He even left the Shroud of Shadow behind.

Chase Young and Pluto fought one another. Pluto stabbed and slashed with his sword while Chase expertly dodged and blocked before jabbing Pluto in the chest and sending him back. He also sent a flurry of punches into the Dog Knight's chest and then gave him a right hook in the face. Chase smirked.

"They must not make heroes like they used to," he said before he jumped away as a blackbolt came hurtling towards him. Blackfire was in her Speed Mode armor and looked mad. Suddenly, laser blasts shot at her. It was Nekokage in her ALPHA suit and she looked ready to kill Blackfire.

Raimundo commanded, "Guys, now!" The other Xiaolin Warriors nodded.

"**WUDAI ORION FORMATION!**" the Xiaolin Warriors shouted in unison. They were now fully charged and became black silhouettes outlined by their respective colors.

Draco and Copycat were still going at it. Draco might have had 5 Zodiac Powers, but Copycat outmatched him by virtue of the Talismans on her armor. She had used the Rabbit, Snake and Ox Talismans to knock her brother around causing cracks in his armor. She had used the Rooster Talisman to throw anything at him. She had also used the Pig and Dragon Talismans to blast him with eyebeams and fire balls. Draco was sent flying and smashed into a building.

"BABY!" Jinx shouted but was blocked by Hannibal Roy Bean. He shook his finger in front of her.

"Now, now, girly," he said, in mock scolding. "You're fighting me."

She growled and threw a hex at him. The armor blew up, forcing Hannibal to jump out of the suit.

"MOBY MORPHER!" he shouted and grew to human size. His tendrils struck at Jinx and sent her back. She reached down to her Inzecter.

"Cast off!" she commanded.

"CAST OFF!" The Inzecter responded. Her armor exploded off her. "CHANGE SCARAB!"

Terra was in her Speed Mode after earlier Casting Off. She was fighting with Aqua who had ditched the Orb of Tornami to fight with Terra close up. Terra was using her Cutter Katanas while Rose was using her metal fans.

The battle was chaotic. The city had turned into a battlefield for the eternal struggle between good and evil. Was there no end to this?

Suddenly, the Orb of Tornami rolled between Copycat and Draco. They both accidentally touched it when they fell after hitting each other hard. The Wu glowed. Draco had to act fast.

"Copycat, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!" Draco challenged. Copycat cursed herself. Now her brother could name the terms of the battle. All the fighting ceased. They watched in wonder.

"Okay, what's the game?" she asked.

'_Dojo-sama told me everything he knew about a Showdown. Let's see if it works_,' Draco thought. He then said, "I call a Shen Yi Bu All In!" Copycat blinked.

"A what?"

Shadowcobra asked Dojo, "Please explain, Dojo."

Dojo read from the rule book. "In a normal Showdown only one Shen Gong Wu is wagered each. However, a Shen Yi Bu Dare allows for two Shen Gong Wu to be wagered each. A Shen Yi Bu All In is a bigger form of that in which even more Shen Gong Wu and whatever the challenger wants is wagered."

"I see," Shadowcobra nodded. He knew what Draco was planning.

"I wager all the Shen Gong Wu we hold on our side with the Inzecters for all the Shen Gong Wu you hold on your side including the Talismans!" Draco said. Copycat grinned. So, that was his game. He was smarter than she thought. "The game is 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'. Best two out of three wins!"

"WHAT!?" Copycat screamed. "ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!?" Was he joking? "Oh all the things, you chose that stupid game!? You're leaving this all to chance!?" She seethed, "Couldn't you think of something else? A test of skill? A fight? A challenge of some sort? Picking acorns or something? Anything besides THAT?" He was wagering everything on a stupid game of chance?

"Well..." Draco hesitated and admitted, "That's all I could think of actually." Her words hurt and made him feel stupid for choosing such a challenge. He could've picked something else more appropriate but it was the first thing that popped into his mind.

"You're an idealistic and uncreative idiot, little brother," Copycat snorted. "Baka."

Draco didn't like feeling insulted but maybe he could use her own weapon against her. Deep down, he knew how to get his sister to agree to his challenge, "But, if you're scared, maybe..."

"I accept!" Copycat yelled out. Nobody called her a coward and got away with it. "Let's get this game over and done with so I can go back to kicking your ass!" Draco smirked in triumph. He knew using insults and her pride against her would work.

"LET'S GO, XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN!" both twins shouted out.

The area warped around them much to the surprise of those who had never seen, or participated in, this showdown. Rock platforms rose up and separated the twins. They both had their eyes trained on one another.

The good guys and bad guys watched the competition unfold. Rose and Nekokage were cheering for Copycat while Jinx and the rest of the Z-Titans were cheering too. Suddenly, Paco and Jade showed up.

"What's going on, Jackie?" the little Chinese girl asked her uncle.

"Jade, I thought I told Uncle to keep an eye on you," he said.

"He is," Jade pointed behind her to reveal Uncle had followed them. He looked really out of breath.

"Ai yah!" he fainted.

"Sensei!" Tohru rushed over to him.

"GONG YI TANPAI!" Copycat and Draco yelled, now ready for the challenge.

(Round One)

Draco and Copycat stared at each other, their hands behind their backs. They counted together, "1…2…" and then shouted out, exposing their hands. "**3**! ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!"

Copycat had out 'Scissors' much to her horror as Draco had 'Rock' as his fingers were curled into a fist.

"Rock beats Scissors!" he shouted out in triumph. Suddenly, a fist of rock rose up and smashed into the platform Copycat was on, taking out a huge chunk of it. She stood her ground.

"Kuso!" she cursed angrily. There were two more rounds, though. No reason to lose her cool just yet.

(Round Two)

"1…2…" they shouted out again, "**3**! ROCK, PAPER SCISSORS!"

This time Draco was not so lucky. He had out 'Paper', his hand spread out flat, while Copycat had out 'Scissors' with her index and middle fingers out while the rest were curled up.

"Hah! Scissors cuts paper!" A large pair of scissors made of stone cut the platform was on in half. Draco still maintained his balance, barely. Despite the absurdity of the game, Copycat found herself enjoying it. If she won, he'd feel totally humiliated.

Just one last round left.

(Round 3, the deciding one)

Copycat and Draco stared at each other, their allies cheering them on or egging them on. Hey then counted.

"1…2…**3!** **ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!**"

They threw out their hands and everything went deafly silent.

Copycat had 'Rock', her fist gripped tightly, out and was ready to claim victory. However, much was not so…

Her brother had out…'PAPER'!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Copycat shouted.

Draco proclaimed, "I WIN! PAPER WRAPS AROUND ROCK!"

"I'LL GET YOU BACK FOR THIS!!" Copycat shouted, enraged "I SWEAR!!" Suddenly waves of earth rose up and came down on Copycat, burying her. She had lost the Showdown.

Everything went back to normal.

The Knights and the Inzecter Girls powered down.

Draco was congratulated as the villains disappeared. Shadow knew they would be back soon and they would be waiting.

Suddenly, Shadowcobra's communicator, as did the others, shorted out. This could not be good.

* * *

A dark shadow portal appeared and out came the Z-Titans. Shadow was in front, leading them, and said something from where Raven left off, "And lesson 4: When you think you've gotten all of us, think again!"

Beast Boy smiled and shouted in a commanding voice, "TITANS, TOGETHER!"

It was on, and boy was it chaotic.

The Brotherhood of Evil didn't stand a chance as Jinx, Gizmo and Mammoth went and pummeled their former HIVE Academy schoolmates. Shouts like, "Traitors!" escaped the villainous former students and they were paid back with Mammoth socking Private HIVE in the jaw, Gizmo firing lasers at See-More and Jinx saying, "Nothing personal," as she threw a hex wave at Angel, Billy Numerous and Kyd Wykkyd, sending them all flying from the explosion.

The Brain was not amused as Shadow flew up, an angel wing and demon wing out, flying in front of him. Shadow said, smirking, "If you're as smart as you seem, Brain, you know you've lost."

Madame Rouge attacked the Snake Knight by stretching out her arm to punch him but the Vampangel turned invisible at the last second and then struck the red clad French woman in the back of her head and causing her to fall.

General Immortus commanded a legion of robotic Brotherhood robots to dog-pile Terra who was busy flinging rocks. She was unable to escape from the robots tackling her to the ground and dog-piling her. Beast Boy, seeing this, rushed to help her as an elephant but when the words, "HENSHIN!" followed by "CAST OFF!" rang out, the robot soldiers were flung away in all directions together with pieces of Terra's Strong Mode armor. The force of the 'Cast Off' also destroyed a good number of robots. Beast Boy looked at her standing in her green leafcutter ant based armor and grinned.

"CHANGE LEAFCUTTER ANT!"

"Cool," Beast Boy said, whistling. Terra just rubbed the back of her neck nervously, blushing under her helmet. She had told Beast Boy about this new armor, but this was the first time he ever saw it in action. She removed her Cutter Katana and went on the attack.

Blackfire was blasting blackbolts left and right as her sister, Starfire, blasted with her green starbolts. Angel flew up to attack but a green necrobolt struck her in the back. "Thank you," Starfire said to Mortuary who just gave her a salute.

Pantha was wrestling against the HIVE wrestler in a standstill before Mammoth tackled him in the side. The orange haired brute grunted, "I never really liked him." He then saw Pantha and blushed. "Um…"

"Pantha thanks you," the female Luchador said before rushing into battle again and kicking the crap out of the HIVE Wrestler. Mammoth shook his head and went back to fighting.

Mas and Menos were at the controls. They didn't know how to work the unfreezing process. However, they didn't need to.

"Need help?" Draco offered, hands blazing with fire. The Spanish speedsters looked towards the Dragon Knight and nodded. "Take cover, things are about to get hot!" Draco fired a concentrated stream of fire at the frozen heroes and soon they were freed. Starfire flew up to grab the now unfrozen Robin and kissed him on the lips, grateful that her love was okay.

Argent flung her red plasma as Thunder and Lightning created storm together, sending several villain flying. Renia was throwing crystal spikes at and around Mad Mod, imprisoning him. Liz the Pink Painter and Dilia the Enchantress were using their powers to beat back some villains, sending them running.

Kid Flash, formerly Impulse, ran in. "Sorry I'm late. I had to pick up a friend," he said. Right next to him was none other than Wonder Girl. The teenage Amazon took out her lasso and lassoed a few robot soldiers before tightening the noose and crushing them.

Moon and Venus were in the battle, too. They had evaded their pursuers, due to Moon always keeping a compact mirror. They had come here through the Mirror Dimension and were ready to kick butt. They were clad in their armors. With them was Ekelo and he was using his shadows to scare the pants off villains and kick butt.

Mortuary was standing opposite of the martial artist villain Katarou. They charged at each other and were deflecting each others attacks flawlessly. Even Mortuary's bone crushing kicks were being deflected.

Katarou was studying Mort's technique, "Hmm, Muay Thai. It seems you even studied the killing moves for that technique and you are ruthless enough to attack me with them. I applaud you young one. You would have been an excellent villain."

Mortuary smirked, "Well, the thought of all the power was tempting, but I want to die a hero. It just looks better that way."

"Such a pity; let us finish this!" Katarou said as he leapt into the air to perform a devastating kick. Mortuary did the same and after their kicks connected they landed on opposite ends with their backs turned to each other.

Katarou fell to his knees and said, "It seems as if you've hit the right pressure points, a very worthy opponent. Thank you." Katarou then went out cold.

Mortuary began coughing out blood and necroplasm "Not so bad yourself." Mortuary was still able to fight, though, and he went to join the others. He transformed into his Zodiac Armor to conceal his face. When he faced Billy Numerous, the duplicitous villain attempted to multiply himself to beat down Mortuary but the Zodiac Knight of Aries duplicated himself as well and beat the Billies up easy.

Terra sliced a few robots apart with her Cutter Katanas and when she was forced back-to-back with Bushido. The young Samurai acknowledged her as they went in and cut both Atlas and Cinderblock in half. Terra used her geokinesis to fling both top and lower halves of Cinderblock onto a few robots, crushing them as a result.

Jinx was standing in front of Madame Rouge. "Back in the HIVE Academy I used to admire you, Madame Rouge. I wanted to be like you."

"Highly unlikely," Madame Rouge scoffed, ready to slap Jinx around. Suddenly a robotic Scarab beetle flew in and scratched Rouge's left cheek. Rouge held the scratched spot and saw Jinx catch the beetle.

"But I've realized now that I'm _better_ than you. Henshin!" Jinx attached the Scarab Inzecter onto her belt. "HENSHIN!" the Scarab Inzecter echoed as armor covered over her body. Madame Rouge, undeterred, attacked with her hands becoming sharp blades. She pinned the armored hex mistress to the floor. Madame Rouge laughed.

"Even with your fancy armor, you cannot defeat me!" The red clad French sociopath spat on Jinx's helmeted face. Jinx only grinned under her helmet. She was gonna prove this bitch wrong. She reached for her Inzecter and pressed the thorax button. "Cast off," Jinx said simply.

"Cast off?" Rouge questioned.

"CAST OFF!" the Scarab Inzecter roared and Madame Rouge was flung back by pieces of armor.

"CHANGE SCARAB BEETLE!" Jinx's Speed Mode activated. Rouge, in her rage, attacked Jinx again and Jinx's eyepieces glowed as the floor underneath Rouge trembled. Jinx got one punch in Rouge's face.

Mortuary and Renia were surrounded by Brotherhood robots and were being closed in on; they were soon back to back. Mortuary and Renia were shooting necrobolts and crystal spikes, hitting the robots directly. More of them were starting to get closer; it wasn't looking good.

"So any ideas, Mort?" Renia asked nervously.

"Just one; remember that move we've been working on?" Mortuary asked with a smirk.

Renia simply answered with a nod. Renia was able to back up enough to get running distance. While she ran Mortuary did a handstand and Renia leaped onto Mort's feet. Mort pushed Ren up with his legs, launching her over the robots. She fired crystal harpoons upon them, carefully missing Mort. When the young Alchemist landed she made a crystal sword and began cutting the robots to pieces. Mortuary was on the attack with a deadly storm of necro powered kicks. All the robots were annihilated.

Mortuary ruffled Renia's hair and smiled. "Looks like you may surpass me one day, kiddo."

Renia couldn't help but blush, "Thanks, Mort."

Mas and Menos, with Gizmo and Pluto's help, already got the machine working. Fallen villains were brought to the conveyer belt by a speedy Kid Flash and flash frozen, by the twins. Mas and Menos actually whistled and impressed by Kid Flash's speed. Draco, who had changed into his armor, just scoffed. Kid Flash, once known as Impulse, was still a flirt and he didn't like it that when they had first met and the speedster tried to flirt with Jinx.

The Brain and Monsieur Mallah watched this in apprehension. The Brain spoke, "Let us put a stop to this nonsense, once and for all." And soon, more robot soldiers came in.

"HENSHIN!"

"CAST OFF!"

"CHANGE FIREFLY!"

Blackfire was in her Inzecter armor, Speed Mode, and flung blackbolts into XL-Terrestrial's face. At the same time an empowered Tramm with big ass muscles flung himself into the super-sized alien's stomach. The Tamaranian girl then threw her fist and knocked the giant unconscious. Pluto sliced down with his sword and Mumbo was now powerlessly holding the two halves of his wand.

Aqualad was throwing water everywhere as he commanded a wave to flush out the villains.

Shadow was in his cobra armor and with Raven. Working together, they sent their soul selves at Plasmus and blew him up. They turned to each other and smirked. When Psimon tried to attack them with his psychic powers, Melvin's giant teddy bear, Bobby, punched him to the ground. Timmy Tantrum then wailed as loud as he could and caused the glass covering Psimon's brain to crack. He got knocked out in an instant. Shadow gave the kids a thumb's up and they smiled. Moon was doing what Kid Flash was doing and carried the unconscious villain to be frozen.

Ding Dong Daddy charged with his hotrod but Draco had called forth his ZX-Jet Slinger while Shadowcobra had called forth his ZX-Shadow Basher. The villainous racer was soon defeated as missiles shot at the vehicle and threw DDD into the air before the claw of Shadowcobra's robotic motorbike grabbed him and threw him over to be frozen. The witch known as Mother Mae-Eye charged but Draco rammed into her too and shot her with his photon cannon.

Warp was trying to use his time manipulation powers given to him by his suit. He attempted to freeze the heroes in time but a spell from Dilia caused him to freeze himself instead. Phobia got a kick in the face courtesy of Mortuary.

Red Star flew about kicking butt while Cheshire tried to scratch Bumbleebee in the back but an arrow struck her and released a net, trapping her. The assassin's masked eyes glared at Speedy. He just smirked roguishly. Fang and Killer Moth were fighting side by side but they were no match for Ekelo and Liz as the shadow manipulating half demon and the magical artiste quickly brought them to submission. Kitten wanted to run but a fist in her face courtesy of Starfire quickly put a stop to that plan.

The Titans, seeing that they were winning, fought harder and harder. Renia commented, "Is it just me or is this getting easier?" She watched as Killowat drained Overload and Kardiak being flung around by Mammoth.

"Here's a hint," Mortuary said, in his Aries armor, "It's not just you."

The villains' numbers were reducing and The Brain knew that he was losing. Energy blasts were flying every where and the Brotherhood of Evil's HQ was turning into a big mess.

"A wise man once said, Master, that those who fight and run away live to fight another day," Mallah quoted. The intelligent gorilla had a point.

"An excellent choice of words, Monsieur Mallah," The Brain said, "but first, a parting gift." He detached his brain container from his mechanical pedestal and it opened up. Mallah grabbed The Brain's brain and climbed away to escape. Beast Boy and Robin saw this.

"I'll get the monkey," Beast Boy said to Robin, "you go get The Brain." Robin nodded and they both went after the Brain. Villains tried to get in their way only to be intercepted by several heroes like Red Star, Pantha, Thunder, Argent and…well…nearly everybody.

"Cool trick," Renia complimented as Kole turned herself back from crystal.

"Thanks," Kole said. She then saw Jericho possessing Control Freak and causing the fat guy to knock himself out. Jericho was handsome. "Wow, who's that?" Gnarkk grunted in annoyance. Was he jealous?

"**My** boyfriend," Venus, in her white swan armor, said as she stabbed a nearby robot with her rapier. Next to her was Moon, also in her armor, as she helped Kid Flash by putting the fallen villains onto the conveyer belt so that the twins could freeze them. Steamroller was headed for them but was quickly covered in crystal and subdued thanks to Renia.

Cyborg, Gizmo and Pluto examined the 'present' The Brain had left behind. The geniuses gasped.

"It's a fusion device!" Pluto shouted out.

"No kidding, dog-brain!" Gizmo snapped.

"We have to disarm it but it's counting down fast!" Cyborg warned. "We need a miracle."

"Or a friend," Starfire said before she flew off and flew back with Herald.

"Any requests?" Herald asked with his horn ready to play.

"Far, far away would be nice," Cyborg said. The Herald used his instrument to create a portal into space and Pluto telekinetically threw the bomb into it. It blew up harmlessly in outer space.

The Brain and Mallah were trying to escape, but were not getting very far. Beast Boy flew up as a pteranadon and then changed into a gorilla to grapple with Mallah. The evil primate dropped the Brain. "Master!" Mallah shouted in horror before Beast Boy lifted him up and flung him down. Draco used his ice beam to freeze him and Moon and Kid Flash quickly placed him on the shelf with the rest of the villains.

It was over and the heroes had won.

"Hey!" Beast Boy called out, holding The Brain. "Check it out!" He threw The Brain into the machine to be frozen and he laughed out before yelling, "BRAIN FREEZE!"

The heroes all groaned, except for Terra. She was the only one who liked Beast Boy's jokes. Draco, however, decided to use his DRA-Cam to commemorate this moment for posterity sake. Besides, he also had his mother's habit of videotaping stuff. 'Villains on Ice' he could call it.

* * *

They were all back in the Tower, in Jump City. The villains were all frozen and would not be bothering them for a long, long, time.

"It's good to be back," Cyborg said. Pluto stood next to him.

"Yeah, home," Robin said with Starfire next to him.

"Yep, we missed you guys," Pluto said. Kid Flash suddenly zipped behind them.

"Awesome digs," Kid Flash complimented. Cyborg and Pluto turned to see the other young heroes mingling with each other. It was like a party.

"Hello," Argent said flirtatiously towards Shadow. The vampangel turned to look at the white skinned girl. "And who might you be?"

"Shadowcobra," he said.

"And are you seeing anyone?" Argent said, sultrily. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Raven glaring at her.

"Yeah, **me**," Raven said. Argent gulped and walked away.

"I missed you, luv," Shadow said, kissing her forehead.

"Me too, Shadow," she said, hugging him. Melvin and Timmy turned away, eyes shut, sticking their tongues out in disgust. Teether was munching on the kitchen counter.

Kid Flash was flirting with Jinx and Draco glared at the speedster while at the same time Liz flirted with Draco and in turn caused Jinx to glare at the Pink Painter. Mammoth was talking to Pantha while Gizmo rolled his eyes. The young genius didn't have anyone to talk to until he saw Wonder Girl. He grinned and approached the Amazon teen-warrior.

Mortuary watched as Kole and Renia talked about their very similar yet different powers. He smiled. He then looked to see Terra and Beast Boy missing. He knew where they were; in Beast Boy's or her room, most likely making out. They hadn't seen each other in months and they missed each other.

Suddenly the alarm blared. T.I.T.A.N., the Tower's AI, reported, "Doctor Light is robbing the bank!"

* * *

The core Titans team stood at the top of a building overlooking the city.

"Now what?" Beast Boy asked.

"We do what we always do," Robin replied.

"We kick the butt," Starfire added.

"Just like old times," Cyborg continued.

"He is so gonna freak," Raven finished.

With them were the other young heroes. It was like an army. Raven was right; Doctor Light was gonna freak.

"TITANS! GO!"

To Be Continued…

Edited by Jazzpha, an incredible writer in his own right


	43. PT043: The Assassin

Part 43: The Assassin

Jericho was walking around town, alone; there was someone he needed to see. He turned a corner and heard a familiar ringing sound. It was unexpected at first, but he soon accepted it for what it was. Apparently, once you were a Zodiac Knight, you were _always_ a Zodiac Knight.

Copycat appeared before him, fully clad in her Cat Armor and approaching him slowly and deliberately. He didn't react negatively; there was nothing for him to fear from her, after all. All he was experiencing was a feeling of anticipation.

Copycat's eyepieces and faceplate slid into her helmet revealing her face and cold storm blue eyes. Clutched in her gauntleted hand was a Zodiac Deck that Jericho knew too well. He extended his hand and she placed the deck in it. The Crystal of Cancer shone brightly in the darkness of the street which was illuminated by street lights.

"No matter what you can't just stop fighting, Joey," she said to him. Jericho's green eyes peered into hers. She said seriously, "I've heard of what happened. The Brotherhood of Evil is gone now and you've been made a Titan." He nodded. "Well, if that's the case, I wonder: Do you still want to continue as Scizzors? You can return that deck to me right now and lose the right to fight for that wish that you want so badly." Jericho looked uncertain. "Take your time and think about it." She turned and walked away. Jericho watched as she did. She then stopped and looked over her shoulder. She said, "Slade-sama doesn't say much but I know he misses you, and so do Rosey-chan, Cathy-chan and Grant. Even if the big ox won't admit it, the love is still there. Come visit when you have time." Jericho nodded. "Oh, and Joey?" Jericho looked up at her again. "I hate to have to tell you this, but since you're a Titan now that makes you my enemy. The next time we meet, you'd better be prepared to fight for your life." Jericho nodded in understanding. "Ja ne," Kat said, before vanishing.

* * *

Back in Titans Tower, after all the honorary Titans left to return to their respective countries/home/cities, the Titans were all fast asleep and dreaming pleasant dreams. However, one Titan was not having any sort of pleasant dreams. Instead, he was having a very vivid and frightening nightmare.

Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, also known as Zodiac Knight Draco, was tossing and turning in bed. Sweat was beginning to form on his face as he held an uneasy and fearful expression. His fingers dug into the mattress and he gritted his teeth. His head tossed from side to side. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he let out a scream of pure horror. The sweat caused his fiery red hair to cling to his forehead. He panted and gasped, breathing in deeply.

The door to his room slid open and someone ran in. "Baby!" It was Jinx, his girlfriend and she was dressed in a purple nightgown and wearing her hair down. Seeing the state of her boyfriend she sat down on the bed and he immediately clung to her. Her room was quite close to his, so she had been able to hear his scream. She attempted to soothe him by running her hands up and down his back. Brimstone, Draco's pet hellhound, padded over to his master and Jinx, resting his head on her lap. Draco looked down and petted the black skinned dog to assure him that he was alright… somewhat alright, at least.

"Are you okay?" Jinx asked, as Draco began to calm down.

"H-Hai," he answered, still shaking. "I just had a bad dream."

"It sounded like you had more of a nightmare to me," Jinx said. Brimstone whimpered worriedly. "Are you sure you're going to be okay? You want me to sleep with you?"

Draco gazed at her and shook his head. "No, you don't have to. It was just a bad dream. I'll be quite fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Hai."

"At least let me do this," she said before capturing his lips with a kiss. Draco's shining emerald green eyes slid close as she held him and he held her. The kiss was passionate and lasted for almost a minute before they both reluctantly pulled away for air. "Good night, Ryuki."

"Oyasumi, Jinxy-chan," he said. "Aishiteru."

"I love you too." She gave him one last kiss before leaving. Brimstone looked at his master with glowing yellow eyes as the Dragon Knight fell back on his bed. The dream, no, the nightmare he had experienced was quite vivid. Since he had gained the Power of Pisces, he had been having more and more of these strange dreams. Not only that, the dreams kept getting stranger and stranger and more horrifying. They had been especially frequent for the last few months. What did it all mean? He wanted to ask Shadowcobra for advice, but if he did then the Snake Knight would be worried about him and Draco knew how busy he was with his work. He wasn't going to bother Raven with this either. It was just something trivial. All he needed was a glass of cold milk and he'd be fine.

Draco, you could not be more wrong.

* * *

"Not good," were Libra's words as he watched the time portal/window. There he saw the future and it was not well at all, either. Standing with Libra were his friends, Fuji and Clockwork as well as the Observants (who were not his friends. They annoyed the First Knight to an extreme degree and he didn't like them in the slightest. To Libra, they were just a pair of lazy eyes who watched and did nothing).

"Do you see?" one of the Observants said, "By damaging the time stream and making sure that Danny Phantom never became evil, it simply adapted. A new evil has arisen to take his place."

"I can see that!" Libra snapped, "Get to the point!" they annoyed him far too much, and he was getting more and more impatient.

"To preserve the future, you must destroy the one who will become the Orphenoch King," the other Observant said. "That is the only way to save the world!"

"You were both wrong before," said Clockwork, "What makes you think your words will be any more believable now?

The Observants remained silent before simply vanishing. Clockwork sighed and looked towards Libra.

"Let me handle things," Libra said. "He is my responsibility, after all."

The Knight vanished with a sigh.

* * *

That night, a foreign portal formed in an alley. It was swirling vortex, and there was a vaguely humanoid figure walking out of it from within its depths. The figure was obviously male in appearance, dressed in a full black jumpsuit with a matching set of gloves, boots and various other adornments. He wore a silver breast plate, a helmet with a black visor, a leather belt, bracers, and shin guards. In a holster attached to his belt was a wicked yet familiar looking gun and on his back was a powerful looking sword. His target was around here somewhere, so all he had to do was wait for it to come to him. The creature, or whatever it was, grinned wickedly. This should be fun, it thought.

* * *

The following day the Titans decided to take a walk in town. The core team had been away for quite a long time, over 5 months, fighting the Brotherhood of Evil. With the majority of their enemies frozen in the now abandoned Brotherhood of Evil Headquarters, however, the Titans could now relax and have a day off without worrying about anything.

The core team, made up of Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven were accompanied by their fellow teammates, who had dubbed themselves the 'Z-Titans' during the core team's absence. The members of the Z-Titans were Draco, Jinx, Pluto, Blackfire, Terra, Shadowcobra, Mortuary and Renia.

"A lot has changed, hasn't it?" Robin asked as he walked around, holding Starfire's hand. The place they had gone to rent their movies in the past so often was gone; apparently it was now under construction. So was Raven's favorite bookstore, much to her dismay. "Maybe we've been gone too long."

"The more things change, Robin, the more they stay the same," Shadowcobra quoted sagely. His time as leader of the Z-Titans had not made him forget of who was really in charge. He respected Robin as both a leader and a friend.

"Where am I going to buy my books?" Raven asked.

"I don't remember a bookstore," Beast Boy spoke up.

"That's because you never bought a book," Raven retorted.

"I've bought books!"

"Comic books don't count."

Beast Boy, unable to respond, sulked with his ears drooping. Terra rubbed his head to console him.

"Well, I'm in the mood for pizza," Cyborg said, "What do y'all say?"

Pluto didn't know how to break this to him gently. He said slowly and sadly, "Sorry, Cy, but the pizza place is gone."

The core Titans gaped at him.

Pluto continued, "The spot got bought over by some other chain restaurant. Sorry I had to ruin your day like that, Cy."

"But what will we do for our pizza?" Starfire whined.

"Did I forget to mention there's a new pizza place just around the corner?" Blackfire said, trying to lighten the mood. Starfire smiled and hugged her sister.

"Oh, thank you, sister!" Starfire said gleefully. Blackfire rolled her eyes and loosened the grip her little sister had on her.

"Maybe we should try something different," Renia said. "I mean, pizza does get old after a while."

"I have to agree with Renia on that," Mortuary said, "My dad always told me that too much of a good thing was never a good thing."

"Too true," Terra nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, the calm was interrupted by a loud explosion. It was coming from the construction site. When the smoke cleared there stood a ten feet tall white humanoid creature with a white mask that had black facial markings and soulless red eyes. The people around them panicked and screamed.

Jinx sighed and said, "So much for 'trouble-free vacation'."

"Titans! Go!" Robin commanded, and the Titans went on the attack. High above them, on a nearby building, was the strange figure that had emerged from the portal the previous night. His face was hidden under his helmet but, you could strangely tell that, just by looking at him, his eyes were trained upon the red haired Knight of Combustion. The watcher's eyes narrowed as he drew the sword from his back. It was 4 feet long, with a jagged edge. To complete the rather morbid theme, it had a skull as a pommel and cross-bones for the hand guard. The blade itself was glowing an almost toxic green color.

* * *

The Titans found out that this 'Thing' was able to morph its body into whatever substance it touched, be it rock, water, or fire. Right now it was made of ice, because Draco had thought it'd be a good idea to freeze it. It didn't work.

The creature swung its ice cold fists at Starfire and Blackfire, sending them flying back. Raven, with her chant of, "Azarath, Metrion, **Zinthos**!" sent steel beams flying at it. It grabbed a beam and morphed into steel just as a stone fist came hurtling towards it, courtesy of Terra. The fist connected, and because of that the creature's form shifted into rock. Robin, seeing his opening for an attack, charged and unleashed his exploding discs. They connected with the Thing, who attempted to fight back but suddenly found that it couldn't move. Shadow had immobilized it by taking control of its shadow.

Cyborg, with a yell of, "Booyah!" fired a sonic energy beam which smashed brutally into its head. Beast Boy followed this up with a charge, and assuming the form of a bison and stampeding towards the Thing, causing it a lot of damage on impact.

Renia, because of her alchemical background, decided to have some fun with her opponent. When she got close enough to the Thing, she used her alchemic powers to turn it into a simple jagged rock without any other features, save for its face. The Thing's eyes glowed as it attempted to take on another form, but a pink hex from Jinx put a damper on its plans.

The Titans, ready to finish it off, were quite surprised when a green blast of energy flew at the creature and destroyed it, resulting in a powerful explosion of green energy. They turned to Mortuary, who was standing nearby and looking puzzled. He merely shrugged and said, "It wasn't me."

Shadow's eyes narrowed and he turned to where the blast had come from. Standing not too far away was the strange black clad and armored figure. His aura signature, the one Shadow had sensed, was so familiar. It felt like…His eyes widened. It couldn't be.

The figure was holding his sword in his left hand and his gun in his right. His eyes went over to Draco as he said, growling hatefully, "You're mine!" He rushed forward, swinging his blade. Before the blow could connect, though, the warrior was intercepted by a wall of shadow energy.

"Who are you?" Shadow demanded. The stranger simply responded coolly, "Don't get in my way." A blast of green energy from his gun shattered the wall and he continued on his way towards Draco, who could only stand motionless, stunned by the events that were unfolding in front of him.

"TIME TO DIE!" the stranger shouted as he swung his blade downwards again. But, yet again, it was blocked by a pair of drills attached to a gauntlet. The warrior glared down at the one who had been stupid enough to interrupt him. It was Mortuary, in his Zodiac Knight armor. He had activated his Gazelle Stabber Strike Vent just in time to save Draco. The stranger was stunned, and the Aries Knight took advantage of his pause, kicking him away. Satisfied that this new danger was out of the way, at least for the moment, Mortuary turned to Draco.

"What are you trying to accomplish by killing Draco?" Mort asked, before he walked towards the stranger.

The stranger fought against the Titans, furiously shouting all the while, "You don't know what you're doing!" He tried to 'reason' with them, but only got an electric bolt from Pluto as a response. He leapt over a boulder hurled by Terra, and then slashed down on the starbolts and blackbolts being fired by the Tamaranian sisters. Cyborg, who was being carried by Beast Boy in his pteranadon form, aimed and fired his cannon at the stranger, who rolled away to dodge the attack. He was then forced into a deadlock with Robin who narrowed his eyes at him. His sword was being pushed back by Robin's staff as he pushed back as well.

"Who sent you?" Robin demanded. "And why are you trying to kill Draco?"

"Nobody sent me!" he shouted, kicking Robin away before continuing. "I'm only trying to save the world!" He fired a green necro-blast at Draco, but his latest attack on the Dragon Knight was intercepted by a hex-wave from Jinx. Jinx, eyes glowing and pissed off beyond reason at the guy who dared to threaten her boyfriend charged and threw a flurry of punches. Renia did the same and the stranger could only desperately try to block them, rapidly tiring. Suddenly, shadow chains erupted from the ground and bound the warrior's arms and legs. His weapons were wrenched out of his hands by Starfire and Blackfire, rendering the once-fearsome enemy helpless. The stranger, now properly restrained, still struggled despite his situation. Robin was going to have his answers and went to remove his helmet. Before he could, though, Draco shouted out, "CHOTTO MATTE!" The Titans stopped cold to see Draco running towards them. The Dragon Knight soon stood in front of the chained stranger. He then cautiously removed his helmet, and when he had finished all the Titans gasped before turning to look at Mortuary.

"No…way…"

* * *

Meanwhile, another portal formed in the same alley that the stranger had come from. Another being touched down on the ground. His form was hidden in the shadows, and all that could be seen of him were his sinister, glowing red eyes.

* * *

The stranger, who was still bound in shadow chains, bore a remarkable resemblance to Mortuary, without the face paint of course, or at least what Mortuary would look like in about 10 years or so. He looked more rugged, sporting a goatee with his black hair pulled back into a ponytail. They were red streaks in his hair. His right eye had been replaced with a cybernetic one, which moved around fluidly and glared at each of them, but especially at Draco. The warrior struggled against his chains but Shadow held firm. The Titans were going to get some answers from this guy.

"Who…who are you?" Mortuary asked this man, though he suspected that he knew already.

"Kid, I'm you, from the future," the stranger answered. "15 years to be exact."

Shadow said, "He's telling the truth. Plus, your aura signatures match perfectly, Mortuary."

"Why were you after Draco?" Robin asked. The Future Mortuary stared at Robin briefly, before his eyes narrowed and focused directly on Draco like lasers.

"I was sent from the future," Future Mortuary said, "to undo the horrors that have ravaged my Earth. The future has been overrun and conquered by Orphenochs. Mankind has been all but driven to extinction." As he finished, the warrior raised his voice and spat hatefully at Draco. "AND IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"Na-Nani?" Draco questioned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jinx inquired, hands glowing pink. How dare he say what he did about her boyfriend?

The others turned to Shadow, who could only shake his head. "He's not lying about that either," the Snake Knight said, puzzled and worried. What did all of this mean?

The Titans turned their attention towards Draco, who had a look of shock and horror on his face. He actually paled a bit at the revelation. "My… my fault?"

"What do you mean by that?" Mortuary said.

"Kid, you should've pulled the trigger that night," Future Mortuary said. "It would've been a whole lot easier for you and everyone else if you had just gotten the job done."

"But Draco isn't-" Mort began, only to be interrupted.

"But he will! One day he will become the most powerful force of evil the world had ever seen. The future I came from is like a living hell for humans as Orphenochs hunt us down like dogs! I came back here to make sure that never happens and that means to kill this son of a bitch right here!"

"But friend Draco would never-" Starfire began but was interrupted by Draco.

"Starfire, I think he's right," Draco said, mirroring what Shadow had said about Future Mortuary's honesty. "These past few months, every night, I've been having nightmares. They are all about me, in my Orphenoch form, and I'm killing people. I thought they were just dreams but maybe they could've been…" he paused and drew in his breath, "visions of the future."

"But-" Jinx began but Draco cut in.

"I have the Power of Pisces, Jinxy-chan. That gives me the power to see the future. If what he says is true, then I am destined to destroy humanity! It _is_ all my fault!"

There was painfully tense silence; a mosquito could be clearly heard buzzing nearby.

Future Mortuary glared hatefully at Draco again, but his expression softened as he saw the boy he had called a friend before he had tragically turned. The warrior was about to say something before the ground exploded with blue energy, flinging all of the Titans back.

"What the heck was that?" Pluto exclaimed. The other Titans picked themselves up and saw who had caused the explosion. Future Mortuary's eyes widened with horror.

"Actually, all that was my fault," the new player said with an evil sneer before his red eyes made contact with Draco's, "and eventually, it will be yours." He had blood red and spiky hair that was fashioned to look like a lion's mane with various lightning bolt shaped bangs. He also had whisker-like scar markings on his cheeks and demonic red eyes. He had sharp fangs and sharp pointed ears. His clothing was comprised of a black jumpsuit with a blood red symbol that looked like a demonic dragon and shoulder-guards with spikes on each one. His armguards and shin guards were also spiked. Around his waist were two diagonally worn belts, which also had spikes adorning them. By looking at him closely, Draco knew who this was…

This was himself, but from the future. A future gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Future Draco took a look at the Titans. He sighed and said almost carelessly, "Ah, the Titans. You know, if I had even just an ounce of my humanity left, this might be quite a touching reunion," his tone changed sharply as he added menacingly, "but my humanity, unfortunately for you, is something I abandoned a very long time ago." He formed an orb of blue energy in his hand and attempted to blast the Titans with it, only to have a green necro energy blast square into his back. His red eyes narrowed as he turned to look at who had dared to attack him. It was Future Mortuary. "Ah, Anubis. Long time, no see, my old friend," Future Draco chuckled.

"Save it, Ryuga," Anubis said as he picked up his sword, "your days are numbered."

"Let me guess; you came back to the past to destroy my naïve and weaker past self in an attempt to erase me, thus undoing the future we live in and creating a new and better one. Clever, Anubis, but too bad for you I caught wind of it and decided to come and stop you myself. I like my existence and I don't want anyone like you to mess with what already has and what eventually will happen." He rushed towards Anubis and swung his fist. His attack connected and sent Anubis flying back, the airborne warrior ultimately crashing into a bus. Ryuga slowly approached him to land the killing blow, but was stopped as a car engulfed by black energy smashed down upon him and exploded. Apparently, Ryuga had forgotten about the Titans. The warped version of Draco from the future threw the flaming remains of the automobile off him and turned slowly to glare evilly at the Titans. His form then morphed into the familiar Ifrit Orphenoch but with a much darker, nearly black, color scheme. His mane of white hair and fur were snow white. His red eyes glowed hatefully at the Titans as he let out a roar. The spikes on his shoulders and forearms began to glow with evil blue energy. A tail swished behind him and on the tip of it was a black spike.

"TITANS! GO!" Robin commanded, and they all went on the attack. Well, almost all of them. Draco was rooted to his spot, horrified beyond belief. Was this his future?

Shadowcobra and Pluto, like Mortuary, had transformed into their Zodiac Knight forms. Pluto's wings took him into the air, while Shadow gripped his cobra staff before drawing a card. He slid the card in. "Sword Vent!" he commanded, catching his jagged spiral saber. Shadow swung the sword down upon Ryuga, but the villain sent a flurry of furious punches into Shadow's face and chest before kicking him away. Raven, horrified, sent several cars at the raging Ryuga, but he slammed them away without breaking a sweat. And the spikes on his forearms sliced a few to pieces. They exploded.

Ryuga blocked the starbolts and blackbolts that bombarded him before he leapt up and slammed his fists down on the Tamaranian princesses, followed up by kicking them both away. A sonic cannon beam smashed into his back in a futile effort to stop the Orphenoch's rampage, and Ryuga was immediately upon Cyborg. "In the future, Cyborg, you'd be considered obsolete!" Ryuga laughed as he grabbed Cyborg's arms and ripped them clean off from his sockets. Cyborg screamed in pain and Ryuga was ready to rip off his head, but before he could finish the execution a green T-Rex charged, roared, and snapped its mighty jaws at the Orphenoch. Ryuga held the gaping mouth open, and was prepared to break Beast Boy's jaw clean in two when several bricks pummeled him. Terra's golden energy engulfed anything and everything that came from the earth and hurled it towards the Orphenoch. Ryuga grinned sadistically as he effortlessly dodged the projectiles, finishing off his maneuver by smashing his fist into her stomach. Terra doubled over and Ryuga pulled her up by her long blonde hair, glaringly at her hatefully.

"You know, Terra, you should've figured this would happen. Makes you rethink the whole 'returning from the dead' thing, huh?" Terra struggled to get out of his grip and failed, but then a pink hex exploded on Ryuga's side forcing him to let the geomancer go. Turning his attention towards his most recent assailant, the Orphenoch's eyes widened. Jinx was glaring at him, with hate and anger burning in her eyes. He looked almost ashamed at his actions, but buried those feelings deep into the back of his mind.

Then Ryuga heard "FINAL VENT!" and looked up to see Pluto priming his Final Vent, the Dog Knight's cape wrapped around him to form a drill before he spun down upon Ryuga. Ryuga held the spinning drill back, throwing Pluto straight into Blackfire. Robin came down on him with his staff but Ryuga grabbed it, kicked Robin away and snapped the staff in half with one hand. He threw the shards of the weapon away and made his way to the Titans, killing intent and murderous rage visible in his stride as well as in the form of dark blue energy that was radiating off his body. Raven chanted "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" and fired a beam of dark energy, but it was deflected back at her when Ryuga slammed a fist laced with blue energy into Raven's attack head-on.

Draco, seeing his friends in dire need of his help, shook his head and got serious. He drew out his deck and shouted out "EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON! HENSHIN!" his armor encased over his body as he rushed into battle.

Mortuary had created several duplicates to overwhelm Ryuga but the Orphenoch simply destroyed them one after the other like so many flies before heading over to the original, who was firing at him with his Death Buster and necroplasmic energy. Ryuga, not wanting Anubis to exist, decided to take a page from the assassin's book and destroy Mortuary, thus erasing Anubis from his future entirely. The Orphenoch came close but was then smashed in the side as a red, black and silver armored figure tackled him to the ground. Ryuga looked up from his prone position to see Draco, whose red eyepieces glowed with rage. Ryuga merely chuckled before reassuming his human form and grinned, exposing his fangs.

"Ah, my past," Ryuga said as he picked himself up and dusted himself off, "seeing you now, I can't believe I was ever so naïve and idealistic. It makes me ashamed to think that _I_ was ever _you_."

"You're not me!" Draco protested, which only caused Ryuga to laugh harder.

"The proof is staring right at you, face to face!" Ryuga said. "No matter what you say or do it all comes down to me. Stop lying to yourself. You will turn into me and there's nothing you can do about it except to just accept it." Draco roared and threw a fist, only for Ryuga to grab it. "It even makes me feel ashamed that I was ever this weak. THIS is a punch!" Ryuga concentrated, ready to smash his fist into his past, before a green energy blast exploded upon contact with his body. Ryuga, body smoking green, turned to see both Mortuary and Anubis with their hands glowing green. He chided himself, "I was so enwrapped with enlightening my past self that I forgot about you. Well, I'm not going to make the same mistake again."

"Let him go!" Mortuary demanded. Despite everything he had heard Draco was still his friend. Anubis shook his head.

"Mortuary, you have to kill Draco **now**," Anubis said. Mortuary glared at him.

"If you're who I have to look forward to, I'm not too thrilled about it!"

"You'll learn that sacrifices need to be made for the greater good." Anubis shook his head regretfully.

Ryuga interrupted them, mocking sarcastically, "I hate to interrupt your bonding, but this is the part where I kill you." Before the Orphenoch could carry out his threat, though, he felt a cold sensation on his arm. He looked to Draco, who he was still holding his fist, and saw him freezing his whole arm. Draco then shattered the appendage, causing Ryuga to scream in pain and horror at his shattered limb. Draco flicked his wrist.

"You need to cool off!" Draco taunted. Renia, seeing this, decided to get in on the action and with a stomp of her foot she sent a surge of energy at the distracted Ryuga, which covered him in crystal. The Titans got up, relieved that it was finally over. Anubis, however, knew better than to think it would be that easy.

The crystal covering Ryuga began to crack, much to Renia's surprise. "What the hell?" she gasped out before it literally exploded, sending shards flying everywhere. Ryuga's arm grew back and he grabbed Draco by the neck. Morphing back to his Orphenoch from, he then rushed at Anubis, grabbing him by the throat as well. Ryuga finished this part of his attack by calling forth a pair of sail-like wings made of blue energy before taking off into the air, leaving the Titans behind.

The core team was heavily injured, and Raven worked to heal them as fast as she could. Cyborg was missing both his arms, and on top of that his sockets were sparking.

Shadowcobra picked himself up, his armor cracking in places, and gazed high into the sky. Pluto was recovering, too. Terra and Blackfire had some bruises left behind from when Ryuga had struck them. Mortuary and Renia were fortunately relatively unharmed, at least physically. Renia was busy mending Cyborg using Alchemy.

"Baby!" Jinx screamed in terror, as she could only watch helplessly while Ryuga took Draco and Anubis away.

* * *

Up high in the air, Ryuga mocked Anubis, "You should've killed me all those years ago, Craig. It would've saved you all the trouble." Anubis and Draco both struggled against Ryuga's grip and the Orphenoch's grin widened. "You know, out of respect for our past I should let you live," he then added mercilessly, "But that's not how I work. Goodbye, Craig." He was about to snap Anubis's neck when Draco used his sand morphing powers to get out of Ryuga's grip before reforming himself and kicking out at the hand that held Anubis. Ryuga, enraged, fired a blue blast of energy that smashed into Anubis. The warrior fell. Draco was going to go after him, but was cruelly held back by Ryuga. Anubis, unable to fly, crashed into a condemned building and the force of the impact caused it to collapse upon him. Draco looked absolutely horrified under his helmet. Ryuga just smirked as Draco looked at him with immense hatred.

"Don't worry, you'll get over it," Ryuga said nonchalantly as he landed upon the remains of the building. "I did." He let Draco go and the angered Dragon Knight attacked him. Ryuga blocked them with ease and laughed. "Yes, get angry! The more rage you feel the more you'll be like me!" Draco stopped his attack, glaring at his enemy. Ryuga knew his past self was furious, even though the helmet Draco wore concealed his face.

"HOW COULD YOU?" Draco demanded, crying, as he clenched his hands into tight fists. "HE WAS YOUR FRIEND!"

Ryuga sighed and crossed his arms. "He **was** my friend, past tense. You'll learn soon enough that you're better off without them. I did."

"That's because you were going to kill them!" Draco growled at his future self. How he became this… this…this MONSTER he'd never know. He fired a fireball at Ryuga, but the monster merely snuffed it out in midair.

"Now that you know about me, my existence is in danger," Ryuga said before he clawed the air and a swirling portal formed. He grabbed Draco by the throat and continued. "And I can't let myself be erased and let all that I've worked for come to waste." Draco struggled against his grip before Ryuga took away his deck, causing Draco to revert to human form as his armor shattered away. He then tore off Draco's braid, causing Draco to scream. Ryuga simply responded with disgust, "I never really liked that hairstyle anyway." He then threw Draco into the portal. The portal then closed, drowning out Draco's scream, and Ryuga said, "I'll bring you back once I've completed a few errands and tied up some loose ends." Ryuga then sensed the rest of the Titans coming and grinned. With a snap of his fingers he morphed himself to look just like his younger past self. He now looked exactly like Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, the boy he once was.

* * *

Ryuki woke up and coughed up some…sand? His eyes slowly opened and he focused. He was surrounded by sand.

"Where am I?" he asked himself. Instead, he should be asking 'when was he?'

To Be Continued…

A/N: I was inspired by the Danny Phantom two-part episode called the Ultimate Enemy. So, please don't flame me for unoriginality. This was just something that's been playing at the back of my mind for a few months now and decided to do. So, please read and review and tell me what you think, okay?

BTW, thanks Zombi138 for Anubis' description.

And I made Ryuga's Orphenoch form like Draco's but with a few subtle differences like color. Jazzpha, I'll use your version of Draco's Orphenoch form soon, don't worry and thanks for editing this chap for me. A shout out to you, my friend.


	44. PT044: Bleak Future

Part 44: Bleak Future

Young Ryuki could feel the heat from above and below him as he slowly returned to consciousness. He coughed up what appeared to be sand and then shielded his eyes from the hot sun. "Nani? Where am I? The desert?" he asked himself. He looked around him and saw sand, sand and more sand, a golden sheet that extended for miles around. There were a few tall brown rocks, some smooth and round while others were jagged and sharp and big enough to support the weight of several people. Ryuki stood up and brushed the sand off his black uniform. He saw that there were no other signs of life around him as the searing heat of the sun shone down on him. He pulled down his goggles over his eyes to shield them from the bright sun, so that he would have both of his hands free for other tasks. Thankfully, being a pyrokinetic/firebender had its advantages, as his powers allowed Ryuki to withstand the heat. Now that that was settled, he had to figure out just where he was. He felt an itch in the back of his neck and reached to scratch it only to discover that he was scratching where Ryuga had torn off his braid. His hair was short and spiky now.

His trained ears picked up some sort of pained moaning and groaning. He could recognize that voice anywhere. "Anubis-san!" he realized. He was alive! He followed the sound and found the unconscious form of the assassin lying facedown before him in the sand. How he got here and completely unharmed saved for a few cuts and bruises was miraculous. However, Ryuki had no time to think about that. Anubis needed help.

Ryuki quickly dashed towards Anubis, kicking up some sand as he did before kneeling down next to Anubis. He was shocked to see the left sleeve of Anubis' suit was ripped to expose a cybernetic left arm. He placed a hand on Anubis' back and shook him, rousing him awake. "Oy, Daijoubu ka?" he asked. When Anubis' eye cocked open he pushed Ryuki away violently, propping himself up with his good arm.

"Don't touch me!" Anubis snapped with utter revulsion. Ryuki was stunned.

"Hey, I was just trying to see if you were alright," Ryuki said, not appreciating the way Anubis was treating him. Anubis sighed.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Where are we?" he asked.

"A desert," Ryuki answered, stating the obvious. "But I don't know where exactly. Although, it looks familiar."

Anubis looked around. All desert looked the same to the untrained eye but he knew better. He stood up and said, "Course it looks familiar. This is the desert outside of Jump City."

Ryuki perked up, "The city? Sugoi! We can go back there and-"

"NO!" Anubis suddenly exploded, causing the green eyed teen to look startled. "We can't go back to the city."

"Why not?" Ryuki asked.

"Because it's been taken over by Orphenochs," Mortuary answered. He saw Ryuki's stunned expression. "We're back in the future, my present."

* * *

(The Present)

Ryuga, wearing Ryuki' face, looked up to see the Titans coming towards him in the air. He smiled a bit as he saw Jinx riding on a rock boulder that was being piloted by Terra. Beast Boy was carrying Cyborg in his pterodactyl talons as Mortuary rode on the changeling's back. Ryuga narrowed his eyes at Mortuary. He would have to finish him off when he had the chance. Renia was being carried by Blackfire as Starfire did the same for Robin.

They landed and Jinx hopped off the rock she was on before hugging Ryuga quickly, "You're okay!" she shouted out. Ryuga hugged her back, surprised and smiled. How he had missed this feeling.

"What happened to Anubis and Ryuga?" Robin asked quickly, surveying the damage.

"They just vanished," Ryuga said, his voice now sounding more like his younger counterpart's. "I don't know to where though." He then saw Cyborg with both his arms intact. "I see you're good as new, Cy."

Cyborg said, "Yeah, I thought I was going to be unarmed for a while but Renia used her magic-"

"Alchemy," Renia corrected abruptly.

"Right, Alchemy, and fixed me right up!"

"You must've kicked that Ryuga freak back to where he came from!" Beast Boy shouted out, doing kicking and punching motions.

"Ah, Garfield," Ryuga began, reminiscing, "Always with the funny quips." He glared, "In some of my weaker moments I almost miss your drawl sense of humor." Ryuga then sensed everyone's eyes trained on him. He had to get back into character. "I mean, yeah, sure, Beast Boy!" Beast Boy smiled at that. Shadow and Raven's eyes narrowed at him and Ryuga noticed. '_Do they suspect?_'

"We should get back to the Tower," Cyborg said, checking the time on his arm, "It's nearly dinner."

"Yes, we must partake in the feast of dinner!" Starfire exclaimed giddily. Ryuga could just vomit at that.

"But I'm cooking," Ryuga said, remembering how he would always cook to avoid Cyborg and Beast Boy's constant (not to mention pointless) bickering. Even after 15 years he still hated it.

Everyone cheered, well almost everyone. Shadowcobra just stared at the Dragon Knight with a look of distrust and suspicion while Raven did the same.

Ryuga carried Jinx, bridal style, as the girl looped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. He smirked before his feet shot out fire to propel him into the air with the others. Shadow and Raven stayed behind and talked.

"There was something off about him," Raven said. "But I'm not too sure."

"It was his aura," Shadowcobra replied. "It felt more malevolent for some reason. It could just be Yaminekoryu, but I'm going to keep an eye on him just to make sure." Raven nodded before they both took off after their friends and teammates.

* * *

(The Future)

Ryuki and Anubis walked through the desert. Anubis was sweating and took a swig of water from his canteen to cool off. One had had finished the container was empty, so he just tossed it aside. Ryuki didn't feel all that thirsty; he was used to this kind of heat. However, Anubis seemed dehydrated, looking like he would collapse at any moment. Ryuki was following behind the assassin, afraid he might set off his anger. Was this Mortuary's future? What had caused this? He then thought about what he saw in his future and did not like it one bit. How could he have turned into that monster? It jut didn't make any sense. He looked up to see Anubis stagger in his steps. The heat of the sun was not helping with their situation. Ryuki used his powers to create a cup of ice, which was filled with cold water. Taking it firmly in hand, he walked over to Anubis.

"Here," Ryuki offered. "Drink this. It'll help." Anubis ignored him, despite how inviting the cup of ice and ice water looked. "Hey!" Ryuki called after him and walked to his side.

"I don't need your help," Anubis said briskly.

"What you need and what you want can be two different things," Ryuki told him. It was the same line he used when he had first met with Shadow after offering him his friendship in which the Snake Knight had responded, "I don't need friends." Ryuki sighed, "Look, you're dehydrated and sweating. I'm used to this heat, but you look like you could use a drink in a big way. You either take this now, or I'll wind up carrying your unconscious body to wherever we're going. Which would you prefer?"

Anubis turned to give him an even gaze and sighed. "You probably wouldn't make it without a map."

"I'm a good tracker, my ojiichan said so," Ryuki countered. "Now, take this and take a few sips. Rub the ice on your face too. There's plenty where that came from." Anubis relented and took the ice cup and took a drink of water before rubbing it all over his face. He felt slightly refreshed as the cold liquid covered his face a bit and quenched his dry throat. Ryuki smiled. He then turned serious. He wanted answers, "What happened?"

"What?" Anubis replied but he knew what Ryuki wanted answers for.

"How did I become that…that…" Ryuki began, trying to find the right words.

"Monster?" Anubis offered. Ryuki nodded. He sighed, "I'll tell you on the way. Right now we need to get to camp."

Ryuki blinked, "Camp?"

* * *

(Back in the present)

Ryuga, still in Ryuki's guise, was in the kitchen and cooking up a storm as the Titans waited for him to finish. Lucky for him he still remembered how to cook even though he had never needed to since the day he had ascended his throne. He was an Orphenoch so psychic powers couldn't work on him, at least if he was conscious. His mental shields were strong, though, and would take a lot of effort to make even a slight dent in them. He was actually plotting in his mind.

'_Poisoning? No, too easy._' He was plotting the Titans' death.

When they had returned to the Tower, Ryuga had quickly retreated into Ryuki's room to take a shower. Time traveling always left some sort of residue that could get ugly if not cleaned off as soon as possible. When he did, Brimstone just looked at him and growled. Ryuga was tempted to just snap the hound's neck, but decided to just give the dog a deadly glare and Brimstone backed off, whimpering fearfully.

Ryuga had looked into the mirror and mused, "My old face." He looked around, "My old room." The memories, his human memories, began to take hold but he shook them away. No point of reminiscing at all though.

Ryuga was keeping his eye on the two resident sorcerers (Renia was an Alcemist and despite training with Rorek did not count as a sorcerer). When they had returned they had kept their eyes trained upon him. Could they have suspected that something was wrong? No way, but he couldn't risk it. His plans would be ruined if his true nature ever came to light.

The Orphenoch Lord continued to cook, making the Titans their (most possibly) last meal.

* * *

(Back in the Future)

Anubis and Ryuki continued to walk as the Dragon Knight continued to make ice cubes for Anubis to refresh himself with.

Anubis began his tale, "It all started 15 years ago. We had a mission. Slade sent his robots and your sister to steal something from the S.T.A.R. Labs branch in JC. It was supposed to be something that could boost his power." He continued, "We went into action as soon as Robin gave the word. We fought and fought, stopping them the best we could, but…" He stopped in his tracks. "We're here."

Ryuki stopped too as they were standing in front of a large rock. "What is this place?" Ryuki asked. "It looks like a rock to me."

"That's just what we want to make you think." He knocked on the rock and it sounded like steel. "This is one of the last few remaining places that the humans can call a safe haven. It also happens to be my headquarters." There was a sound like swishing metal before Anubis walked in, actually disappearing into the rock. He peaked out, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"A hologram," Ryuki admired before he followed after Anubis.

There were a set of stairs and Ryuki followed Anubis down them. When they had reached the bottom, Ryuki could hardly believe his eyes.

It was a hidden city, right under the desert!

"Sugoi ne," Ryuki said in awe.

"It's a real sight, ain't it?" Anubis said, smirking proudly. "I founded this place so humans could always have a place to call home. None of the other cities up there are safe now, not since the Orphenochs took over and…"

"Sir!" Anubis was interrupted as a man, dressed in what appeared to be an old Smart Brain Operatives uniform with a helmet saluted him. "I'm glad you have returned, sir." Anubis returned the salute and Ryuki mimicked him.

"At ease, soldier," He then took off his watch and gave it to him. "Get this to the Professor. She can fix it for me." The soldier saluted and then dashed off to where Anubis had ordered him to go.

"You seem pretty important down here," Ryuki said admirably.

"Yeah, I am," Anubis said. "Follow me."

Ryuki followed Anubis and saw all of the people. Some were dressed in rags, while some of them were wearing the same uniform as the soldier before had been. He saw children playing and small shops. However, Ryuki could also feel a small, but obvious, sense of desperation.

"Anubis, when you said it was all my fault, what did you mean?" Ryuki asked. Anubis stopped in his steps and sighed. He turned and looked at the young man, boy, in front of him. Despite missing the braid, this was how Ryuki had looked to him before…before that dreadful day.

"We meet the others first, and then we talk," Anubis said before turning around and walking away. Ryuki quickly followed after him.

(Back in the present)

It was just after dinner before some of the Titans retreated for their rooms. Those that chose to do otherwise stayed in the living room to do their thing, like playing videogames or competing against one another in chess. Ryuga was sitting on an armchair with Jinx in his lap watching as Pluto, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Robin played a racing game. Ryuga rolled his eyes. He had lost taste in these 'toys' a long time ago.

Brimstone and Silkie both growled and hissed at Ryuga. However, the disguised Orphenoch's eyes just glowed a bit before they backed off, whimpering in fear. He smirked.

"Wonder what's wrong with them?" Jinx asked.

"I don't know," Ryuga shook his head, mimicking Ryuki's confused expression. He leaned up to give Jinx a kiss. She kissed him back

"Maybe they smelled something they didn't like," Shadow supplied. He was playing a game of chess with Raven. Ryuga inwardly growled as he pulled his lips away from Jinx's neck and glared at Shadow.

"Let's go to my room," Ryuga insisted before whispering something suggestively into Jinx's ear. Jinx gasped and blushed a bit before she gave him a smirk.

"Sure," Jinx purred before he lifted her up and began carrying her towards his room.

Shadow raised a palm and created a small shadow snake. It hissed. "Follow them," he commanded and it slithered down his arm and to the floor, slithering after the couple.

* * *

(In the Future)

"Hey, Craig," spoke a Chinese man with short black hair with some green in it. Ryuki blinked. He looked an awful lot like…

"Hello, Jake," Craig said, greeting the other man back.

'_Jake?_' Ryuki looked over the man. He was in his early thirties and well built with strong muscles. He wore a pair of camouflage pants with a red shirt that had its sleeves torn off. Around his waist was a belt with daggers on the side. He also wore a pair of leather combat boots. He had several scars on his arms and wore black cut off gloves. Ryuki could only imagine his dragon form.

"So, you're back," said a lovely woman with chin length black hair with a single pink streak running through it. Dressed in dark green cargos and a green tank top, a sword was slung over her back. She also wore a pair of metal bracelets around her wrists and she wore the same pair of combat boots as Jake. She went over to Jake and gave him a kiss on the lips. Jake kissed back. She noticed that Craig had company. "Craig, who's your new friend over there?"

"This kid?" Craig pointed to Ryuki. "Just found him and rescued him from some Orphenochs," he lied.

"My name is Ryu," Ryuki said, using an alias.

"You look kinda familiar, Ryu," Jake said. "You come from New York or something?"

Ryu remained silent.

"Lay off him, Jake," Anubis said. "He just told me that he saw his whole family getting slaughtered by Orphenochs. Cut him some slack!"

"Whatever, dude," Jake shrugged. "Oh, and Ryu," Ryuki looked up. "Welcome to the resistance." Jake took Juniper's hand and they walked away.

"Come with me," Anubis said and Ryuki followed him towards a door. Craig entered a code into a pad and placed his hand on it. The door opened and Anubis pushed Ryuki in before he entered as well. "I guess you want answers right now, huh?"

"I do," Ryuki nodded. "What happened to him…me?" He wanted to know what had caused the creation of Ryuga.

"As I told you before, there was a mission," Craig said, eyes closed. "Long story short: Robin led us to stop Slade, and your sister was there helping those robots steal something for him. We did what we always did and kicked robot butt. However, whatever was inside the lab self-destructed. Jinx was the only one who… didn't make it." Ryuki eyes widened.

"Jinxy-chan…she…" Ryuki started.

"She died instantly when the explosion went off," Craig admitted sadly. "There was barely anything left of her when we salvaged the remains of the lab. If it's any consolation to you, she would have felt no pain."

"Then what?" Ryuki asked.

"You pretty much locked yourself in your room after her funeral, feeling absolute regret, grief and guilt for what had happened to Jinx. You blamed yourself and you stopped smiling. A few weeks later there was another mission and you came along, despite Shadow's insistence that you stay behind due to your emotional, not to mention psychological, imbalance. It was just a routine bank robbery, but before Robin could give the order you just dashed in and tore the criminals apart. You killed the bank robbers with you bare hands, kid." Ryuki remained silent as Anubis continued. "You left after that and we didn't see you again for 2 whole months. When you did come back, you had joined Occultus as one of his generals and began attacking the city with his army of Orphenochs. Terra, Renia, Blackfire, Shadowcobra and Pluto were the only Titans that survived."

"No…" Ryuki looked at his hands, which were shaking.

"Afterwards, Occultus awoke the Orphenoch King by using you as its vessel. Occultus attempted to take control of you, but you killed him. I know this because I was there with Shadow, Terra, Renia, Blackfire and Pluto. It changed you. You became something else, something utterly sinister, and we were forced to leave when Zandia blew up. We thought you perished with it, but we were proven wrong when you came back to participate in the Zodiac Tournament. You won in the end, and the wish you made was to be granted. You wished for the complete dominion over the Earth. The world belonged to the Orphenochs, and you were their King. By then, what was left of your humanity was long gone."

"Masaka…What happened to the others? What about the Justice League?"

"You, I mean Ryuga, blew up the Watchtower. You even poisoned Superman with Kryptonite right before you tore his head off. Ryuga tore off my left arm and destroyed my right eye, but thankfully Pluto managed to fix them right up before he died at your hands. That was 10 years ago. Later on you also massacred Terra, Blackfire, Shadow…"

"No more!" Ryuki begged, hands on his ears. "Please, no more!" he cried. He fell to his knees. "I couldn't have! I couldn't!"

"You took over the world, kid," Anubis said sadly, "and destroyed everyone and anyone that would dare oppose you, heroes and villains alike. It was then that we decided to try and see if we could change history so that this all never happened. The watch I had was a time traveling device and I was sent back to the past with it to undo all of this. It was our only chance."

Ryuki lowered his head and was silent for several seconds. Then he simply uttered two words, his voice low but determined: "Do it."

* * *

(In the present)

Ryuga laid Jinx upon the bed and licked his lips as he grinned, gazing down upon her. His hands went up and down her sides before he leaned down to kiss her neck. Jinx moaned as her own hands began rubbing up and down his back. He licked and nibbled on her neck before going up to kiss her passionately on the lips. Their mouths opened and their tongues wrestled. His hands went to her back to pull down the zipper.

That was when Jinx placed a hand on his arms, stopping him. "W-wait," she said, a bit out of breath and cheeks flushed.

"What now?" he growled a bit, impatient.

"Maybe… maybe I'm not in the mood," she said.

His eyes glared. '_Not in the mood?_' However, he let his cool remain. There was no reason to blow his cover now. "Very well," he said, pulling her up. "Maybe later?"

Jinx smiled and looped her arms around his neck, kissing him. "Maybe later." She then walked out of the room.

Ryuga walked over to his mirror and smashed his fist into it. "KUSO!" he swore.

(In the future)

Anubis wasn't sure if he had heard right. "What?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Ryuki said before looking up at him, "I said DO IT! That was your mission, wasn't it? To kill me and to undo all this, this nightmare? Come on! Do it!" Tears fell from his eyes. He was begging for death. "Come on…come on…" He smashed his fists on the floor. "What are you waiting for? Do it!" He cried.

Anubis looked at the gun in his holster and back down on the man, no, boy on the floor in front of him, begging to be killed. Right now, at this moment, he was seeing the friend that he had lost, the Ryuki before he had been stripped of his humanity.

"No," Anubis said firmly.

"Why not?!" Ryuki shouted out at him. Anubis didn't give him an answer, choosing to just walk out and close the door behind him.

"Hey," Anubis heard a voice say, followed closely by someone appearing into view before him.

"Oh, it's you, Danny," Anubis said.

Danny Phantom was now an adult, clad in the same uniform his evil future alternate self had worn, but minus the cape. He was quite muscular. His hair was still as messy as ever, but he had pulled it back a bit into a ponytail. He also had a goatee and his green eyes shone with experience.

"I told you it was a bad idea," Danny said. "Clockwork told me that things happen for a reason and because of what you guys did we're now stuck with Ryuga in the past and him here. What are you gonna do now, smart guy?"

"Look, Danny, I'm thinking," Anubis said gruffly to his 2nd in Command.

"Thinking, huh?" Danny responded sarcastically. "Maybe you should've thought harder! We can't just kill him to undo all this! It wouldn't be fair to him at all."

"I know that now," Anubis said with a sigh. "It's just, seeing him now, I see the boy who used to be my friend. It ain't easy to see him now and to also see the monster he would become if he were to stay alive."

"So, what are you going to do now?"

Anubis shook his head. "I just don't know."

* * *

(Back in the present.)

Ryuga was watching a movie with the Titans. He sat next to Jinx with an arm around her shoulders. For some reason she fidgeted a bit before she relaxed against him. His eyes wandered around and looked over the Titans. Soon his true plan would be implemented, and he would finally have what he had desired all these years.

Raven and Shadowcobra's eyes narrowed at the disguised Ryuga.

The alarm suddenly blared and Ryuga grinned. Tonight was the night.

* * *

(Back in the future)

Anubis walked back into his office to see Ryuki still curled up in the fetal position. Ryuki looked up. "Are you going to kill me now? Please, just do it."

Anubis shook his head. "No, I won't. I have something else in mind." He then gave Ryuki something, and the Dragon Knight's eyes widened with joy.

* * *

(Back in the present)

Slade's robots were robbing a branch of S.T.A.R. Labs and carrying various hi-tech equipment. Copycat was leading them.

"I don't know what Slade-sama wants with all this equipment, but I bet it's gonna be big," Copycat snickered. "Alright, hurry it up, you metal heads! We're barely running on schedule. Slade-sama wants all this equipment before…" A birdarang flew past her face and imbedded itself into a wall, "… the Titans get here." She turned to where the birdarang came from, and lo and behold, at the door were the Titans.

"Doing some late night shopping, Kat?" Robin asked, smirking cockily.

"Well, you know me, I prefer to be thrifty," Copycat retorted. She then commanded, "ATTACK!"

Robin was about to shout, "Titans! Go!" But then a black and red blur leapt past him. It was Ryuga, and he was ripping through the Slade-Bots with a ferocity neither Kat nor the Titans had ever seen before. Copycat's eyes went wide open as her mouth fell off its hinges. She had never seen her brother this savage before and…wait a minute. She narrowed her eyes. Something just wasn't right.

Ryuga had finished off all of the Slade-Bots on his own in a matter of seconds, leaving the Titans, except for Shadowcobra and Raven, to look at him with shock. Beat Boy whistled.

The brief calm that followed was quickly interrupted, however.

"You're not my brother," Copycat accused, pointing at Ryuga. "Just who the hell are you?"

The Titans looked at her like she was crazy, all but two.

"Um, are you out of your mind?" Mortuary pointed to his head. "How can you say that isn't your brother?"

"Actually, she's right," Shadowcobra said, "That isn't Ryuki."

Raven agreed, saying, "Shadowcobra's right."

All the Titans turned to look at Ryuga, who found his own fingers a more interesting thing to look at for the moment. He soon looked up at everyone and his eyes narrowed, glowing RED, before he grinned. "How did you find out?"

The Titans gasped. "Who are you?"

Ryuga snapped his fingers and reverted to his true form, shocking the Titans. Jinx felt sick. She had let that… _thing_ kiss her? She was holding her stomach and had a hand on her mouth. She was ready to puke.

"Who the hell are you?" Copycat shouted.

"Kat, I'm hurt," Ryuga pouted, feigning sadness, "How can you not recognize your poor sweet little twin brother?" He then smirked, "Because he suddenly grew a backbone, that's what!"

Shadowcobra explained, "He's Ryuki's evil future self." Copycat nodded and then looked at Ryuga. Damn, her brother turned completely badass!

Ryuga said to Shadowcobra, "You were spying on me, weren't you?"

Shadowcobra replied, "That's right. I sent a shadow agent to spy on you and I had just gathered enough evidence to expose you. I was going to do it after this mission, but since Copycat so kindly pointed it out on her own…"

"Well now, I should put my plan into motion a little quicker then," Ryuga said, flashing a sadistic grin.

"Plan? What plan?" Terra asked. Ryuga fired an energy blast at S.T.A.R. Labs, resulting in a powerful explosion that forced the Titans to take cover. Amidst the confusion, Ryuga made a grab for Jinx and she struggled against him.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" she shrieked as she began to wave her arms and legs around. Ryuga was having trouble keeping his hold on her.

"TITANS! GO!" Robin commanded, and all of them began their attack on Ryuga. Ryuga rolled his eyes and then glared at them. They all froze in an instant.

"What?" Robin tried to move but his body was frozen.

"Robin, I cannot move!" Starfire panicked.

"What's going on?" Beast Boy asked.

"It's a little trick I developed, same as this handy little one here," Ryuga said before he slashed a portal into future. "Now that I have my queen, I will bring her to the future so that she may rule with me. Of course, she'll need to be modified and turned into an Orphenoch, too, but that's a small price to pay." Ryuga lifted up Jinx to look her dead in the eyes. The witch tried to look away, but was held in a sick, twisted thrall. "You'll love it, Jinx, ruling by my side. Trust me on that, my Queen."

To Be Continued…

Okay, the reason this chap is called Bleak Future was because of the answers that Ryuki had from Anubis and they weren't the ones he would have liked. What is Ryuga's plan? What will Ryuki do? What is Anubis' decision? Well, stay tune for more.

A shout out to Jazzpha. He helps me edit my fics, this one and including Advent Knights of Legend. A very talented writer!

And Zombi138 gave me the idea to make Danny Anubis' 2nd in command!


	45. PT045: Challenging Fate

Part 45: Challenging Fate

"And now that I have my prize," Ryuga said with sinister glee, "I'll be going back to the future. Once I get there I'll bring my past self _here_, so that _he'll_ turn into ME!" Ryuga slashed a portal through time and space and was ready to jump in when a black and red blur burst out of it, slamming him in the face and grabbing the unconscious form of Jinx away from him. Ryuga held his face and snarled before turning his attention towards what had hit him. His jaw dropped, and he was not the only one who was shocked. The Titans and Copycat's collective jaws were agape, with the exception of Shadowcobra, who was smugly smirking victoriously.

"Oi, Jisan!" Ryuki laughed, "Get ready for a blast from your past, because I'm back!"

Ryuga snarled. "HOW?" he demanded.

Jinx began to stir and looked up to see a pair of gentle green eyes boring down on her. They weren't the eyes of a disguised Ryuga, these were the eyes of her one true love. "Ryu…ki…?" she said softly.

"Hai, Jinxy-chan," Ryuki nodded, smiling. "Tadaima (I'm home)." He set her down gently. "I need to take care of something first, kay?" Jinx nodded. "Don't worry, I promise you, I won't ever turn into him." He added firmly, "I swear."

Ryuga got back up. "Now then, you're back." He smirked. "How did you do it?"

Ryuki glared. "I had some help."

"Well, no one will help you now!" Ryuga roared as he lunged at Ryuki. The two of them began fighting, their high speeds causing a dust cloud to form around them. The Titans watched as only parts of their bodies were barely visible amongst the dust, yelling, and snarling at one another in combat.

"Alright! Alright!" Copycat shouted. "Break it up!" The two of them did, oddly enough, and now sitting in front of the Titans were two identical Ryukis. "Okay…which is which again, here?" Copycat began scratching her head, thoroughly confused.

"He's Ryuga! I'm the real Ryuki!" one Ryuki shouted out.

"No, he's lying! I'm Ryuki!" the second Ryuki shouted.

Robin turned to Raven and Shadowcobra but the two psychics could only shrug.

"Robin, Orphenochs have natural and strong mental shields. On top of that, they're also immune to psychic powers. Even I can't tell them apart," Shadowcobra explained.

"What he said," Raven added.

"There's only one way to find out who's the real McCoy!" Pluto marched over proudly. "Only the real one would now the answer to this question: Ryuki, when is my birthday?"

The two Ryukis looked at each other and then looked back at Pluto before shaking their heads and shrugging. Neither of them knew. Pluto looked really disappointed right now.

"Geez, Ryuki, I thought we were really good friends," Pluto said sadly. Blackfire went to comfort him.

"Baka!" Copycat snapped. "If one is from the future then they're the same guy so neither of them knows anyway and even if we ask them anything they'll know, or not know, the same exact thing. That's not the right way to see who's who!" Copycat said to him.

"Any better ideas?" Cyborg asked.

"Just one," Copycat then suddenly punched one of the Ryukis in the face.

"Oneechan!" the Ryuki she punched exclaimed, holding his bruising cheek.

"He's Ryuga," Copycat pointed to the one she didn't punch. The Ryuki she was pointing at then narrowed his eyes, and they glowed a telltale red.

"How…?"

"You'd be on me just as soon as I punched you."

Ryuga smirked and chuckled, "Smart move. I knew there was something I liked about you before I tore your head off!" the Orphenoch exclaimed before he lunged at his prey. He was stopped in his tracks, however, when Ryuki stood in front of him and used his fists to halt Ryuga's advance, planting one in his stomach and another one in his face. Ryuga staggered back. "You!"

"Don't you dare hurt my oneechan!" Ryuki shouted at his future evil counterpart.

"Well, how about this then?" Ryuga took out the Dragon Zodiac Deck and slid it into the belt. "EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON!" The Dragon armor encased him, but it wasn't the normal color. This time it was all black. The red eyes glowed menacingly under the grilled visor. "Now then, this will be quite fun."

"Oh really?" Ryuki challenged as he brought up his DRA-Phone that was shaped like the grip of a gun. There was a fast buzzing sound as something flew towards Ryuki. It was a red Inzecter that was modeled after a dragonfly. The Dragonfly Inzecter lowered itself onto the grip and Ryuki said, "Henshin!"

"HENSHIN!" the Inzecter echoed. The armor began to cover him, spreading outward from the hand holding the Inzecter and soon covering his whole body. The process took little to no time, and Draco was soon ready to charge into battle. The overall color of his armor was red. His chest-plate was in two layers of red with a green line dividing the two segments. Metal segmented bands ran down his arms into his gauntlets. His helmet was overall red, with large red flaps that had black horizontal lines for eyes. An air tube ran from his mouth, over his shoulder and into a pack on his back. The armor was worn over a black bodysuit with red plating on the legs and red armored boots. Around his waist was a metal belt with Smart Brain's emblem as the buckle. The Inzecter was his gun.

"Let me handle this," Ryuki told his friends. "This is **my** fight!" Ryuga took this speech as an opportunity to start his attack and ran at Ryuki before throwing a vicious punch to his slightly distracted enemy's face. Ryuki stumbled back and then brought up his gun to shoot Ryuga in the chest. Ryuga was forced back by shots as sparks flew off his armor. Ryuki pressed his advantage and charged at the Orphenoch, performing a crushing roundhouse to his head. Ryuga caught the leg in midair, but Ryuki countered by leaping up with his free leg and kicking Ryuga in the chest from an unexpected direction, forcing the Orphenoch to let go of his leg. Ryuki then began to shoot at Ryuga repeatedly, trying desperately to get his enemy to at least stagger, if not outright fall.

The Titans watched the battle, not daring to interfere. It was true, this was Ryuki's fight after all, and he was fighting his evil future for all the marbles.

Ryuga shot freeze rays at Ryuki in retaliation, but the real Dragon Knight leapt and dodged the assault before firing again at Ryuga. Concentrating, he continued his attack and brought up two boulders before dropping them onto Ryuga. Ryuga pushed them back but then the sole of a boot met his faceplate, sending him reeling. Ryuki ran over to him to press his opening yet again, but when he got just close enough Ryuga did a sweep kick that sent him falling. The Orphenoch followed this blow up by getting on top of his past self and punching him repeatedly in the face. Pausing in his onslaught, if only briefly, Ryuga grabbed Draco by the throat and stared him straight in the eye, his gaze cold as death itself. "You're weak!" He taunted. "What ever made you think you could beat me?" Ryuki's only response was to pull at a switch located at the end of his Inzecter's tail.

"C-cast off!" Ryuki commanded as the armor began to expand outwards and loosen as electricity traveled all over his body. Steam escaped from the joints and gaps.

"Oh no," Ryuga muttered.

"CAST OFF!" the Inzecter roared right as the armor exploded and threw Ryuga off of Ryuki. The Dragon Knight was left kneeling and massaging his neck, gasping for breath.

"CHANGE DRAGONFLY!"

Ryuki's new Speed Mode, after Casting Off from his Strong Mode, was red with armor running up his arms. His silver chestplate was styled after the wings of a dragonfly, while the left red shoulder guard was styled after its head. Ryuki's helmet had two large green eyepieces that looked like the wings of a dragonfly. The helmet had a silver streak of metal running down between the eyes, which acted as a mouthpiece.

Ryuga looked up and his eyes narrowed. He drew a card and slid it into his Black Dragauntlet. "Add Vent!" He summoned forth the red dragon, Dragonzer, and commanded it: "GET HIM!" Dragonzer roared and flew straight at Ryuki. Ryuki didn't even budge, standing stock-still as the red dragon came flying at him. Ryuga thought his victory was close at hand.

Suddenly, Dragonzer stopped its charge and began to inspect Ryuki like a curious pet. It looked at Ryuki with its eyes, and then growled. Ryuki brought up a hand and rubbed Dragonzer's nose, to which the dragon responded with something that sounded like a purr. Or, at least, as close as dragons could get to purring, anyway. Ryuga gaped at this.

"WHAT?" Ryuga yelled out, not believing what he was seeing.

"Gomenasai, Ryuga, but it seems that Dragonzer knows who its true master is," Ryuki taunted.

"I'LL SHOW YOU!" Ryuga dashed forward, but was then met with the jaws of Dragonzer, who roared out at him and fired a large fireball at its master's pathetic imposter. Ryuga ducked just in time and drew a card. He slid it into his gauntlet without looking.

The black dragon known only as Dragblacker roared as it was summoned into the physical realm, and then it quickly proceeded to do battle with its red counterpart. Unlike Dragonzer, Dragblacker was a dragon of darkness and ice and once belonged to the evil Black Zodiac Knight King. As the dragons bit, clawed and grappled with one another, Ryuki and Ryuga continued their fight. They punched and kicked at each other. Ryuga got Ryuki in the stomach and he doubled over before Ryuga clasped his fists and brought them down on Ryuki's back. The Orphenoch wasn't about to stop at that cruel blow, though, and he lifted up his leg and stomped hard down on Ryuki's back, forcing the Dragon Knight facedown on the ground. He then flipped Ryuki over and kept his foot on his chest, pinning him down. In addition, Ryuga knocked away Ryuki's weapon, which caused the Inzecter to fly away, leaving the true Dragon Knight helpless as his armor disappeared as well.

The Titans were ready to help but Shadowcobra resolutely blocked their path. "This is **his** fight, not ours. We cannot dishonor him by interfering." There were a lot of objections of course but they were silenced by Shadowcobra's cold gaze.

"What are you going to do now, kill me?" Ryuki asked. "What happens to you then?"

Ryuga then lowered himself down to meet Ryuki's glare. The Orphenoch spat out condescendingly, "You don't get it, do you? I'm still here, I still exist, which means sooner or later you will turn into me. Present, past, future, it's all written in stone. Just like the future is inevitable, I'm inevitable. What makes you think you can change a damn thing?"

"Because I made a promise," Ryuki responded calmly.

Ryuga then threw his head back and laughed. "You promised? You are such a naïve child! You _promised_? Don't be ridiculous! Words count for less than nothing. Actions are everything!"

Ryuki answered the only way he could. He reached up with his hands and fired an immensely powerful fireball that caught Ryuga completely by surprise, even going as far as to dislodge the deck from his belt. Ryuga was sent flying by the force of the explosion and into the rubble and remains of the lab. Ryuki stood back up and grabbed his deck before walking over to his friends.

It was all over.

Or was it?

There was a loud and ferocious roar and Ryuga came flying down in his Orphenoch form, not looking entirely pleased. Ryuki rolled out of the way of the attack and snarled, morphing into his own Orphenoch form as well. It was at that time that the Titans realized that he was not wearing his inhibitor. Draco looked over his shoulder at his friends and said, firmly and determined, "I'll never turn into that monster, count on it."

Ryuga landed and his wings disappeared. He began to growl as a blue glow enveloped him. His body began to change as well. His organic armor had been replaced by classic samurai armor made of midnight-black carbon steel with bone veins running through it and two gruesome fangs embossed onto the center of the armor. The shoulder plates of the armor each had a huge spike curving out of the top of it, long enough to impale a body on if the wearer of the armor wished it. His legs were clad in greaves that were a reverse of his chest armor, bone with veins of carbon steel running through them. It was his actual physical appearance, though, that had undergone the most drastic of changes. His feet were now lion's paws with hooked, black claws as long as a grown man's fingers. His hands had changed to become lion's paws, with claws of a similarly frightening magnitude. His face, though, was truly terrifying. It was a humanoid face, but with the features of a lion as well; he had a mane that flowed down past his shoulders and pure blood-red orbs for eyes without any discernible irises or pupils. His canines were longer than a normal human's or vampire's, suitable for rending the flesh off of unfortunate prey in huge chunks. To complete the image of fearsome war machine, two ram horns grew from Ryuga's forehead, curving slightly at the top and pointy enough to gorge someone on.

This was Ryuga's Demon Orphenoch form, a befitting title and a form fit for the Orphenoch King. He let out a roar and charged. Ryuki charged at him as well and the two Ifrit Orphenochs battled with great ferocity and brutality. They clawed, bit and slashed at each other, spilling sickening amounts of blood and making grievous wounds on one another. Ryuki's teeth dug into Ryuga's shoulders while Ryuga's claws were digging deeply into Ryuki's back. Both Orphenochs struggled against one another, neither one giving up until the other wound up either down for the count or just plain dead. Ryuki then fired an energy blast at point blank range as Ryuga did the same. They sent each other flying and reverted back to their human forms, Ryuga now looking as he did when the Titans first encountered him.

Ryuga spat out some blood. He had some deep gashes, wounds and various other injuries. Despite his wounds, though, his pride was intact and he glared arrogantly at his 'weaker' younger self. The Orphenoch King got back to his feet and advanced on him. Suddenly, he was stopped in his tracks as the Scarab, Dragonfly and Fire Inzecter flew around him and began to attack him in a random pattern. They scratched at him and he attempted to swat them away, but they kept coming at him all the same. The Cutter Inzecter crawled on the ground and bit him in the leg. He let out a yelp and tried to throw the Inzecter off while jumping on one leg. The Titans and Copycat laughed at his expense.

Ryuki began to recover. He had only one chance at winning. The Knight performed a few hand seals and his body began to glow. The Titans' and Copycat's attention turned towards him at this unexpected outburst of power.

By this point, Ryuga had successfully swatted the Inzecters away. "Miserable pests!" he growled. He continued on his way towards Ryuki, reassuming his Demon Orphenoch form and intent on wreaking death and destruction, but was stopped in his tracks yet again. He just couldn't believe his eyes.

Standing side by side were Ryuki, Ifrit and Yaminekoryu. This just had to be a trick!

"What is going on here?" Ryuga demanded.

"Your funeral," the black haired Ifrit said to him with an arrogant grin. "Say sayonara, sucker!"

"That's right! You will never beat my aibou as long as you have us to deal with!" Yaminekoryu announced as the hybrid demon rubbed his whiskers.

"Your end is near, Ryuga! Prepare yourself!" Ryuki said. Suddenly, a blue portal appeared. Everyone's attention turned to Pluto, who could only shrug.

"It wasn't me," he said.

Ifrit, Yaminekoryu and Ryuki watched as a new silver and blue armored warrior entered the battle through a swirling blue portal. They didn't know who he was, but for some reason he seemed strangely familiar to them. The mysterious person's green eyes flashed ever so slightly before he turned to look at them.

"Who are…?" Ryuki began to ask but the new armored warrior stopped him.

"Libra-sama sent me," was all he said. "Alright, let's kick some demon butt!" He drew a card from his sword and slashed it through his sword. "GEMINI!" A clone of the warrior was created out of thin air.

"Alright, let's fight!" the clone shouted out as he charged. "I'll distract him!" the silver and blue armored warrior offered. "Henshin now!" Ifrit gripped the Black Dragon Deck, Draco gripped his Red Dragon Deck and Yaminekoryu was holding the DRA-Phone with the Dragonfly Inzecter attached.

"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON!"

"EMPOWERMENT OF THE DARK ZODIAC DRAGON!"

"HENSHIN!"

Zodiac Knight Draco was back, much to the Titans' happiness.

Ifrit and Draco were now clad in their respective black and red dragon armors. Yaminekoryu was now wearing the Dragonfly Inzecter suit. He pulled at the switch and at the announcement of "CAST OFF", he was in Speed Mode.

Draco drew and slid in the Evolution card into his Dragauntlet, "EVOLUTION!" his cards flew around him and slammed into his armor to form new armor and completing the transformation to Emperor Mode.

Ryuga knocked the two warriors back and the clone disappeared. The original did a flip and landed back on his feet. He drew two cards from the blue dragonhead device on his left forearm and slid the first one in, "ABSORB QUEEN!" before he slashed through the second one, "EVOLUTION KING!" Like Draco, his cards flew out of his sword and then merged with him to form a nearly identical suit of armor like his Emperor Form. His armor was gold, sapphire and bronze with depictions of creatures on parts of his armor and a fearsome dragon rested in the large sapphire gem on his chestplate. His eyes turned red as two more horns extended from the side to the back of his helmet. A golden broadsword with a blue hilt appeared. It had his golden symbol of spades emblazoned on it.

Ifrit started his attack by activating his Final Vent. "Final Vent! DRAGON FREEZING KICK!" Dragblacker launched him with a blast of frost and Ifrit smashed into Ryuga with a freezing flying kick. He then began attacking the Orphenoch with incredible ferocity while Yaminekoryu hung back and shot at the evil Ryuga.

Yaminekoryu grabbed the wings of his Inzecter and pushed them together before pulling them down to form a scope. He locked onto Ryuga and pulled the switch again. A red ball of energy began to form at the barrel of the gun and Yaminekoryu let it collect a bit before he pulled the trigger. "DRAGONFLY CANNON!" the Inzecter announced and the ball of energy flew straight at Ryuga while Ifrit slyly moved out of the way. The ball exploded and sent Ryuga flying before landing roughly on the ground.

The new dragon warrior summoned five cards into his hand and slid them into his giant broadsword. "SPADE 10, JACK, QUEEN, KING, ACE!" the sword announced, "**ROYAL STRAIGHT FLUSH!**" Projections of all five of his cards aligned themselves in front of him, and the warrior rushed forward. His sword was charged by the cards' energy, and when he reached Ryuga he jumped up and slashed down with his now-energized blade. Ryuga, who had just gotten back to his feet, was sent flying, yet again, by the force of the attack.

Draco took this chance to call forth his Zodiac Beasts, "BEASTS OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON, TO ME!"

All of Draco's Zodiac Beasts (Dragonzer, Dragblacker, Wildcat, Razorclaw, Brainstorm, Hardhead and Overbite) appeared, summoned forth by their master's will. Ryuga watched this in shock.

"Im…Impossible…" The evil Orphenoch King from the future rasped out.

"Nothing is impossible as long as the will, heart and spirit are strong, Ryuga," Draco remarked calmly as his Zodiac Beasts all glowed with a magnificent golden flash. "That's something you forgot a long time ago, sadly, and something I intend to remember forever." They transmuted into energy of their corresponding colors and whirled into one another before fusing together. There was a bright explosion of light that forced Ryuga and the observing Titans to cover their eyes. What came forth from the flash was a magnificent golden dragon known as…

"IMPERIAL DRAGONRIZER!" Draco announced. The dragon was a powerful looking European Dragon with powerful sail-like wings and covered in golden scales. It had a set of impressive looking horns and rows of powerful razor sharp teeth. Its eyes were the brightest of sapphires. It remained airborne a good foot off the ground as it hovered next to its master. After a tense and silent moment it let loose a powerful roar that shook the area to its core.

Ryuga decided to end this and charged foolhardily. The combat was over before it had even begun.

"SUPREME FINAL VENT!" Draco called out before jumping up and landing on Imperial Dragonrizer. The golden dragon roared and flew straight towards Ryuga. The magnificent beast, like Dragonrizer, went through a series of transformations before assuming the form of a powerful looking motorcycle with Draco riding on its back.

"**EMPEROR DRAGON ANNIHILATION!**" Draco shouted, before he revved up the engine and picked up some serious speed. The Golden Dragon Bike accelerated and went straight towards Ryuga. Ryuga, still weakened from Draco's previous assaults, was unable to withstand this attack. Draco actually smashed right through him and his body erupted into blue flames before exploding into a mass of ashes. Draco pulled over and looked back at what he had done. With a sigh he finally said, "It's over." Ifrit and Yaminekoryu were reabsorbed into his body and the warrior that had helped them vanished, his purpose now fulfilled.

The Titans' and Copycat's mouths were agape. How could Draco had gained so much power, and in such a short time as well? Draco dismounted from his vehicle and allowed his armor to shatter off his body like glass. He smiled at them. Since his braid had been ripped off he now sported a shorter hairstyle, but Jinx didn't care as she rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. She sobbed into his shirt and mumbled, "You're…back…" Tears streamed from her eyes as she felt Ryuki's hand on the back of her head, stroking her pink hair. He rested his head on her shoulder and whispered something into her ear that was barely audible:

"Aishiteru..."

It was in Japanese but Jinx knew what it meant. She replied, trying to hold back tears of joy but failing, "I love you too..." Nothing could ruin this moment, nothing...

"Gomenasai…Jinxy-chan," he apologized, much to her surprise, before his own body erupted into blue flames, much to her horror. The others were horrified as well and they rushed over, not knowing to either feel sad, shocked, or both. "Sayo…nara…"

"RYUKI!" Jinx screamed, stricken and overcome with grief as Ryuki's skin began to slowly turn ashen gray. As soon as it had begun, it was over. Whatever the Titans could or would have done would have been too little too late as the Dragon Knight's limp form disintegrated into ashes. Copycat was silenced by the sight. She didn't know what to say.

"He used…too much power…" Shadowcobra surmised, trying to fight the tears forming. Jinx dropped to her knees and looked at her hands, which were holding his ashes. The ashes fell through the gaps between her fingers. The others were also grieving intensely, mourning their dear friend's valiant sacrifice.

"He's gone…" Mortuary said.

"I can't believe it," Beast Boy said, shocked.

"Our friend…he has…" Starfire began to cry and hugged Robin for support. He tried to comfort her, but it was no use as he began to cry as well.

Pluto held his head low, eyes shut. Yet another person he cared for was gone. Blackfire took hold of his hand and rested her head on his shoulder, trying to hide her tears.

Terra kneeled down, lost. She had attempted to comfort Jinx but, there was nothing she could do for her friend, not right now at least. Renia was about to attempt a human transmutation but Shadowcobra held her hand back and shook his head sternly. There was nothing she could do, but she just couldn't bring herself to believe it as her blue eyes welled up with tears. First her parents, and now one of her friends? How many people would she let die? How many people couldn't she save?

Jinx was the most deeply affected, feeling oblivious to absolutely everything. She looked down at the Promise Ring on her finger and spoke, in incredible pain, "You lied…you promised you'd always be there for me…Ryuki…" She couldn't take it anymore as she fell to her knees before his ashes and cried out her pain.

Copycat gritted her teeth and gripped her fists. How could he die before she'd proven her superiority? It just wasn't fair! She let out a loud scream as well.

Suddenly, everything slowed down and froze, as if someone had pushed the pause button on a VCR. Libra walked over to the scene and shook his head. He knew he wasn't supposed to do this because of the rules, but in his mind he thought, '_Screw the rules_.' He drew a card and slid it into his staff to activate its properties.

"Time Vent!"

* * *

Ryuki suddenly jolted awake. He yawned and looked at his alarm clock. " 3 am…?" He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Still too early." He wanted to go back to sleep, but he needed to get a glass of water. He got out of bed and walked towards his door, walking past a mirror. The Knight did a double-take and backpedaled to look into the mirror. Much to his surprise, the face staring at him was none other than Libra's.

"Ohayo!" Libra greeted.

"Libra, what are you doing here?" Ryuki took a defensive stance.

"Just wanted to know if you've been having some rather… interesting dreams."

"Interesting dreams? What do you…chotto matte (wait a moment)!" He looked at Libra seriously, "That wasn't a dream, was it? And it wasn't a vision either. That all really happened." Libra nodded. "That means that I…"

"Died? Pretty much," Libra confirmed.

"Then…you decided to turn back time," Ryuki stated.

"You got it."

"Why?" Ryuki questioned.

"Why not?" was the response Libra gave him before explaining, "Let's just say it was for rather… personal reasons that I decided to help you."

Ryuki said, thanking him and feeling grateful, "Arigatou." He then asked, "Who was that warrior you sent to help us?"

Libra chuckled and said, "Let's just say that you and he have a whole lot in common."

Ryuki then asked, "Is that my destiny?" He was referring to Ryuga.

"It depends." Libra shrugged. "Destiny is like a road with many routes, some converging, others diverging. After that experience, what is it you have learned?"

There had been a lesson in it, and Ryuki answered, "Sometimes, inevitability isn't the only route there is. We can actually fight our own destinies and forge our own paths."

"Exactly," Libra nodded. "Ryuga was an example of what would happen if you walked down the wrong path."

"So this whole thing was just a test?" Ryuki asked, his anger rising.

"More or less. Actually, it was a more of quest, an experience to allow you to search within yourself and learn. Originally, the Observants wanted me to destroy you, but it was also stated that this was to make sure that dark future would never happen. Seeing you now, I know for a fact that the future has been changed."

"What makes you so sure?" Ryuki looked worried.

Libra rolled his eyes. "Didn't you learn anything? Anyway, I wish you luck in the future and to take care of yourself and your lover, alright? You may not be with her forever, so cherish what time you have with her." Libra then gave a salute and vanished.

"Oi, chotto matte!" Ryuki shouted at the mirror but saw his reflection staring back at him. He then sighed. "Arigatou…Libra-sama.

'_You're welcome, my son_.'

* * *

When an alarm clock in the shape of a dragon's egg began ringing loudly, the current occupant of the bed, who was huddled under the covers, reached out to try to shut it off. He felt around for it a bit and found it. He didn't have the patience to turn it off, though, so he chose to create a mallet made of solid ice and SLAM it down on the alarm clock, repeatedly, smashing it to pieces. He banished the mallet and threw off his blanket before making his way to the bathroom to take a shower. After he took a shower he went to the sink and brushed his teeth. It was then that he took a good look at himself.

He stared at the mirror that was over the sink. "I have to change now," he told himself, "My image, everything." His tone was determined. In his hand was a pair of scissors. He reached behind his neck for where the braid began and with the scissors snipped it completely off. He watched as the braid fell to the cold wet floor of the bathroom, followed by several small and loose strands. He looked in the mirror: his hair now short, messy and spiky, like a combination of Robin and Beast Boy's styles. His mother would surely be shocked at him for doing something as drastic as cutting his hair, but this was something he had to do. Draco took a comb and some hair gel and began styling his bangs, turning them into a sharp lightning bolt shape. He then opened the medicine cabinet and took out some black hair dye. He eyed the item with scrutiny, but he _had_ resolved to change his look, after all. He uncapped it and squeezed some of it into his hand before applying it to his hair.

Next was his wardrobe. A one piece black jumpsuit would surely not do, so he looked through his closet for something more… appropriate for his new look. He found a black leather sleeveless muscle shirt with a red stripe running down the centre and a pair of red straps and buckles running across it. He put it on and the buckles clicked together as he tightened the straps. He also put on a pair of black pants with kneepads, but not with the usual boots. He took out an old black jacket with red shoulder pads and elbow pads similar to his Smart Brain uniform but with a red dragon emblazoned on the back. He pulled it on along with a pair of red matching wrist length gloves that had hand and wrist guards. There were also leather straps around the wrist area. He looked for proper footwear and found it, a pair of red leather boots that could be worn hidden under the pants. There were straps around the ankles and the boots themselves appeared a little more sleeker then his usual pair.

He looked himself in the mirror and realized something was missing. He went over to his drawers and looked inside for the proper accessory and found a black studded choker. He strapped it on around his neck. He reached inside again and found a red mask. It was made to cover the upper half of his face and had two sharp point on the two lower corners made to look like fangs. It also covered the bridge of his nose. He put the mask on. Finally, the piece la resistance; the goggles. He strapped them to his head. He tapped them with his finger and then looked in the mirror again.

The first step to changing his destiny was to change himself, and he had just done that (at least in appearance). A new Draco was in town.

* * *

Everyone, except Draco, of course, was in the living room just hanging out. When the doors slid open and Draco walked in, everyone froze.

This was not the Draco they knew.

He wore a primarily black uniform now, made up of a strapped muscle shirt, an open black jacket with red pads on the shoulders and elbows and matching black pants with pads on the knees too. He wore a belt with his SB buckle on and there was a holster for his DRA-Blaster. On his hands was a pair of red gloves that reached his wrists. The gloves had wrist and hand-guards. He also wore a pair of red boots. Most of the boots were hidden under his pants' legs, showing off only the parts covering his feet. What was most shocking was his hair. It was now nearly completely jet black, with red lightning bolt streaks. His bangs had been styled to look like lightning bolts but still red. He also wore a red mask and on his head were his signature goggles. He no longer wore his scarf around his neck but instead a black studded choker/collar. His green eyes looked at the faces of his shocked teammates/ friends. None of them spoke for a minute.

Jinx was the first to speak, "Ryu-Ryuki…? Is that you?"

Draco smiled at her and made his way towards her. He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. "It's me, Jinxy-chan. Do you like the change?"

Jinx's face began to heat up. Dear God, was her boyfriend ever hot!

Shadowcobra recovered and pulled down the collar of his black shadow cloak, speaking to his friend in a curious tone, "So, why the sudden change?"

"And you cut off your braid, dude!" Beast Boy piped up.

Draco shrugged. "I just thought it was time for a change," Draco said. His words held more meaning than the others could possibly realize.

Jinx ran her hands through his spiky/messy locks of hair. She grinned. "I like it. I'll miss the braid, but I like it."

"Arigatou, Jinxy-chan," Draco said, smiling at her. "So, what's for breakfast?" he asked.

Suddenly, the alarms blared.

"That will have to wait," Cyborg said, throwing off his chef's hat. "Time to kick butt!"

"And fight crime!" Terra added.

"For truth," Beast Boy piped up.

"Justice," Pluto continued.

"And the last slice of pizza!" Renia finished. You got that right.

Draco smiled. He had changed and now his future would be brighter. He would tell them of his experience when he was ready, but for now he was glad that he was in control of his own destiny. Fate could take a hike, as far as he was concerned.

Nothing is inevitable. The future can, and will, be changed.

To Be Continued…

Credits to Jazzpha for Ryuga's Demon Orphenoch form. Also, thanks to him for editing this for me and proofreading.


	46. PT046: Sadness, Kindness and Friendship

Part 46: Sadness, Kindness and Friendship

" EUREKA!" Pluto exclaimed as he jumped into the living room, holding a disc high up over his head with both hands, "I'VE FINALLY FINISHED IT!"

The other Titans in the room looked at the excited Dog Knight curiously. They were also inwardly worried about what he had cooked up for them since his reputation for being a mad scientist was well known. Cyborg and Beast Boy, who were his most faithful friends, were the first to ask.

"Dude, what did you finish?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yeah, dawg?" Cyborg eyed the silver circular disc within the hands of the Dog Knight of Immortality. "What you got there?"

"And does it have a point?" Raven quipped from her place on the sofa, reading a book with Shadow next to her who snickered/hissed.

"This," Pluto said as he held up the disc, "Is the result of tireless research and programming that I've been working on for the past 3 years and now it's finally finished for all of you to see!"

"Well, what is it?" Robin asked.

"Yes, friend Pluto, tell us what it is!" Starfire urged excitedly.

Blackfire entered the living, having finally caught up with her boyfriend. "Yoshi…" she panted. "Slow down…"

"Sorry, Komi," Pluto apologized. "I didn't think I was running _that_ fast."

"Well, you were," she glared at him with her hands on her hips. "And you're gonna make it up to me later." She gave him a sly smirk. Whatever she had in mind…well, never mind.

Pluto cleared his throat and held up the disc and began his speech, "Friends, Titans, Countrymen…and women! This disc I hold in my hand is the result of all the time, blood and sweat I put into working on a special project I began three years ago before I even met most of you. Back then it had only been a simple idea, but today the finish product is…Better yet, let me show you!" Pluto leapt over the sofa and over to the Gamestation. He slid the disc in and the Titans' TV screen came to life.

Music began to play and the images on the screen were…

The Zodiac Knights, ALL 26 of them, being shown one by one as the music score continued.

The song was Alive A Life (The Theme Song of Masked Rider Ryuki)

The opening credits began with the song as CGI versions of Draco, Pluto and ARMS standing in a triangle showed on the screen followed by CGI Pluto sliding a card into his sword (his Trick Vent) and then multiple CGI Plutos were on the screen performing kicks, stabs and slashes.

It was followed by CGI ARMS sliding his Shoot Vent into his gun and the firing with his shoulder mounted Giga Cannons.

After that, it showed CGI Draco battling with CGI Pluto and then blocking CGI ARMS' bullets before falling on the ground and then getting back up.

It then showed CGI Pluto and CGI ARMS posing with their weapons and CGI Draco blasting at the camera with his Dragon Flame Cannon.

CGI Shadowcobra was finally shown in his armored glory and threw away his staff before charging at Draco like when he started his Genocide Crash Final Vent. CGI Draco slid his Final Vent card into his Dragauntlet and then performed his Dragon Combustion Kick. The scene faded showing the other Knights and then the title…

As soon as the opening credits were done the Titans stared at the screen where the title "ZODIAC KNIGHTS BATTLE ROYALE" was displayed on the screen. Pluto stood in front of them all, grinning.

"So, what do you think?" Pluto asked everyone who looked at the screen in a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.

"A videogame?" Terra asked incredulously. "You spent three years creating a videogame about the Zodiac Knights?"

"It wasn't that easy, alright!" Pluto shot back.

Shadow was angered, "And why is ARMS featured more prominently with you two," he pointed at Pluto and Draco before pointing at himself, "And not ME? Why was I featured close to the end?"

"I thought ARMS looked cooler," Pluto radmitted and Shadow hissed angrily. "What? I did put you in, didn't I?"

"Friend Pluto, this is simply amazing!" Starfire said.

"I was right," Raven said, "It was pointless." She went back to reading her book.

Mortuary looked at the screen curiously as it featured a demo fight between CGI Striker and himself. The CGI version of his armored self was winning. "It looks fun."

"Pluto, were you planning on marketing this?" Shadow asked the Dog Knight suspiciously.

"As a matter of fact, I was," Pluto confessed. "I mean, think about it; a videogame based on the Zodiac Knights' battles. The special effects, the graphics…think about it, really!"

"You were planning on making money for yourself," Shadow stated with an even tone and narrowed eyes.

"Yes, yes I was," Pluto admitted.

Draco stared at the game again and then turned to his friends. He then saw a CGI version of Jawz fighting against Façade (or was it Mirage? He couldn't tell due to the identical armors). Jinx noticed the way he was looking at Jawz and understood.

"I think this is a good way to honor the fallen Knights," Draco said with a smile.

"Really?" Pluto placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "I knew you'd like it."

"I do," Draco nodded. He saw Jawz winning on screen and smiled. Tazuka would live on…even in videogames.

Cyborg, Beast Boy and Renia were fighting over the controls of the Gamestation. That was when Shadowcobra pulled out his Gunblade and shot at the ceiling.

BANG!

That shut the three up.

He turned to Pluto, "Alright, you can have this mass produced…"

"Really? That's great-" Pluto began but was interrupted.

"…As long as Smart Brain receives part of the profits made. You'll be marketing this game under Smart Brain's brand so that means we need to negotiate, Pluto."

Pluto thought about it and shrugged. "Good enough for me."

Beast Boy and Cyborg both picked up controllers and the character screen showed up. Cyborg chose Pluto while Beast Boy chose Draco.

The two CGI Knights appeared on the screen, facing each other on a 3D area that looked a lot like the middle of Jump City. Also displayed in the left and right corners of the screen, under the two Knights, were their cards.

Pluto explained, "The battle system also uses our Vent cards. Activate them using the square button. (I imagine the Gamestation's controllers have buttons like on a Playstation.) Go ahead, try it."

Cyborg and Beast Boy did as instructed and activated the cards.

"Shoot Vent!"

"Sword Vent!"

The Dragon Flame Cannon appeared on CGI Draco's hand and the Wing Lancer appeared in CGI Pluto's hands. Cyborg and Beast Boy then had the CGI Knights fight. Beast Boy has CGI Draco blast at CGI Pluto but Cyborg made sure to block with the lance.

"Pluto, dawg," Cyborg said, smiling widely, "This game is the bomb!"

"No kidding!" Beast Boy added. "You da man!"

"Thank you, thank you," Pluto said proudly. "I try my best." Raven and Shadow rolled their eyes.

When CGI Draco's life bar was low enough, the music changed and then a card glowed on CGI Pluto's side. It was one of his Final Vent cards. Cyborg pressed the square button again to activate it.

"Final Vent!"

CGI Draco got finished off by the Immortal's Deadly Drill and exploded. Beast Boy cried, "Hey, no fair!"

"You lose, sucka!" Cyborg cheered as he did his victory dance.

Draco was a bit unnerved at the realism and Jinx noticed this. "What is it, baby?" she asked.

Draco shook his head, "It's nothing." He watched the screen again and then, to his horror, he saw CGI Jawz going up against…CGI Scorpios. Shadow hissed. This was not good.

"Guys, I don't think you should be playing those characters," Pluto said to Cyborg and Beast Boy, warningly. Cyborg took advantage of Beast Boy's destraction (he was controlling CGI Scorpios) and activated Final Vent.

"Final Vent!"

Draco's eyes widened under his mask as he watched CGI Scorpios finish off CGI Jawz with the same attack he had seen Scorpios use on the real Jawz which resulted in his death.

"I…need to go," Draco said hastily as he turned to leave. Brimstone was hot on his heals. Jinx then glared at Beast Boy and Cyborg, who were sitting on the sofa, and hexed it, causing the sofa to collapse under them. She then went to follow her boyfriend.

Beast Boy and Cyborg looked confused. "What? What did we do?" Beast Boy asked.

Shadow reminded, "Don't you two idiots remember that Draco said Jawz was killed?" he pointed at the screen, "THAT was how he died!"

Cyborg said, "Woah…" he looked guilty, "I feel like a pile of scrap."

"Man, how could we be so insensitive?" Beast Boy said shamefully.

Shadow said to Pluto, "I think you made the game a little too realistic, Takada."

Pluto sighed, "Guess we can't sell it now, huh?"

Shadow was silent. The look on his face was saying, "Figure it out for yourself."

* * *

Draco was sitting on the roof, thinking. Jinx sat down next to him and asked, "You okay?"

He sighed. "I will be. I just need some time alone, that's all."

"They shouldn't have played those characters, baby," Jinx said comfortingly.

"No, it wasn't their fault. It was just a game. But…to see it happen all over again…" he placed his hand to his chest. "It hurts."

"Was that how I happened?" Jinx asked. "That attack killed Tazuka?" He nodded.

"Hai, it did." He added, "That attack was originally meant for me but then Tazuka pushed me out of the way and…" He shut his eyes as tears fell. "He saved my life, Jinxy-chan, and yet I wasn't able to protect him." He hugged her and she rubbed his back soothingly.

"He was only trying to protect you, baby," she said, trying to comfort him.

"Demo…"

"Hush now," she said.

They let go of each other and he wiped his tears. He was smiling again before he commented, "You know, Tazuka gave me these goggles," while tapping on said goggles.

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Hai, they were a birthday present from him," He said. Draco looked at the sky. "It's such a beautiful day."

"Wanna go out?" she suggested.

"That would be nice, but may I do it alone?" he said. Jinx frowned "I need some time to myself, Jinxy-chan"

"Oh," Jinx looked a little disappointed but understood why he needed to be alone. "If that's what you want." He then kissed her.

"Jinxy-chan, please don't frown," he smiled, "You look prettier with a smile on your face." She blushed at his compliment and giggled. "I promise you to take you out later tonight, okay?"

"Okay. It's a date."

"Hai."

They shared one last kiss.

* * *

Occultus was in his office, thinking/planning/scheming. All of his attempts to convert the young Ifrit Orphenoch (Ryuki Hasuma/Draco) had proved to be failures. The young boy was still pretty much delusional and held on to his beliefs that he was human. What was so good about being a weak and pathetic human? They were all weak and useless. Orphenochs, however, were the true masters of the Earth, the peak of human evolution, and Occultus would see that Orphenochs would walk the Earth as its masters, reducing the humans to extinction.

Occultus was not an Orphenoch, but he didn't see himself as human either. No, he was above both humans and Orphenochs. He had experimented on himself to accelerate his evolution and not only was he able to retain his human form, but also gain the powers of the Orphenochs. The power ran through his veins…it was magnificent.

Soon, his master plan would be implemented and nothing, not even those so-called heroes, would be able to stop him. He would awaken the Orphenoch King and gain control over the Earth and then…THE UNIVERSE!

He laughed manically to himself until he heard a knock at his door.

"Come in," he said, politely, sitting at his desk with his hands clasped together and composing himself. The door opened and the person came walking in. She was female. "Take a seat and welcome to my office, Crane. You do know why I've called you, don't you?"

"No, Master Occultus," Crane said timidly, shaking in her seat. "I do not know why you asked for me, Master."

"I have an important mission for you, my dear," he said to her with a smile. Crane then listened to what Occultus had to say about her mission.

* * *

"Fetch, boy!" Ryuki shouted out as he threw the Frisbee and his dog, Brimstone, caught the object in his jaws. Brimstone then ran over to Ryuki, returning the Frisbee. "Good boy!" he petted the dog and Brimstone licked his hand.

Ryuki was in the park with Brimstone. Jinx wasn't around to accompany him since he said that wanted to be alone today. It was Sunday and a lot of people were at the park hanging out with friends and family. He ran his hand through his red and braided hair and looked up at the sun.

Using his SB watch's image inducer, Ryuki was now in disguise and looking as he was before he cut and dyed his hair. The holographic braid hung down his back like it was real and he was dressed in a red shirt with blue jeans and red sneakers.

Ever since facing his evil future self, Ryuga, Ryuki kept thinking about his possible future and his role as a Zodiac Knight. Libra had told him that his future was his alone to create and could not be considered 'carved in stone' because of Ryuga's words and existence; that all had been erased. Yet, he still feared for himself and his friends. That monster was him in every way, just evil and heartless without an ounce of humanity left within him. He shuddered to think that that would be his future, but as long as his friends were with him…

He looked down to see Brimstone, wearing his holographic Doberman disguise, looking up to him and wagging his tail. Ryuki kneeled down and scratched his pet dog's ears. The dog licked his face in appreciation before Ryuki said, "Fetch!" and threw the Frisbee again for Brimstone to chase after and catch. He watched as his dog dashed after the circular object, jumped up, and caught it within his jaws again. It was days like this that made Ryuki feel normal and forget about being a Knights…or even an Orphenoch.

Ryuki stared at his hand. This morning it had turned grey and spilled some ashes before reverting to its normal color. He had asked for a day off from Ichijyo/Shadow and his leader and friend allowed him to do so. He had also requested that he'd like to be alone with Brimstone and to spend the day at the park. Ichijyo felt concerned for Ryuki but relented anyway, knowing Ryuki could take care of himself.

Brimstone ran back to Ryuki, carrying the Frisbee and jumped up and down. The Dragon Knight laughed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a doggy treat (that he stole from Pluto's stash) and popped it into Brimstone's mouth after the disguised demon dog dropped the Frisbee. Brimstone chewed on the treat in satisfaction.

"Lie down," Ryuki commanded and the dog did as told. Ryuki sat down on a nearby bench that was under a tree and rested.

"It's a nice day, isn't it?" Ryuki heard a voice and turned to his left to see someone sitting next to him.

"Nani?" he asked.

"I said it was a nice day, don't you think?" the girl repeated the question. She was quite pretty, with black hair that hung down her back and brown eyes. She was dressed in a purple hoodie with blue jeans. "I'm Yuka. Konnichiwa."

"I'm Ryuki," Ryuki introduced himself, nodding politely and returning her greeting, "Konnichiwa."

Brimstone noticed Yuka and immediately padded up to her. Yuka beamed and cooed, "Oh…what a kawaii little dog! Is he yours?"

"Hai, he is. His name is Brimstone," Ryuki answered.

"Brimstone?" she giggled. "What a strange name for a dog."

"If I told you why, you wouldn't believe me," Ryuki said. He had wanted to spend his day alone with Brimstone, but this unexpected conversation was…nice. "Do you live around here?"

"Hai," Yuka aid with a smile. "I just moved here and I don't have any friends yet." She frowned sadly.

"Not true," he said. "You got a friend right here."

"You're sweet, Ryuki-san," Yuka said, smiling.

"Arigatou, Yuka-san," Ryuki returned the smile. "Hey, wanna play a game of fetch?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Craig Smith/Zodiac Knight Mortuary was riding around town on his bike. Equipped to his vehicle was a new device created by Harker Tech made specifically to detect and track Orphenochs.

Ever since the massive Orphenoch attack on the city, Craig had called his adopted father to have his team of scientists create something for him to help track down Orphenochs. It wasn't until today that he had gotten it in the mail so he was out to give it a test run.

'_Occultus__ is going down,_' Mortuary swore to himself. Ever since he found out Occultus was responsible for the deaths of the Templars, he had been planning his vengeance on the man and his Orphenochs. They would all pay, every single one of them, one at a time, for killing the other Templars and leaving him for dead.

His device then detected an Orphenoch. He grinned to himself. It was close…and there were two of them. Excellent. Maybe he could have some fun today.

He revved up his engine and followed the signal.

* * *

Yuka and Ryuki laughed as they played fetch together with Brimstone. The dog jumped up and down as he caught the flying Frisbee before running towards the two of them to have them throw it o that he could catch it again.

"Good boy, Brimstone!" Ryuki said as Brimstone came and returned the Frisbee. "Now, go fetch!" he threw it again.

"Gambatte, Brimstone-chan!" Yuka shouted out encouragingly as the dog ran at it and jumped up to catch it expertly in his jaws. "Good boy!" Yuka petted the dog who then dropped the Frisbee and licked her hands. She then kneeled down to hug him and laughed.

"You seem to be having fun, Yuka-san," Ryuki observed.

"Hai, I am," Yuka admitted. "It's been so long since I've had so much fun."

"Me too."

"What do you do when you're not here in the park?" Yuka asked.

"Oh, I hang out with my friends," Ryuki said. Yuka had a sad smile and a far-off look on her face.

"Must be nice having friends," Yuka said with a sad tone in her voice.

"Hey, maybe I can introduce you to them," Ryuki suggested.

"I-I wouldn't want to intrude," Yuka said nervously.

"No, you wouldn't be intruding at all. I'll bet they would love to be your friends!" Ryuki said excitedly.

"I doubt it," Yuka muttered.

"Nani?"

"Never mind, Ryuki-san," Yuka said with a dismissing wave.

"Want to get some hotdogs?" Ryuki said, pointing at the hotdog vendor behind him.

"Hai, I'm hungry," Yuka said.

Brimstone barked.

"You too, Brimstone-chan," Ryuki said.

Suddenly, Craig stopped in front of the park and removed his helmet. Ryuki saw him and waved. "Craig!" Ryuki called and waved. "Hey, what brings you over here to the park?" Craig's eyes narrowed. "Ano…Why are you looking at me like that?"

The signal Craig had followed led him to this place and when he saw Ryuki with the girl, he knew who the Orphenochs he was looking for were.

"Is that your friend?" Yuka asked as Craig walked up to them.

"Hai, that's Craig," Ryuki said. "Craig, meet Yuka. I just met her here at the park."

"Oh, I know who she is," Craig said with a menacing tone as he withdrew his gun, much to Ryuki's confusion and surprise, "Or to be more precise _what _she is." He then pointed his gun at her head. "Dead."

Yuka's and Ryuki's eyes widened.

* * *

_They said your life would flash before you when you are about to die. Well, the same was happening to Yuka. _

_Yuka remembered her life back with her family. Actually, it wasn't much of a family. _

_Let us start from the beginning shall we? _

_Her family was rich. Her father was a very successful lawyer and her mother owned her own business. They were well off and lived in the lap of luxury. Yuka was pretty much happy…until her little sister was born. _

_Since then she was pretty much ignored and neglected as her parents spent all their time with her little sister. She got everything that was Yuka's but Yuka didn't hate her for it. Yuka was a loving girl and loved her baby sister. _

_Too bad it wasn't mutual. _

_Yuka's little sister grew up and pretty much became a spoilt and bossy brat, ordering the submissive Yuka around like slave. And every time she did anything wrong, she'd pin the blame on Yuka and nobody believed Yuka when she said she didn't do anything wrong. Her life became hell for years and degenerated. _

_In school she was picked on and bullied and her little sister was the one who had started it. Yuka's sister was prettier, smarter, popular and everyone liked her while Yuka was alone and friendless. She would sometimes find her shoes stolen or her books in the trash. _

_Her parents turned abusive but would not dare to hurt Yuka's 'dear sweet sister'…but Yuka was not so lucky. She was beaten by her drunken father and yelled at by her mother while her sister laughed at her, mocking her, humiliating her. _

_One day, however, that all changed when she was walking home from school. Her coat had been stolen so she had to walk in the cold. She then fell unconscious and… _

* * *

"Craig, what are you doing!?" Ryuki's yell broke Yuka out of her stupor. Ryuki was holding Craig's gun holding hand by the wrist and forcing it down while standing between him and Yuka.

"Move aside, Leo," Craig growled. "This girl isn't who you think she is. She's an Orphenoch!" Yuka gasped.

"No, you're wrong!" Ryuki denied. "She's not an Orphenoch!"

Craig then lifted up the device that had been attached to his bike and pointed it at both Ryuki and Yuka. "**This** says otherwise." Ryuki looked at the screen. There were two red flashing blips on the radar screen. "This little toy can track down any Orphenoch at any range and since it says they're right here in front of me…Do the math, Leo. The only other Orphenoch here," Craig pointed at Yuka, "Is her and I'm going to put a bullet through her head." Ryuki was shocked and Craig took advantage of this and pulled way from Ryuki's grasp. He pointed the gun at a stunned Yuka.

"Goodbye…freak," Craig pulled the trigger.

**BANG! **

* * *

_Yuka returned home late that night and immediately her family began yelling at her and hitting her. Yuka's sister and mother's words hurt her heard and her father's fists were hurting her body. She defended herself with her arms but there was little she could do from the pain of her sister and mother's words. _

_"Why can't you be more like your sister?!" her father said in disgust. _

_"She's prim and proper, not like you," her mother added with disdain at her. _

_"You better, change, onee-san," her sister mocked. "But I doubt it would matter…" _

_Yuka's eyes glowed white and… _

* * *

Yuka's eyes were shut tight, expecting hot and searing pain. However, aside from the ringing in her ears, there was none. She opened her eyes slowly to see that Ryuki had grabbed Craig's wrist again and then had the guy to shoot into the air. Yuka's eyes turned to Ryuki.

"No," he said to Craig and the other man pulled his hand away. People had run away, panicking, at hearing the gunshot, leaving the trio of teens and dog alone in the park. Brimstone growled at Craig as Ryuki's eyes narrowed at his friend.

"Leo, stand aside and don't get in the way," Craig warned. He took aim again but Ryuki stood in front of Yuka, between her and Craig.

"No," Ryuki repeated. Yuka was flabbergasted. Why was he protecting her?

"She's an Orphenoch, Leo," Craig reminded.

"So? I am too. Are you going to shoot me too?"

"You're different."

"How? Because I'm your friend?" Ryuki questioned. "So what if she's an Orphenoch, Craig? She's not hurting anybody."

"She could be working for Occultus," Craig accused. Yuka felt her heart stop a second.

"What if she's not? You can't say every Orphenoch is working for Occultus."

"I can't take that chance," Craig said. "Now move or I might put this bullet through your head too."

Yuka was afraid now. Ryuki muttered something.

"Just try it."

Yuka and Craig blinked.

"Huh?" Craig asked, "What?"

"Why don't you put your bullet through my head, Craig?" Ryuki challenged. "I'm just an Orphenoch so why should you care?"

"You're playing with fire, Leo," Craig warned and then ordered, "Now stand aside."

"Actually, _you're_ the one who's playing with fire," Draco retorted, hands being covered in flames. Yuka took a step back at this. She then heard him say, in Japanese, "_Run and take Brimstone." _

She didn't think twice at his words and ran away as fast as she could with Brimstone hot on her heels.

"Stop!" Craig aimed but then his gun was blasted out of his hand by Ryuki's telekinesis. He glared at his friend/teammate who glared right back at him. Ryuki then showed Craig his Zodiac Deck.

It was a challenge to a duel and Craig had to accept without question. He showed Ryuki his Zodiac Deck as well.

* * *

The park was close to the forest as Brimstone led her deep into the foliage. She stopped to catch her breath and leaned against a tree, panting heavily. She had not been so scared in her life.

Actually…there was ONE time.

* * *

_Yuka's clothes and hands were covered in blood and so were the walls and floor. Her family lay before her, sprawled out and dead. Their faces held a look of fear and Yuka felt horrified with herself. When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she jerked away. _

_"Who…who are you?" she asked. _

_"A friend," the man said, smiling kindly. "I am known as Brother Occultus and I provide a safe haven for you and your kind." _

_"My kind?"_

_"Yes, your kind. The great Orphenoch race. Just take my hand and leave your former human life behind." _

_"But I can't just leave." _

_"Tell me, my dear." Occultus asked, "Were you happy here?" _

_"I…" Was she? She had no friends, her family treated her like dirt…was she ever truly happy here? "No, I'm not." _

_"Will you come with me? All you have to do is swear your loyalty to me." _

_Yuka took his hand and said, "I do." _

* * *

"Sword Vent!"

"Strike Vent!"

Sparks flew as Zodiac Knight Draco and Zodiac Knight Mortuary continued their battle. Draco was wielding his Flame Dragon and Frost Dragon Sabers while Mortuary's right hand was equipped with his Gazelle Stabber drills. Draco swung and slashed with his swords that Mortuary dodged expertly before the Knight of Aries struck at him. Draco sidestepped and then slashed down on Mortuary, ripping sparks from his chestplate. He then kicked Mortuary away.

"Gomen…asai…" Draco apologized as his grip on his weapons tightened.

"You're making a big mistake, Leo," Mortuary said to Draco, "Letting her go. She must be reporting to Occultus as we speak."

"You're wrong," Draco said.

"How would you know?" Mortuary questioned. "You only just met her!"

"How would you know she was evil then? You've just met her too," Draco shot back.

Mortuary growled and charged at Draco. He then created two duplicates that struck at Draco's hands with high kicks, causing the swords to fly out of his hands, before Mortuary leapt up and kneed Draco in the chest. Draco stumbled back but then the Mortuary duplicates struck him in the face with their elbows, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Mortuary rolled his shoulders and neck and then made his way to where Yuka had run off to. His duplicates disappeared. He was stopped when he felt grip on his ankle.

"Let go, Leo," Mortuary said.

"No," Draco said. Mortuary then stomped on his back.

"Let go!"

"No!"

STOMP!

"I SAID LET GO!"

STOMP!

"**NO!**"

Draco roared and then froze Mortuary's leg in place with ice. Mortuary was shocked but was then struck by a powerful super strong punch in the gut that shattered the ice and sent him flying before crashing into a bench and breaking it in half. Draco pushed himself back up to his feet and then said, "Gomen."

"Oh, you're gonna be sorry," Mortuary said as he shot at Draco with necro-blasts. Draco dodged each shot but a few hit and he grunted. He tried to draw a card but Mortuary's blasts kept his hand away from his deck. He then decided to perform a simple trick that Terra had taught him during one of their many training exercises.

He stomped his foot on the ground as hard as he could and it shook, creating a fissure under Mortuary' feet. He jumped up as the fissure widened and the bench fell in. The fissure closed but now Mortuary was in the air and vulnerable.

Draco shot fireballs at Mortuary in which the Knight of Aries was unable to evade and they exploded on contact with his suit. He howled in pain and fell hard on the ground. Panicking, Draco ran towards his friend.

"Craig! Daijou-?" Draco began to ask but was cut off by a kick in the gut. He staggered back. He almost forgot that Mortury was his opponent right now. Mortuary's fingers flexed as did Draco's.

They both drew their cards and slid them into their respective card readers, activating them.

"**Strike Vent!**"

Draco had his Dragon Flame Knuckle on while Mortuary had on his Horned Greaves.

"ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Mortuary yelled as he dashed towards Draco.

"HI-YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Draco roared as he charged as well.

They punched at each other, never letting up as their fists slammed into each other's faceplates and chests. Left hooks, right hooks, forward punches; neither of them was letting the other win. Draco then planted a fist into Mortuary's chest and Mortuary planted an elbow to the base of Draco's neck. They sent one another flying and Draco smashed into a tree while Mortuary fell into the fountain. Mortuary jumped up and dropped down with an axe kick, but Draco rolled out of the way and then slammed his flaming knuckle into Mortuary's chest. Mortuary grabbed hold of his arm and began to rapidly kick Draco, alternating his legs which were donned in his Horned Greaves. The spikes on his boots ripped sparks off Draco's armor as they slash and tore into his armor. He then executed a double-footed kick which slammed Draco away, causing him to crash onto the ground.

Mortuary panted. He felt guilty for hurting Draco but he was on a mission. He knew what his only chance was and spoke into his watch, "Timefire!" The brown parts of his armor turned red and then he jolted away, vanishing in a flash.

Draco was struggling to get up. "Itai…" he groaned and then he noticed Mortuary wasn't around until he remembered him saying 'Timefire'. Why would he need Timefire? Unless…

"No…" Draco's eyes widened with realization under his helmet. He had to move fast. He activated the XL-Vent card, "Excel Active," forming the black and red Excel Suit and pressed a button on his watch.

"CLOCK UP!"

This time he was not going to fail in protecting a friend…even if it meant fighting another friend.

* * *

Yuka backed away from the red armored Mortuary as Brimstone growled at him. The demon dog jumped at him but Mortuary just grabbed him by his color and mercilessly threw him against a large rock. Yuka gasped as she watched Brimstone whimper in pain.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked Mortuary who then grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against a tree.

"To make sure none of your kind ever walks this Earth alive again," he said hatefully as he brought up a hand glowing with necro-plasm close to her face. "Now, hold still." He then fired his blast.

FLASH!

"CLOCK OVER!"

Mortuary found his hand being grasped again by Draco as his necro-blast was being snuffed out. Draco then smashed his foot into Mortuary's chest and pushed him back.

"Daijoubu desu ka?" Draco asked Yuka who was grasping for breath.

"H-Hai," she nodded. "Who are you?"

Draco then realized that she hadn't seen him transform and said, "A friend." He then asked, "Where's the dog?" Yuka's eyes directed him towards Brimstone, who was lying on his side, whimpering in pain. Draco's eyes widened as he turned to Mortuary.

"How could you be so cold?" Draco asked his fellow Zodiac Knight and Titan.

"When it comes to Orphenochs I have to be cold, and if you get in my way then I'll take care of you too," Mortuary said.

"Let's see you try," Draco dared as he clenched his fists. Mortuary let out a battle-cry and they fought once again. Yuka immediately went to Brimstone's side. She noticed that his body was beginning to change and fizzle like static on a TV until Brimstone's true form was revealed. His collar had been damaged in the impact. Yuka was shocked but was unalarmed, holding no fear towards the animal. Brimstone had tried to protect her, so the least she could do was do the same for the Kaizer.

Meanwhile, Draco and Mortuary were still exchanging blows as they punched, kicked and struck one another. Mortuary swung his fist but Draco grabbed it before he head-butted Mortuary in the faceplate, followed by a kick in the solar plexus. Mortuary grabbed Draco by the sides of his helmet and brought it down as he brought his knee up to strike Draco in the faceplate. Draco staggered back but then performed a reversed roundhouse that caught Mortuary by the surprise and smashed him into a few trees.

Draco cracked and rolled his neck. He was starting to ache in a few places. He didn't want to fight Mortuary but he just wouldn't listen to reason. He saw both Yuka and Brimstone and yelled, "Go! Get out of here!"

"But-!" she started.

"HAYAKU!" he shouted out so she took Brimstone in her arms and ran away as fast as she could.

"No you don't!" Mortuary shouted. He jolted again.

"Clock Up!" Draco said, pressing a button on his watch again.

"CLOCK UP!" it echoed and the world around him began moving at slow motion, as slow as a snail crawl. He saw Yuka and Brimstone (slowly) making their escape and Mortuary was using Timefire to gain in on them. He rushed and then kicked Mortuary away. Mortuary flipped and landed on the ground, kicking up some dirt. The dirt was flying in the air in slow motion.

The two then charged at each other, letting their fists fly and smash into one another. Draco then grabbed him by under his arms and asked, "Can you fly?" Mortuary's eyes widened as Draco's feet blasted out fire and shot them high into the air. Draco then kneed Mortuary in the chest before sending him falling. Draco then dived down and then punched Mortuary repeatedly in the chest before finishing up with a heel kick that sent him crashing into the same rock he had thrown Brimstone at. The rock shattered into a million pieces as a result of the impact.

"CLOCK OVER!"

Draco landed and went over to check up on his friend. Mortuary was in pain but alive. Draco would have a hard time explaining this to the others but was glad that Yuka would be okay.

**BANG! **

Draco was caught by surprise and looked down to his chest. There was a smoking hole in his armor. He looked up to see Mortuary with his gun aimed at him.

"Sorry, Leo," Mortuary apologized as he walked out of his hiding place from behind a tree as the duplicate lying on the ground disappeared. "Nothing personal, kid," he said calmly. "Don't worry, though, I didn't hit anything vital. I just needed you temporarily out of the way."

Draco's armor shattered away as he fell against a tree. He had numerous bruises on him, a broken lip and black eye, plus a bleeding gunshot wound in his chest, as he stared at Mortuary in pain and disbelief.

"Don't look at me like that, Leo. You know this is what I do," Mortuary said with a sigh. He shook his head as his armor disappeared as well, revealing several injuries on him too. "I never intended for this to happen, but you have to understand that my job is to destroy Orphenochs." He then turned to look for Yuka.

"A friends once told me…revenge is not sweet…but instead holds a bitter aftertaste," Ryuki quoted. The wound in his chest was bleeding. He wouldn't die but it sure hurt.

Craig did not answer but kept walking…the girl had to die.

Suddenly, he was caught by surprise when something flew past him and knocked him down. He turned around on the ground and gripped his gun as he picked himself up off the ground.

He was looking at a pure white creature with wings…

No, it was not an angel…it was an Orphenoch.

The Crane Orphenoch.

It was female with a high collar and large white wings on its back. Its lower legs were like that of a crane's, long and thin with talons. The Orphenoch lowered itself next to Ryuki.

"Get away from him, freak!" Craig threatened as he aimed his gun at the Orphenoch. Suddenly, he heard a loud and angry bark as Brimstone leapt at him and threw him to the ground. Brimstone was trying to bite him but, luckily, Craig was using his gun to hold the hellhound's jaws apart and away from him as drool fell on his face. The dog may not have been big, but it made up for its size with its sheer strength.

Meanwhile, the Crane Orphenoch shielded Ryuki with its-her wings. Ryuki thought she looked like an angel.

"Who are you…tenshi (angel)-sama?" Ryuki asked. "Have you come for me?"

The Crane Orphenoch giggled at being called an angel and then said, "A friend." Ryuki recognized that voice, or to be more specific he recognized her giggle.

"Yuka?" he asked.

"Call me Crane," she said soothingly. She dug her claws into the wound, causing Draco to wince. "It'll be okay, Ryuki," she assured him as she pulled out the bullet. His Orphenoch regenerative abilities began to kick in as blue flames enveloped the wound.

"You _are_…an Orphenoch…" Ryuki said in realization.

"Gomenasai, Ryuki-san," Crane apologized. "I've been deceiving you."

"It's okay," he said. "So have I."

"Then…we are the same?"

"More or less," he winced. He then said, "Didn't I tell you to run?"

"You did…but then I just couldn't leave you. You were so kind to me and protected me," Crane said. She didn't need to say anymore but then said, "Gomenasai…"

"You don't have to apologize," he said.

"Hai, I do," Crane said and then confessed. "Your friend was right; I do work for Occultus." Ryuki's eyes widened but he didn't say anything or get mad…yet. He let her continue telling her side of the story instead. "I was sent here as a spy to befriend you and later persuade you to join Occultus. But then…but then…I just couldn't do it."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because of you and your kindness…You were the first person to ever show me any sort of kindness and offered to be my friend," Crane said as tears fell from her eyes. "For a long time all I've wanted was a real friend."

Ryuki smiled at the kindhearted Orphenoch before he saw Brimstone being thrown back by a necro-blast. He said to her, "Go."

"But, I can help," she objected.

"I said **go**," he insisted. She nodded and flew away.

"She's getting away!" Craig aimed but then his entire hand and gun froze over before he saw the barrel of Ryuki's DRA-Blaster held to his face.

"Craig, stop," Ryuki said. "It's over."

Craig was about to retort angrily when their communicators beeped.

* * *

Crane's wings folded behind her as she landed. She was back on the Mountains of Madness that were in Zandia. She had failed to recruit Ryuki but she wasn't unhappy. She was the exact opposite actually and was happy now since she had made a friend, a true friend. She smiled widely as she started to walk back to the temple, but then her path was blocked by two other Orphenochs.

Nami the Lobster Orphenoch and Richter the Centipede Orphenoch.

Nami's Orphenoch form was based on a lobster and she had plated armor over her arms, legs and body. She also had a pair of antenna on her head and a visor with several holes over her eyes.

Richter's Orphenoch form was segmented with spikes on the side of his arms and lags.

Both of them were colored grey.

Both Orphenoch Generals did not seem happy with Crane. Not happy at all.

"You failed," Nami began.

Richter added while twirling his barbed whip around his arm, "It was a simple mission, Crane."

"Gomenasai…I just…couldn't do it, Nami-sama and Richter-sama," Crane apologized.

"That's perfectly alright, dear," Nami said gently as she placed a hand on the Crane Orphenoch's shoulder. "Master Occultus won't punish you."

"R-really?" Crane felt relieved until…

_STAB! _

Crane's eyes widened, "Nami…sama…?"

Nami withdrew her rapier from Crane's chest.

"But we will," Nami said heartlessly as she let Crane drop to her knees. Crane then morphed back to her human form. Blue flames began to appear on her. "Let's go, Richter."

"Yes, Nami," Richter said as he followed after her, leaving Yuka's body behind.

Yuka let out a tear…but a smile was on her lips. She said, "Sayonara…Ryuki-kun…" as her body disintegrated into ashes that blew in the wind.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Mirror Dimension in Tokyo…

Two Zodiac Knights, one female and one male, clad in matching green chameleon armor, were fighting against another pair of Knights who were clad in suits of armor based on two big cats, the lion and tiger. The two latter Knights were also named after the animals they were based on.

"Hold Vent!"

Mirage and Façade, the Chameleons of Gemini, hurled their yoyos forward and slammed their opponents repeatedly in the chest-plate, stomach and faceplate. Tiger and Lion were unable to react fast enough as the yoyos smashed into them, repeatedly, and at an alarming speed. It was hard to tell where the attacks were really coming from since the twin Chameleon Knights were using their power of illusion to confuse Lion and Tiger. The strings of the yoyos then wrapped around their necks and both Mirage and Façade grinned as they threw Lion and Tiger into the air and smashed them into the wall. They were all fighting in a tunnel. Mirage and Façade banished their illusions before they withdrew their yoyos and then antivated the cards that would finish this.

"Final Vent!"

The twins' twin Biomeleons (humanoid chameleons) appeared and spat out their long tongues. Mirage and Façade were launched into the air by their Biomeleons, grabbed their targets and spun in the air as they administered their patented Death Banish Final Vents. The powerful pile-drivers were then executed perfectly as they smashed into the ground with great force, enough to break the necks of their opponents.

Mirage taunted, "There, you see the awesome might…"

"…Of our power," Façade finished.

As the two Chameleon Knights laughed, Lion and Tiger had recovered, much to their surprise, and summoned their axes before sliding in _their_ cards.

"Final Vent!"

Mirage and Façade screamed as they were grabbed and dragged along the ground by two familiar looking monsters, Savageleon and Destwilder, towards Zodiac Knight Tiger and Lion, also known as the Wild Ligers. The twin chameleon Knights had challenged the two half demons to a Zodiac Duel and now they were going to lose. Both Wild Ligers were preparing to strike, wearing their respective Strike Vents.

Tiger: " CRYSTAL BREAK!"

Lion: "BURNING CLAW!"

Tiger's freezing claw and Lion's flaming claw sliced into Mirage and Façade's armors, through their decks and shattered the crystals and decks, destroying them. Mirage's flaming form exploded and Façade's frozen form shattered like glass. Both were dead, defeated by the two Wild Ligers. Their powers of Gemini entered the two of them.

Tiger, the Knight in white and blue, sighed sadly at what he had done as he stared at his claws. "I hate having to do that, Tarou-niisan," he admitted to his brother.

"You're letting Draco get to you," Lion, the Knight in black and red, told his brother. "Don't. The tournament's getting closer and we need to stay focused. You have to remember that in the End there can be only One."

"I know but still…" Tiger began.

"Let's go home. Ami and Yumi are probably waiting for us as we speak."

Tiger nodded and as they were getting ready to leave the Mirror Dimension…

"Final Vent!"

"Huh?" Tiger and Lion responded in bewilderment. They saw a psychotic looking motorcycle speeding straight towards them. The rider was Copycat. The bike began to spin on its axis, spiraling fast like a tornado, headed towards the other two Knights.

"PSYCHO SPIRAL!"

Tiger and Lion were unable to react in time and the attack slammed into both of them, sending them flying into the air. Copycat stopped her spinning and then jumped up. She slid a card into her whip.

"Sword Vent!"

The Psycho Slasher appeared in her hands, dark blue flames engulfing it. She then lashed her whip at the hapless Tiger and drew him to her before she stabbed him with her weapon, piercing the crystal in his deck. Tiger screamed as his deck and armor shattered away before he was thrown to the ground, wounded. Lion had landed later, on his feet, and saw his brother. He assumed the worse.

"KAZUO!" Lion screamed, horrified, as he stood up before rushing towards his injured brother.

"Don't worry," Copycat said menacingly, "You're next." She slid another card into her whip.

"Accel Vent!"

FLASH!

SLASH!

She was suddenly behind him as he froze in his steps. He dropped to his knees, armor and deck shattered, and then fell facedown on the ground. Copycat looked over her shoulder at him, satisfied with her work. She then noticed two beasts coming at her. She sighed and reached for her belt again.

Destwilder and Savageleon attempted to avenge their Knights but were then halted when Copycat raised up two blank Contract cards at them and absorbed them into said cards. Now the two monsters were hers.

3 energy orbs, containing the powers of Gemini, Leo and the Tiger, rose up and entered Copycat's Zodiac Crystal. She smirked to herself and was ready to leave when she turned to look at Kazuo and Tarou's vaporizing forms. Hmm... they _had_ been good Knights. Should she just let them disappear here?

Choices...choices...

To Be Continued…

A/N: Sorry it took so long but I had been kinda busy with studying and all. Anyway, I do hope that you enjoy reading this chap as much as I did writing it. Next up…I'm not sure when the next chap will he written but it won't be long…I hope. Pls, R and R.


	47. PT047: Heart to Heart

Part 47: Heart to Heart

Ryuki leered at Mortuary with narrowed eyes as he flipped his communicator open. His DRA-Blaster was still aimed at his 'friend' while he spoke into the communicator.

"Moshi moshi?" he asked. The voice that responded was Robin's.

"Draco, where are you?" Robin sounded quite distressed.

"I'm near the park with Mortuary," Ryuki replied. "Is something wrong? You don't sound well, Robin."

"Something happened while you were away. You two better get back here. Robin out."

"Hai." Ryuki flipped the communicator close and then regarded Craig. "Ikuzo."

"Right," Craig responded, nodding curtly.

Both teens had serious frowns on their faces as they made their way back, keeping their distance away from each other. Brimstone walked close to his master while occasionally growling at Craig.

Neither of them spoke a word to each other until they arrived at the Tower.

* * *

The Tower was a mess with holes in the structure as well as smoke rising up from it. The strange thing was that the smoke was red and blue.

"What happened?" Ryuki, now in uniform, asked. Jinx answered.

"Some new guy was attacking the city so Robin, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg went to handle it." Jinx then continued, "He then attacked the Tower but luckily for us we had our Inzecters so we were able to stop him." The Scarab Inzecter on Jinx's shoulder beeped happily as it accepted the praise.

"_I_ was the one who shot him out of the air," Terra reminded as her Cutter Inzecter, which was standing by her leg, clicked its mandibles.

"Only after_ I_ damaged his jetpack," Blackfire added. The Fire Inzecter buzzed next to her in agreement.

Draco decided to nip this argument in the bud before things got ugly. "So, where is he?" Draco asked regarding the criminal that had done this to their home as he helped with repairing the Tower. Cyborg was mourning over the sofa with both Starfire and Pluto consoling him.

"The guy is in the Interrogation Room with Shadow and Robin. They should be done with him soon," Renia said as she used her Alchemy to restore the sofa, much to Cyborg's delight.

" Crystal, you are AMAZING!" Cyborg complimented the alchemist.

"Thanks," Renia the Crystal Alchemist said with a smile. "Tell me something I don't know." She turned to see the state of Mortuary and Draco. "Hey, what the hell happened to you two?"

"Yeah, baby," Jinx said with concern in her voice. "You have some pretty nasty bruises and so does Mort."

Draco glared at Mortuary and the latter returned it with full force. Draco then answered, "We were in a fight."

"Was it a monster?" Jinx asked.

Mortuary eyed Draco and said, "You could say that. It got away thought." He growled under his voice.

The others could feel the tension rising between Draco and Mortuary. Did something happen between them while they were away or something?

Robin and Shadowcobra both returned from interrogating the criminal, who had went by the name of Saico-Tek. They didn't look too happy.

"Robin, were you successful in learning anything from the red and blue man that had attacked us?" Starfire asked.

Robin said, "He got away, Starfire."

"Got away?" Cyborg asked. "How? When?"

"He just vanished like he was never there," Shadow said.

"Maybe he teleported," Blackfire suggested.

"He could've done that to escape before," Robin replied.

"What exactly happened?" Draco asked as his interest pique.

"We were questioning him and then he struck at the sprinkler systems. After that he just disappeared."

Beast Boy jumped up and down and raised his hand. "Or maybe he wasn't waterproof!" Beast Boy shouted out, laughing, but then met the angry glares of Raven, Cyborg and Shadow. "It could happen."

Shadow contemplated it, "Although, as ridiculous as that sounded, Beast Boy may have a point there."

Beast Boy grinned at hearing this.

"What makes you say that?" Raven asked.

"I scanned Saico-Tek and his life signature was unlike anything I've ever come across…I didn't know what to make of it before he pulled that disappearing trick on us."

"He did give us a name though," Robin said, "Brushogun."

"Brushogun?" Draco asked, eyebrows raised.

"You've heard about him?"

"Hai, my ojii-chan once told me about an evil entity that went by that name. However, it wasn't much. He said that Brushogun was a dark being with equally dark powers," Draco said.

"What about you, Shadow?" Robin asked their resident Vampangel.

"Never heard of him," was his reply. "The name, it just…doesn't ring a bell."

"I thought you knew everything, dude," Beast Boy stated.

"I have my father's memories but I'm not all knowing, Garfield," Shadow retorted.

"So, what do we do now?" Starfire asked.

Robin then decided, "Pack your things, Titans. We're going to Tokyo."

" Tokyo? Why?" Pluto asked.

"We're going after Brushogun! Saico-Tek said he came from there," Robin said.

"Cool, we're going on vacation!" Beast Boy shouted out happily.

* * *

"While we're away, Shadow, I'm leaving you in charge," Robin said to his 3rd in command. They were in the Knights' SB Special Ops room.

"I won't disappoint you, Tim," Shadow said with a nod.

"I know you won't, Desmond."

"Just be careful when you're there in Tokyo. Remember what I told you what happened to us while we were there."

Robin remembered. Shadow, Draco, Pluto, Blackfire, Jinx and Raven had gone there and faced some really powerful villains. Who knew what Robin would see there? "I will be, Shadow."

"And take care of Koriand'r." He then reminded, "Also, don't just keep your mind on the mission. It is important to prioritize, but try to have some fun while you're at it. Also, contact Prof. Murata and Mrs. Hasuma when you get there. They'll provide you with the money you'll need and a place to stay there. I am sure they will be of great help. My shadow clone will be waiting for you at Narita Airport."

Robin said, "Thanks for the advice, Shadow, but we'll be taking the T-Ship."

"Whatever…just remember that the rules are different in other countries, Tim."

* * *

Pluto and Cyborg were at the garage tricking out the T-Ship. Terra wanted to go too so they made an extra cockpit for her as well so now the T-Ship had a total of 6 cockpits.

"I'm gonna miss you, Cy," Pluto said to his cybernetic friend.

"Me too, Plutes," Cyborg said. "Say, you know any good places to eat there?"

Pluto grinned, "Well, there is this place that's opened 24 hours and it's ALL YOU CAN EAT!"

Cyborg was looking forward even more to going to Tokyo. "SWEET!"

* * *

"Is Tokyo really as amazing as you told us?" Starfire asked her sister, Blackfire, and Raven.

"Yep," Blackfire said with smile. "There's a lot to see there."

"Oh, I cannot wait!" Starfire floated.

"You thinking of having a romantic date with Robin there?" Raven said.

Starfire beamed. "Oh, yes I do!" She then turned serious, "However, the mission is of most importance."

Blackfire reminded, "Having your priorities straight is well good and all, but it doesn't hurt to go sightseeing."

"I can't believe I'll be going there again," Raven said with a smile.

"Yes, but what about the language?" Starfire said nervously. "I cannot speak Japanese."

"Actually, you can, Starfire." Raven reminded, "Remember when you had to kiss Shadow back on Gaijo? Didn't you say Tamaranians absorbed language through…lip contact?"

Starfire then remembered and then blushed at the memory. She giggled. "Oh, thank you for reminding me, friend!"

"No problem."

Blackfire gave Starfire a piece of folded paper and whispered, "Here's a list of things to do and places to go while you're there, Star."

"Thank you, sister!" Starfire said before hugging her.

* * *

"I wonder if we get to see the Great Wall there," Beast Boy said excitedly as he packed his bags. Terra was with him.

"Beast Boy, the Great Wall is in China," Terra corrected.

"Oh well! There is some place else I wanna go see while we're there!"

"Really? Where?" Beast Boy showed her a thick comic book and she soon got her answer. "That place? Really?"

"Yep!" Beast Boy nodded excitedly. "It's world famous, you know?"

"I'll bet," Terra said as she rolled her eyes. "Oh, Shadow said to give you this," Terra handed him a thick book.

"A Japanese to English dictionary?" Beast Boy looked at the book then at his girlfriend questionably.

"It comes with a tape that you can listen to. Shadow says that it will help you not make any stupid remarks while we're there."

"Hey, my remarks are witty!" Beast Boy defended.

"He doesn't think so and remember when we went on that Ski Trip?"

Beast Boy shuddered. "Oh yeah, that."

"Anyway, let's finish packing and…" she then thought of something and grinned. "Say, when did Robin say we were leaving?"

Beast Boy looked at his watch. "In an hour. Why?"

Terra grinned and pounced on her green boyfriend who yelped and soon they were making out on the floor.

Terra's Cutter Inzecter clicked its mandibles before it scurried away.

* * *

The core Titans (Starfire, Robin, Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy) plus one Z-Titan (Terra) were ready to go to Tokyo. The T-Ship was outside the Tower as Cyborg pushed (more like forced) all their luggage into it.

"You only brought a toothbrush?" Shadow said to his fiancée in disbelief.

"It's all I need," she responded.

"I will not have that. You are my fiancée so you will need more supplies. Smart Brain shall provide them for you."

"You do remember that we'll be staying at Draco's mansion, right? So extra clothes won't be a problem."

Shadow blinked. She was right, but then felt fear for her. What would Draco's mother force her and the others to do while they were there?

Pluto, Beast Boy and Cyborg cried as they hugged each other.

"I'm gonna miss you guys!" Pluto cried out.

"Me too!" Beast Boy cried along.

"Count me in, dawg!" Cyborg cried as well.

Blackfire and Terra sighed in embarrassment at their boyfriends' behavior. They were acting like it was the end of the world or something. It was the same thing before the core team had gone off after the Brotherhood of Evil. They even had a farewell party that day and then a welcome home party after the Brotherhood of Evil was put on ice.

Terra noticed the disturbed look on Mort's face and wanted to find out what was up. "Something wrong, Craig?" she asked while giving him a nudge.

Craig didn't want to worry his best friend before she left. "It's just a headache," Mort lied.

"Take care of yourself while I'm gone, ok?" Terra asked before giving Mort a firm hug. She wanted to hold on to him as long as she could since she found out about Mort's condition. Terra then gave Mort a small kiss on the cheek. "Take care of Ren too."

Mort returned the kiss. "I will, sis. Don't worry about a thing."

Renia walked up to the former Red Wolves. "So, you're leaving me with the team dunce, huh?" Renia asked Terra jokingly.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon enough to keep him in line," Terra responded with a smirk. She then gave Ren a big hug and kissed her on the forehead.

"Tell okaasan I said hello," Draco said to them as they prepared to leave. With one last wave, the 6 Titans left on the T-Ship and straight towards Tokyo.

Mortuary and Renia waved along with the others before Draco and Mortuary's eyes met. They turned away from each other, scowling.

"I'll be at the obstacle course," Mortuary mumbled.

"I'm going to the gym," Draco said under his breath.

Both of them left without saying another word to each other, perplexing their friends.

"Okay, what's up with those two?" Blackfire questioned.

"I don't know, but I doubt it's good," Pluto agreed.

Shadow's eyes were narrowed as he saw Draco retreat back into the Tower and Mortuary go to the obstacle course behind the Tower. It was like they were trying to stay the hell away from each other as far as they could.

"I'll go see what's wrong with Ryuki," Jinx volunteered as she followed after her boyfriend.

"I'll go check up on Mort," Renia said before she dashed after Mortuary.

Shadow smirked. His mental suggestion had worked.

"Let's go fix up the Tower some more, Mutt," Shadow ordered Pluto.

"Okay, Lizard-Lips," Pluto responded with a growl.

Blackfire rolled her eyes as the two of them called each other names as they reentered the Tower. "Boys…"

* * *

Draco was working out in the gym. He was pummeling the punching bag as Jinx watched him worriedly. He was actually beating it to a pulp like he was mad at someone and picturing said bag to be that someone.

He wiped the sweat off his brow and then put his mask back on. Jinx handed him a towel and a bottle of water. "Arigatou," he said, wiping the sweat off and taking a few sips.

"Is anything wrong?" Jinx asked him. He shook his head and smiled at her.

"Daijoubu. What ever made you think that?"

Jinx then replied, "Well, the way you were acting when you came back with Mort-"

POW!

The punching bag was now at the other end of the room courtesy of a punch from Draco. Jinx looked wide-eyed at this.

Draco then realized what he had done, "Ah, Gomen!"

'_Okay, now I know something is up_,' Jinx said in her mind.

"I better go take a shower," Draco said. Jinx gave him a suggestive look and grin.

"Want me to wash your back?"

Draco's eyes went wide and he blushed, "N-No, that won't be necessary, Jinxy-chan!"

"Oh, come on!" Jinx pouted. "It's not like we've never seen each other naked before."

"True, but I really just want to take a shower, alone. Demo…" he went and looped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him, "…Maybe later tonight, alright?" he whispered.

Jinx purred and leaned against him. He was so warm. "Okay…"

They were like that for a few minutes before sharing a chaste kiss and then he left take a shower. She had a dreamy look on her face as her Scarab Inzecter beeped to get her attention.

* * *

BANG!

ZAP!

BOOM!

Mortuary ran through the obstacle course, one hand armed with his Death Buster and his other hand glowing green. He was blasting at all of the weapons being trained on him. Renia was at the console, watching him intently. He seemed pissed for some reason and was taking it out on the obstacle course to blow off some steam.

Renia, often called Crystal since her codename was Crystal Alchemist, watched as the boy she was crushing on used his powers and gun to go through the obstacle course. She hadn't told him how she felt. She was scared and nervous since he saw her as nothing more than a child. She sighed and then just continued to watch him from afar.

* * *

Later, that night…

Jinx was in her room, lying on her bed, on her stomach, and kicking her legs as she read a magazine when she heard a knock, but it wasn't coming from her door…

…It was coming from her window.

She pulled the curtains and saw Draco waiting for her, sitting on Dragonzer. She opened the window.

"So, ready to go?" he asked.

Jinx grinned and took his hand before he pulled her up upon the red dragon. She looped her arms around his waist securely. "Hold on tight!" he said as he gripped Dragonzer's horns and they flew towards their destination. Brimstone, who had been sleeping in Jinx's room, watched as his master and his master's mate (Jinx) flew away before resuming his slumber.

* * *

The two lovers stopped in front of a diner called "Ben's" and stepped inside. Draco opened the door for her and she entered before he followed her in. The people inside stopped what they were doing to look at them before resuming what they did.

"Nice place," she commented.

"It's nothing fancy, really," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's okay," she said to him. "I don't care as long as I'm with you."

"Arigatou, Jinxy-chan," he smiled.

They both sat at the bar. Jinx asked, "So, how did you find out about this place?"

"Terra and Beast Boy told me they came here on their first date," he replied. "They make a really nice apple pie. Want a slice?"

"Sure."

"Two slices of apple pie, please," Draco ordered from the waitress. "A glass of cold milk and a glass of soda too."

Jinx then stared at her boyfriend. He had a far off look on his face as he rested his chin in his hand, propped up with the elbow on the table. There was definitely something wrong and it had something to do with Mortuary. Too bad he wasn't in the mood to talk.

The pie and drinks came and both Jinx and Draco took a bite. Jinx swooned as her eyes watered.

"This is the greatest pie I've ever had," Jinx said.

"I knew you'd like it, Jinxy-chan," Draco said, his thoughts about the pie the same as hers.

"So, is there any reason why you decided to take me out tonight?"

Draco just replied, "Just…because, you know. We've been very busy lately and haven't had enough time to ourselves."

It was true. They had been really busy with protecting the city and despite the amount of Titans they had now on the team crime was still rampant in Jump. Even more so since the villains had escaped. However, the de-iced bad guys hadn't made a major move…yet.

"I see." Jinx nodded, understanding. She didn't want to spoil the moment by asking about what had happened earlier that day. She smiled at him and then finished her slice of pie. Draco ate his slice too. He looked up at the mirror behind the waitress before he whirled around on his chair in shock.

"Something wrong?" Jinx asked.

"No," he shook his head, drinking his milk. "It's nothing…" He was lying. He had seen something in the mirror but now it was gone. He sighed in relief and thought, '_Must be my imagination. If it was a monster or a Knight then I'd be hearing the ringing_.' He asked her, "Want to go have some fun?"

* * *

Mortuary lay on his bed in his room. He was still thinking about the fight he had with Draco earlier that day. A sudden knock on his door shook him out of his thoughts.

"Who is it?" Mort asked in an annoyed tone.

"It's Renia. You mind if I come in? I just need to talk," Renia asked.

Mortuary walked to the door and opened it and greeted, "Come on in, kiddo."

Mort sat on the chair by his desk while he motioned Renia to sit on the bed

Mort leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. "So what'd you want to talk about?"

"About how've you been acting today." She added, "Ever since you and Leo got back from wherever you went you both have been acting kinda pissed off and looking at each other weird like you want to beat the crap out of each other," Renia said

Mort gave out a small laugh and then got serious "Look, Ren, I'll tell you what happened cause I trust you so let's keep it between us." Mort took in a breath and said, "Me and Leo actually did beat the crap out of each other."

Renia was a little shocked, "What happened to make you guys fight like that?"

Mort shrugged, "It's simple; he got in the way of a target and wouldn't get out of the way. He defended a piece of Orpehnoch scum that was more than likely working for Occultus."

Renia was shocked to hear this but recomposed herself. She'd have to talk to the others about this sometime, somehow, especially Draco. "I see…So are you guys gonna make up? Do you even want to?"

"I really don't know." Mortuary said, sighting dejectedly. "He crossed the line with me. He knows how I feel about Orphenochs and what they did to me and my friends."

"Well we really can't be that great of a team if you guys are like this." She then added, "Besides, Draco's an Orphenoch too, right?"

"That's something else I wanted to say. I'm thinking about quitting the team," Mortuary told her.

Renia was in complete shock and cried out "What!? You can't just leave! What would you do!?"

Mortuary balled up his hands into fists, "I'm gonna face Occultus head on. I have the skills and tools to do it now." He was talking about his powers, skills, weapons and most importantly his Zodiac Deck and Armor.

Renia's voice was starting to tremble, "I don't want you to go. Occultus will kill you and I… the team needs you."

"Who cares if I get killed? I'm already a dead man anyway remember?" Mort said as if it didn't matter to him rather if he lived or died.

Renia burst into tears, "Maybe I care, you jackass! Maybe Terra cares!" Renia then got off to bed and embraced Mortuary, "I'm not afraid to say it anymore, Mort! I love you!"

Mortuary was at a loss for words. He had no idea how Renia felt about him. He didn't really know how to handle this. Renia was too young for him so he didn't know how to break it to her that'd he would have to decline. He pushed Renia gently back a little and wiped the tears off her face and decided to try to explain to her why it couldn't be.

"Look, Ren, you still got a lot of time ahead of you to be wasting it on a guy like me. I don't mean to break your heart or anything cause you don't deserve that, but let me promise you a couple of things. For one, I promise to stay on the team and not go at it alone and I also promise that you'll find a boy who will become a better man than I am."

"You are a better man, but I wanna see you keep your promise," Renia said while wiping her tears away and shortly after she yawned

"You better get some sleep," Mortuary advised.

"You're right, and thanks for the talk Mort," Renia smiled.

"It's what I'm here for, Kid."

Renia hugged Mortuary again before leaving his room to get some much needed rest.

When Renia was out of his sight he looked to the ground and said, "Even when I'm gone I'll make sure and the others have a future"

* * *

Dragonzer landed in an amusement park. It was the same amusement park where Terra and Beast Boy had their first date.

"So, wanna go on some rides?" Draco asked her but Jinx frowned.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Jinx asked him in a demanding tone.

"Daijoubu, Jinxy-chan," Draco responded, lying, but she could see right through him.

"Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, you're the worst liar I have ever met!" she said sternly, looking him in the eye. "There's something wrong so…please…" she placed her hands on his shoulders, "Tell me, okay?" She started to cry and Draco panicked.

"Jinxy-chan!" he took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "Please, don't cry!" Jinx had learnt that aside from her 'Kitty-Cat-Eyes' her boyfriend's other weakness was to see girls crying, especially her. He sighed and said, "I promise to tell you, but maybe later, alright?"

"You promise?" she asked, eyes furrowed. He placed a hand on her cheek tenderly and looked her in the eye with his emerald orbs.

"I promise, koishii," he said to her before placing his forehead on hers. She smiled back at him.

(Koishii dear, wanted, beloved, darling)

"Just one more thing," Jinx said as she reached up to his face and peeled off his mask. "There. I've always liked you better without the mask, you know." She then purred. She returned the mask to him and he placed it inside a pocket within his jacket. "So, want to get some cotton candy?" Jinx suggested.

"Hai!" Draco beamed.

The two didn't notice a pair of girls watching them. Both wore black bow ribbons in their hair. One girl was at least 18 with long black hair and clad in a black jacket over a red top and blue jeans with black boots. Her companion, appearing to be 15 years old, had chin length black hair and wearing a black shirt with a denim skirt and black shoes. What was strange about her was that she had pointed ears, golden eyes and a tail.

"Well, what do we have here?" the older girl purred. "So, Ryuki's out on a date."

The younger girl, who was enjoying a candied apple, spoke, "Mama, what are you going to do?"

"Now then, kitten, didn't we come here to have fun?" the older woman placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Well, let's have some fun, shall we?" She pulled out a white and blue cell phone, slid it open and speed dialed before placing it to her ear. "Moshi moshi, Slade-sama…"

* * *

"You called, Shadow?" Renia asked as the door to Shadow's office/room slid open.

"Yes, I did, Crystal," Shadow said from his place at his desk. "Please, take a seat," he offered. She walked over and sat down. Shadow leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "It has come to my knowledge that you feel a little left out since you are the only member of the Z-Titans that does not have a Zodiac Deck or an Inzecter."

"Where did you hear that?" Renia remarked.

Shadow turned on the TV in his room and it showed Renia smashing several cinder blocks to rubble and complaining, "_It's not fair! I'm a part of this team too! Why don't I get a cool suit of armor!?_"

Shadow paused the video and looked at Renia critically. "Does that answer your question?"

Renia looked a bit nervous under Shadow's gaze and decided to make an excuse, "That was a long time ago! I'm okay with it now."

"That was from yesterday," Shadow retorted. Renia groaned and banged her head on his desk in embarrassment before looking up at him.

"So, you're going to punish me for complaining or something?"

Shadow smirked and then leaned forward, his forearms on his desk. He said, "Not exactly. You see, Crystal…or should I just call you Renia?"

"Either one," Renia shrugged. "You call me Crystal now since it's part of my codename, remember?"

"Well, Crystal, the truth of the matter is that you do make a valid point," Shadow said. Renia perked up at this. "All of us have amazing abilities but they can only take us so far. They will always be threats which our powers won't work against. The Zodiac Decks and Inzecters give us the extra edge necessary to combat these threats."

"So, what are you saying?" Renia asked, nearly jumping in her seat.

"I've evaluated your progress on the team as well as spoke to Rorek," Shadow said as he reached under the table. "I think you're ready for this." He placed it on the table and pushed it over to Renia. "Congratulations, Crystal Alchemist, you've earned an Inzecter of your own."

"Really!?" Renia yelled with joy before composing herself. "I mean, really?" Renia examined the item. It was a metal belt with the SB symbol as the buckle.

"Try the belt on," Shadow offered. Renia took it and strapped it on.

"Not bad," Renia said as she looked herself in the mirror. "But what Inzecter is this?"

"There's a button on the top of the buckle. Push it," he instructed. Renia did as told and the buckle flipped open to become a platform for something. She then heard a hopping sound and then something leapt over Shadow's desk and towards Renia. She grabbed it.

It was an Inzecter, her Inzecter.

It, like the other Inzecters, was based on an insect. It looked like a robotic grasshopper or locust and colored red with a bit of green on it. The Inzecter hopped out of her hand before bounding up and landing on her shoulder. It beeped happily at its new master.

"That one is one of two new Inzecters that Smart Brain developed. It's called the Punch Locust Inzecter and it's yours."

"Wow, thanks, Shadow!" Renia said. "I don't know how to thank you!"

"Just promise to use it well."

"I will! Can I try it on?"

"Why not?" Shadow shrugged and leaned back in his chair, his arms resting behind his head. "It's yours, isn't it?"

"Okay, here I go," Renia opened her palm and the Punch Locust Inzecter hopped off her shoulder and into it. "Henshin!" She slid the Inzecter upon the buckle.

"HENSHIN!"

The armor began to encase her and Shadow smiled at the latest Inzecter user.

"CHANGE PUNCH LOCUST!"

A pair of bright green eyes flashed in the darkness of his office.

* * *

Both Jinx and Draco had fun at the amusement park.

First, Draco won her a big pink teddy bear when he knocked down the cans with a baseball at one of the mini-game stalls. Actually, he had used is telekinesis so that he hit the balls but Jinx gave him a kiss for it anyway. They then went on a few rides.

They went on the bumper cars. Draco got hit by Jinx a few times.

After that they went and rode the roller coaster and followed by the Ghost Train. Jinx clung to her boyfriend for safety as Draco assured her that he would keep her safe.

They then rode in the tunnel of love where they kissed and cuddled the whole way.

Later, they had their picture taken at a photo booth. They had some more cotton candy and corn dogs after that. Jinx was feeling cold so Draco, being a gentleman, offered his jacket to her. She accepted it with a smile and a purr.

Now, they were on the Ferris Wheel, riding in one of the cars.

"I've had a great time, Ryuki," Jinx said, sitting close to him. He had his arm around her shoulders.

"So have I," Draco admitted, but his eyes wandered out of the window. Jinx frown.

"Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at her.

"Well, you looked a bit depressed just now," Jinx replied.

"I'm fine," he said calmly and smiled. "Daijoubu. Nothing to worry about."

There was a moment of silence as she leaned against him, resting her head on his chest, just enjoying each other's company.

He then decided to tell her what had happened earlier. He could no longer leave it be, "Brimstone and I were at the park, playing fetch when I met this girl named Yuka. We became friends but then Mortuary came and accused her of being an Orphenoch and attempted to kill her. I stopped him, we argued and we fought. He chased after her and so I gave chase. We fought again and he…shot me." Jinx's eyes widened in shock and then narrowed in anger, glowing dangerously pink.

'_I'm gonna kill him…_' she swore in her mind. Draco continued.

"But then, Yuka turned out to really be an Orphenoch and saved my life before she flew away. It turned out she was working for Occultus but couldn't finish her mission because of my kindness. She had a good heart after all." Draco gripped his fists. "Why couldn't Mortuary see that she wasn't evil?" The truth was, he hadn't want to fight Mortuary but he was forced to do so. Jinx placed a hand on his. "I hope she's happy now, wherever she is."

Jinx was thinking of hexing Mortuary when they got back to the Tower. How could Mortuary be so close minded and bigoted to go after a girl, even if she was an Orphenoch? She hadn't been evil as far as Draco had told her, just misguided. Kinda like Jinx…

"I wish I had met her. She sounds like a really nice person," Jinx said.

"Hai, she is." He paused. "Jinxy-chan," he began. "If you found out something about me so horrible, would you still love me?"

Okay, now Jinx was starting to get worried.

"Huh?" she said curiously.

"Would you?"

"Sure I would, baby," she said, looking him deep in the eyes.

"Let me ask you this; do you know why I decided to change my look?" he asked.

"Because you wanted a change, right?"

"Actually, it's because of something else." He then told her about his possible future, Ryuga, what happened to her and everything. Jinx's eyes grew wide from his story.

"After I defeated Ryuga, I died, but Libra brought me back to life and turned back time so that it was like none of that ever happened. He let me remember it though," he finished. He looked at Jinx who had her mouth open and her eyes wide. '_She probably hates me now._'

Much to his surprise, though, she flung her arms around him in a hug.

"You idiot!" she cried.

"J-Jinxy-chan?" he asked in bewilderment. She looked up at him with narrowed and tear-filled eyes.

"What kind of person do you think I am, Ryuki? Why would you think I would stop loving you just because of that?"

"Demo, Jinxy-chan…"

"Listen here, Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, I'm the last person who would judge you because of that, even a _possible_ future. I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of either and you know what happened?" He shook his head and she continued, "You happened. You came into my life and gave me a chance for a better one. So, don't think I would ever turn my back and abandon you after finding out about something like that. As far as I know, you're nothing like Ryuga. You're good; you have a heart, a soul."

"Jinxy-chan…"

"I love you, you dumb Knight! And I always will!"

"Gomenasai…" he wiped her tears away with his finger. "Aishiteru, Jinxy-chan." He then leaned down, his eyes closing, and his lips touched hers. She closed her eyes and kissed back, enjoying the warmth and sensation as their kiss deepened and they held each other in an embrace, comforting each other. Nothing could ruin this moment…

Well…_almost_ nothing.

"How romantic," a voice purred silkily.

They both jumped at the sudden intrusion to see none other than Zodiac Knight Copycat, sitting across from them in full armor, waving. "Don't mind me," she said in a fake-pleasant voice, "Please, continue." She added menacingly, "It'll probably be the last kiss you ever share."

To Be Continued…


	48. PT048: OMEGA

Part 48: OMEGA

Omega…The last letter of the Greek Alphabet. However, do you know its true significance?

Do you?

It means a lot more than as a simple letter.

The Omega…

The End…

* * *

A large figure began to rise up from the water and stepped upon the sandy beach of Titans Island. It was quite large, standing nearly over twenty feet with broad shoulders and cold red eyes. It was shrouded by the darkness of the night, however, making its appear more foreboding than it should.

Its eyes scanned the structure and began moving forward, slowly, step by step, each step causing a loud thudding sound that caused the ground to quake.

Following close behind the larger figure was one of average size with an aura of power and maliciousness.

The Titans were in for a fight for their lives here.

* * *

**KA-BLAM!!**

The Ferris wheel car Draco and Jinx were occupying suddenly exploded in a blast of fire. The explosion was so loud it caused panic amongst the people who had come to the park to have a good time with family and friends. Now, it was a sea of panic as people began screaming and running in pure displays of chaotic behavior.

Two people, however, were not panicking as they watched the 'fireworks' and eating ice cream.

"We're done here," Kat spoke with a satisfied smirk and purr as she regarded her daughter. "Let's go home and-"

"CLOCK OVER!"

"Kuso…" Kat hissed under her breath and turned to see Draco, clad in full Survivor Mode armor, and holding Jinx around the waist. She recovered and spoke with narrowed eyes, "So, you escaped."

Draco let go of Jinx and glared at his twin sister. He replied, "It wasn't hard, really. I realized that it wasn't you since it didn't smell like you." He tapped a spot on his faceplate where his nose would be. "The Nose always knows." He continued, "So, you can cast illusions now." It was a statement rather than a question.

Kat scoffed. "Clever. You know, you could've made it easier for yourself if you just got yourself blown up, little brother. It would've been better to die fast and painless," her face curled into a snarl, "compared to what I will do to you."

"And what will you do to me?" he challenged. Kat's answer was to whip out her Zodiac Deck and summon her belt.

"Empowerment of the Zodiac Cat!" she cried out and slid the deck in, "Henshin!" In a flash of light she was clad in her armor and cracked her whip. "I'm going to tear you apart and feed you to my monsters!"

Draco turned to Jinx and spoke, "Jinxy-chan, you better stand back."

Jinx retorted, "But I can help you!" She was afraid for him. The relationship between the two siblings had been quite antagonistic and it worried her. Also, Draco's eyepieces were growing at the same intensity as the ones on Copycat's helmet…it didn't feel right.

"Let me play with you then," Cathy spoke as she stood next to her mother, already wearing the ALPHA Gear belt. "May I, mama?" she asked Copycat's permission.

"Go ahead, kitten," Copycat said. "Show the witch what you got."

"Arigatou!" Cathy whipped out her ALPHA Phone, flipped it open, and began dialing the code. At the same time, a buzzing sound could be heard as a black insect flew straight into Jinx's open hand as she caught it.

"Standby!" the phone spoke as the code had been entered.

"I'll handle the little girl," Jinx said to Draco. "Be careful, okay?"

"Hai, I will, Jinxy-chan," Draco said with a nod as both sides stared each other down.

"Henshin!" Jinx and Cathy spoke in unison before attaching their devices to their belts.

"HENSHIN!" the Scarab Inzecter echoed.

"Activate!" the belt/phone called.

Their armors began to cover them and when they were done…the fight was on. ALPHA and Copycat were the first to strike as Copycat lashed with her whip and ALPHA grabbed Jinx by the waist and took her into the air with the help of her wings and jetpack.

"JINXY-CHAN!" Draco cried out but then sparks flew off his back when the whip hit him.

"Worry about yourself for once!" Copycat said as she slid a card into her whip.

"Strike Vent!"

She swung her claws, slashing him across his armor. "Your armor isn't so tough!" Draco rolled out of the way when the claws came down on him and he drew a card before sliding it into his Dragblaster.

"Sword Vent!"

Meanwhile, with ALPHA and Jinx, ALPHA was having fun with the armored witch as she took her into the air in an attempt to play with her before finishing off for good. It was hard for Jinx to believe that this used to be the little girl Kat had with her. How could she be allowed to be corrupted to be so evil?

Jinx tried her hexes but she couldn't get enough leverage and she kept missing when ALPHA tilted her head to the side to avoid a blast in the faceplate. Her armor was hi-tech but it wasn't magic retardant.

"If I drop you, no matter how powerful your armor is, you'll die," ALPHA informed. "And even if you don't you'll probably get some REALLY nasty bruises, _Auntie Jinx!_"

Jinx glared. She hated that nickname with a passion. It was okay if ALPHA was still a little girl but now as a teenager, the name made Jinx feel old.

Oh, she was gonna make her pay for that and she knew just how.

"You'll be the one with bruises!" Jinx shot back and reached for her belt. "Cast Off!"

"CAST OFF! CHANGE SCARAB BEETLE!"

ALPHA was shocked by the blast of the armor against her form as Jinx changed to Speed Mode. She was falling to her death since she was REALLY high up, but luckily for her she had a good boyfriend. She screamed as loud as she could, hoping he would hear her.

He did.

Draco's sharp ears picked up her shriek of terror and he kicked his villainous sister away before drawing a card and sliding it into his Dragblaster. "Add Vent!"

Jinx heard a powerful roar and smiled under her helmet as Dragonzer flew in, transformed into Dragonrizer, before the powerful red dragon caught her on his back. She stood up and looked around for her adversary and saw a white object heading right for her.

"You'll pay for that!" ALPHA cried out as she aimed her lasers and fired at the dragon and its rider. Jinx directed Dragonrizer to evade the laser shots and then the dragon opened its mouth and fired a fireball at the power suited mutant. ALPHA saw the ball coming but was not fast enough to dodge. It slammed into her and exploded, sending her falling.

Copycat saw this and was completely horrified. Right now she was locked in battle with her brother and would not be able to reach her in time, but then her brother stepped back and said to her, "Do what you must."

She was not shocked but grateful, knowing her brother cared about her daughter. She said, "Activate Jets!" and her own CAT-Sky Attacker activated before she took to the air. She had the jets go full throttle and was able to catch her daughter in her arms before she could get into any more harm. The ALPHA suit had been damaged but luckily Cathy only sustained minor burns from the blast as revealed after the armor deactivated. Cathy groaned.

"Mama…?" Cathy questioned.

"I'm here, kitten." Copycat's eyes softened under her visor as she landed down in front of her brother. Dragonrizer also landed and Jinx hopped off.

"Thanks for letting me go and rescue my kitten," Copycat spoke gratefully to her brother, despite them being bitter rivals and the worst of enemies.

"Believe me, onee-chan," Draco began as he continued, "I know how it feels to lose someone you care about and the pain of loss. I do not want anyone to have to go through that again and that includes you."

Copycat put her daughter down and shook her head. She said, "You're just too nice for your own good, little brother."

"It's one of my redeeming qualities," Draco answered. "And speaking of redemption-"

She stopped him by holding up her hand, the palm facing him. "Don't even try that," she warned. "We're both Yin and Yang. You're good, I'm evil. That's all we'll ever be; enemies."

Draco spoke sadly as he reached up to his visor and pushed it up to reveal his eyes as his mouth piece slid into the helmet. His face was revealed. Copycat's faceplate also slid open and the twins stared at one another, emerald green eyes meeting sapphire blue.

"I really wish that we could be allies rather than enemies. You've proven that before," Draco said, almost sadly.

"I also proved that I prefer to be evil than good, Ryuki," she said with a scoff. "Remember?" Her faceplate slid close again as did his. "I owe you my daughter's life so I will spare you and your lover's lives." She turned to Cathy, "Let's go, kitten."

"But, mama-" Cathy began to protest but then her mother hugged her. "Mama?"

"I nearly lost you, kitten," she said in a whisper, "And I don't want that. Let us leave, alright?" Cathy nodded and Kat slid her deck out of her before her armor shattered away. As the two were about to leave, Kat gave Draco her final words for the night, "You two should return home. Your friends are being eliminated as we speak. Oyasumi."

Draco and Jinx, shocked by her words, decided not to ask and rushed back towards the Tower.

As Jinx ran past Kat, she whispered into the pink haired girl's mind, '_He deserves to know…_'

Jinx looked shocked and her boyfriend asked, "Daijoubu desu ka?"

(Translation: Are you OK?)

Jinx, understanding what he had said, responded, "I'm fine. Come on, we need to get back to the Tower fast."

"Hai!"

Kat and Cathy watched as the two Titans ran off to save their friends and home and the Cat Knight said, "Gambatte, otouto-chan." She then added, "You'll need it."

(Tanslation: Good luck, little brother)

* * *

A powerful explosion rocked the island where the structure known as Titans Tower stood. The other members of the Z-Titans were sent flying back by the force of said explosion.

"This isn't good," Shadow spoke, hissing.

"What was your first clue?" his teammate, Pluto, questioned in an annoyed tone. Shadow could only hiss disdainfully in response.

Their opponent right now was a 20 foot tall mechanical automaton. It had black metal armor and armed to the teeth. It had broad shoulders and large forearms. The head held a pair of fearsome red eyes. This was a Sentinel, a robot designed specifically to 'take care of' the 'Mutant Threat' a while ago, resulting in the exposure of mutants to the world. This Sentinel, however, bore the symbol of their worst enemy…a stylized 'S' rested upon its chest.

Three guesses who and the first two don't count.

The Sentinel scanned each and every one of them before it began to make its move again. Blackfire clenched her fists and let out a furious roar as she flew at it, eyes and fists glowing with her blackbolt energy.

"TAKE THIS YOU DUMB BUCKET OF BOLTS!" she declared loudly as she sent powerful blasts of energy at it, accompanied by eyebeams. It did absolutely no damage upon it as it swung an arm to smack Blackfire away and possibly break a few bones, but a blast of green necroplasmic energy derailed its plans.

"Hey! Over here!" Mortuary yelled to distract it and it advanced upon the necroplasmic flinging teen. Mortuary grinned and shouted, "NOW!"

Renia, who had been standing behind the Sentinel the whole time quickly placed her hands on its leg and sent her powers to work. A transmutation circle appeared but the Sentinel noticed just in time and swung it leg back and kicked Renia, sending her flying.

"RENIA!" the others yelled in horror.

"I'm okay!" Renia said as her Homunculus regenerative abilities kicked into effect. "Man, that hurt!" She cracked her neck. The force of the strike would've broken a few bones, and it did. The only good things Renia liked about being a Homunculus was her advanced healing factor. Her arm was bent in the wrong angle but it was back as it was as soon as possible with blue lightning running up it.

Shadow's eyes narrowed and he activated his invisibility before he flew to attack its head. The Sentinel, however, was able to detect him and slapped its hands together before Shadow fell to the ground. Pluto growled and flew after his friend and shot lightning bolts only for them to be absorbed by the robot.

From his vantage point, Slade watched as his latest creation was pummeling the Z-Titans to submission. While the rest of the team was off in Tokyo and his apprentice and granddaughter were taking care of Draco and Jinx, he thought he might as well launch an attack on Titans Tower with his latest toy to give it a test run.

"I knew it was a good idea to have ARMS hack into the Sentinel data. Excellent," Slade spoke in a smooth voice,

The Sentinel then activated its weapons and opened fire. Mortuary and Shadow created their respective energy shields to block the attacks but they were slowly being weakened by the continuous laser blasts.

Shadow sent a telepathic message to everyone. It was just one word, '_Transform_.'

The others nodded in unison as they then switched tactics. Shadow and Mortuary turned the shields into energy blasts that sent the Sentinel staggering back while lightning bolts, crystal spikes and blackbolts rained upon it.

Shadow, Pluto and Mortuary gripped their Zodiac Decks and summoned their belts.

"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC SNAKE/DOG/ARIES!" the three called out together before sliding their decks into their belts.

Blackfire grabbed her Inzecter and attached it to the bracelet on her left wrist. "HENSHIN!" the Fire Inzecter called out.

Renia's Inzecter hopped into her open hand and she attached it to her belt. "HENSHIN!" it also called out. "CHANGE PUNCH LOCUST!" Renia's red armor was worn over a black bodysuit. The shoulder guards were spiked and her helmet had two sweeping horns on the side with a pair of antennae on the front. Her mouth-guard was yellow and her eyes were bright green.

Mortuary took notice of Renia's new armor and whistled, "Lookin good, kid."

Renia blushed under her helmet, "Thanks, Mort."

The armors covered their bodies as they stood defiantly before the recovering Sentinel. They were going to finish this once and for all.

"Cast off!" Blackfire called as she rotated her Inzecter. "CAST OFF!" it echoed as it fired her armor at the Sentinel, sending it staggering back further. "CHANGE FIREFLY!"

"Titans," Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra pointed at the Sentinel with his staff, "CHARGE!"

And charge they did.

Zodiac Knight Mortuary and Zodiac Knight Pluto drew out their Final Vent cards alongside Shadowcobra and slid them into their respective card readers.

"Final Vent!"

Blackfire pushed a button on her Inzecter. "METEOR FIST!" it declared clearly.

Renia flipped the back legs of her Locust Inzecter over the main body and said, "Locust Jump."

"LOCUST JUMP!" the Inzecter echoed as Renia jumped high into the air. She then flipped the legs back into their original position.

"Locust Punch!" A charge went from her Inzecter and into her right fist as her eyes flashed.

"LOCUST PUNCH!"

"DEADLY IMMORTAL'S DRILL!"

"CALL OF THE HERD!"

The Sentinel was hit by all 4 attacks and sustained sizable damage. It staggered back, parts of it damaged. Its eyes glowed red at the Z-Titans before it advanced forward, even with sparks escaping its joints. However…

"DARKHOLE CRASH!"

Shadowcobra went into a spinning drill kick and smashed the Sentinel back into a swirling vortex within his Genocide's, chest. The Sentinel was absorbed and destroyed for good.

The Titans victory was short lived when they heard the sound of…applause?

Slade stepped in front of them, clapping his hands. "Very nice, Titans," he complimented. "Very nice…"

Shadow hissed, "Slade…"

Renia's eyes narrowed hatefully at the masked man. She remembered leaving him frozen in a crystal and was anxious to do it all over again.

"You know, I actually thought that my latest toy would've been able to defeat you once and for all," he said to them and then added, "But it would appear that I was wrong." He flexed his fingers and then spoke, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." He flipped open a cell phone and dialed.

Pluto recognized the cell phone and his eyes widened under his helmet as he saw the belt around Slade's waist and warned the others, "Guys! He's got the OMEGA Gear!"

Shadow added, shocked, "One of the two Emperor Belts…"

"Indeed," Slade said.

"Standby," the phone announced.

"Henshin," Slade spoke calmly and attached the phone to his belt.

"Activate."

Glowing gold lines appeared on his body followed by a blinding flash of light and the Titans took sight of a NEW Slade…OMEGA Slade.

The armor was mainly black with golden Excel Streams on the legs and arms. The OMEGA symbol was on the chest and the shoulder guards that covered the upper arms for protection. A coat appeared to be worn under the armor as well judging from the high collar around his neck and the long length of black fabric with golden trimmings that hung from his waist to his ankles. The helmet was rounded with a semi circular crown on top. The faceplate and visor combo was red and shaped after the OMEGA symbol.

"Now the fun begins," OMEGA Slade said as he walked towards them.

Shadow and Pluto drew out their Survivor cards and activated them, "SURVIVE!" transforming into Survivor Mode.

OMEGA Slade thought, '_THAT won't help you._'

Blackfire and Renia were the first to attack, sending crystal spikes and violet energy bolts at him but their attacks bounced off the armor, much to their shock.

"Pathetic," he spoke in disgust as he sent golden energy blasts that exploded upon contact with their armor and sent them falling to the ground.

"RENIA!" Mortuary called out.

"BLACKFIRE!" Pluto howled.

Both Renia and Blackfire on the ground, injured by the blasts as smoke rose up from their bodies. Their Inzecters flew/hopped away, deactivating their transformations.

Shadow gripped his staff and charged forward. OMEGA Slade reached to his side and pulled put a sword hilt and handle. It was black with a gold OMEGA symbol as the hand-guard. A broad and golden energy blade extended and OMEGA Slade swung his weapon when Shadow did. Both the weapons crashed into one another. Sparks flew as they forced and pushed.

"You can't win, Slade!" Shadow spat at him.

"Oh, really?" OMEGA Slade countered and reached down to the phone in his belt. He flipped the phone open and pressed a button.

"Excel Charge," it spoke and sent a surge of energy through his body and into his sword. With a single cry, OMEGA Slade sent Shadow flying back as he smashed the flat of his blade against the Snake Knight's body and destroyed his armor. Shadow smashed into the front door of the Tower.

Pluto and Mortuary were the only ones left. Mortuary placed his hand on Pluto's shoulder. "This won't take long, but prepare an attack anyway," Mortuary said with a cocky grin on his face which was covered by his helmet. Mortuary took a few steps forward and spoke up, "You must be Slade. I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting. It's only fair to warn you that you're gonna die if you fight me, cause I just so happen to be the most powerful of the Titans."

Slade started to pace back and forth. "A bit on the arrogant side aren't we, Mr. Smith?" Slade stopped and faced Mortuary. "You know, I once thought of recruiting you myself. You've impressed me with your eagerness to kill, but you lack the ability to follow orders. I'm afraid I can't afford to have a loose cannon on my side."

"I'd never join you!" Mortuary yelled, "For the way you corrupted Terra, I'll kill you!"

"I'll have you know it was her own choice."

"Shut up!"

Mortuary charged as Pluto prepared his own attack. Mortuary's strikes were being blocked and deflected by the armored mad man like they were nothing. He punched, kicked, elbowed and kneed at OMEGA Slade but all of his attempts proved naught.

Slade then went into a side kick and smashed his foot into Mortuary's stomach. Mortuary doubled over and then Slade performed an uppercut before going into a roundhouse and finally finishing Mortuary off with a palm strike in the chest, sending him flying. As soon as Mortuary hit the ground his belt snapped off of his waist and his armor shattered. Mortuary got back up and faced Slade. Mortuary was breathing heavily "Hey we're not done yet, I…" Mortuary was caught off by bloody coughs and fell to his knees as the Necrosickness overpowered him. Soon enough he gave in and passed out.

"Anyone else?" OMEGA Slade challenged.

"Survivor Final Vent!"

OMEGA Slade looked over his shoulder to see Pluto speeding towards him, riding on Darkraider. Slade just stood his ground as Pluto accelerated and dashed towards Slade, his cape engulfing himself and his bike and then flying towards Slade like a torpedo.

"DARK TORPEDO!"

The attack connected and…nothing. Slade was holding it back with his bare hands.

"Pitiful," OMEGA Slade said in a bored tone as he raised his opponent up and bean spinning around before throwing Pluto and Darkraider at the Tower. They crashed right into one of the windows, leaving a large hole.

"Is there no one else left to challenge me?" he beckoned. "Anyone?" He shrugged. "Oh well. Might as well destroy their precious Tower now and…"

"DRAGON METEOR FIRESTORM!"

OMEGA Slade turned and was shocked to see a draconic motorcycle speeding towards him and spitting fireballs at him. As it came charging to destroy him, OMEGA Slade leapt over the attack. The bike turned around and stopped. It was Dragonrizer and riding upon it were none other than Zodiac Knight Draco Survivor Mode and Jinx in her Scarab Inzecter suit.

Slade stared for a second before he said, "I see that my apprentice was unable to defeat you."

Draco didn't respond and dismounted from his bike with Jinx. He looked around to see his friends injured. His eyes went over to Mortuary, Renia, Blackfire and Shadow as well as the damaged Tower. He focused his eyes and could see Pluto lying unconscious inside.

"What?" Slade questioned. "Cat got your-"

"CLOCK UP!"

Slade was sent flying back by an invisible force.

"CLOCK OVER!"

OMEGA Slade stood back up to see Draco was right in his face. Draco swung another fist but Slade caught it, only for Draco to give him a head butt and then a telekinetic push to send him back.

OMEGA Slade looked at Draco and saw something different about the boy. No longer the idealistic kid he had first met nearly a year ago, the young Knight had grown into a proud and powerful warrior. Slade had seen Draco's potential and during the boy's crisis he had taken advantage of his emotional vulnerability and attempted to turn him into his new apprentice. However, interferance from his current apprentice, Copycat, put a damper on that plan and Draco had suppressed Ifrit.

Slade was, of course, honestly upset with Copycat for costing him a would-be apprentice, but was also proud of her since she used underhanded methods to maintain her position. He would've done the same thing in her position so it showed that Copycat had either learnt a thing or two from Slade or had always been devious.

OMEGA Slade and Draco stared each other down. Slade's single eye narrowed behind his faceplate/visor as Draco's green eyes glowed under his red eyepieces.

There was a sudden warp sound as something flew into the area and into Draco's open palm. He grasped it and Slade could easily see what it was. It was that red and silver device that Slade had sent the Knights of Tartarus after those many months ago…

…The Hyper Inzecter.

Draco attached the Hyper Inzecter to the left waist pad of his belt and spoke under his breath, "Hyper Cast Off," before he pushed the lever horn of the Inzecter down. The horn flipped back into place.

"HYPER CAST OFF!" it roared, echoing Draco's words.

The red flash of light caught the Titans' attention as they started to come to while Jinx was checking up on them. Shadow's eyes widened as he saw the Hyper Inzecter in action…for the very first time.

He uttered only two words, "My word…"

Draco's Survivor Mode armor, save for the helmet, was replaced by a new suit. A reinforced chestplate was adorned on his with a red dragon emblem on him. He wore a black bodysuit under his armor. His gauntlets and boots were silver with red trimmings and he had red and silver armor plating on the sides of his arms and legs. A jetpack was on his back and his red eyepieces turned green while his helmet turned silver just as the dragon emblem on it shifted to red. His Dragauntlet no longer adorned his left arm and attached to his right boot was his DRA-Blaster. The color of his armor matched the Hyper Inzecter's perfectly.

"CHANGE HYPER MODE!"

OMEGA Slade stared at his changed adversary and said, "Impressive."

"Let's do this," Hyper Draco said as he swung a fist and OMEGA Slade caught it. Soon the fight went into high gear. "IKUZO!"

OMEGA Slade threw his own fist just in time as Hyper Draco took his fist out of OMEGA Slade's and went into a spin to smash his heel into Slade's side. Slade blocked with his arm and attempted to elbow Hyper Draco in the back but a wall of earth separated the two combatants before Hyper Draco did a back flip and landed far from OMEGA Slade.

The two combatants then flew at each other, exchanging blows so fast that their arms and legs appeared as blurs. They blocked and dodged their opponents' hits with ease.

The Titans were watching this in awe. These two were fighting like nothing they had ever seen…well, if you don't watch Dragonball Z of course.

Both OMEGA Slade and Hyper Draco let out a cry of fury as they smashed their fists into one another and pushed each other back, kicking up sand.

Sand….Hyper Draco got an idea and activated his Scorpio Power, turning himself into sand and then…a sandstorm!

OMEGA Slade was caught within the vortex of sand as the particles caused sparks to fly off his suit as they attempted to dig into his armor. He was not able to see clearly even through the visor and this worried him. He reached into his belt and drew his OMEGA Sword before placing a hand to his belt, flipped the phone open and pressed the button again.

"Excel Charge!"

A yellow laser blade ripped the sand tornado in half and Hyper Draco reformed himself before glaring at OMEGA Slade.

"Like it?" OMEGA Slade asked, showing off his sword. "You know I've always favored swords to guns. They let me become a little more physical in my fights. I like being more hands on, don't you?"

Hyper Draco didn't answer and threw fireballs and ice spikes at OMEGA Slade. OMEGA Slade simply swung his blade around expertly and blocked the attacks. He then charged at Draco and swung his sword but Draco had ducked, seeing the attack before it happened thanks to his Power of Pisces. He then did a sweep kick, which OMEGA Slade jumped over but when he did Hyper Draco froze him in ice and then smashed him away with a tornado kick just as he jumped up. OMEGA Slade was shattered out of his cold prison and gripped his sword harder.

"How was that, Slade-sensei?" Hyper Draco asked. "You taught me that trick, remember?"

The others were listening, surprised at what Draco had called Slade. They were briefly reminded of Draco's short time as Slade's apprentice but of course Renia and Mortuary were puzzled. They weren't there when it happened.

"I'm impressed, my boy," Slade said, cracking his neck, "Very impressed."

"Arigato, Slade-sensei," Hyper Draco nodded, "Even though I respect you, I **will** stop you."

"I'd like to see you try, my boy," OMEGA Slade retorted. He just stood with his sword ready as he awaited for Hyper Draco to strike. Hyper Draco's hand went to the Hyper Inzecter and he pushed the horn lever the second time.

"Maximum Hyper Power," the Hyper Inzecter spoke slowly. A charge went from the Inzecter and through Draco's body before Draco did a leap and cried out.

"HYPER RIDER KICK!"

Hyper Draco performed a flying kick aimed right at OMEGA Slade. The energy was being focused through his DRA-Blaster. OMEGA Slade held up his OMEGA Sword and blocked the powerful kick with the flat of his blade. Both of them pushed as red and golden energy bolts were released by the clashing attacks.

Both OMEGA Slade and Hyper Draco growled as they continued pushing. Shockwaves radiated from them pushing one another and the island and Tower shook. The Titans continued to watch, however, in morbid interest.

OMEGA Slade then, with all his might, was able to swing his sword and send Hyper Draco flying. Luckily, for the Dragon Knight, his back thrusters activated to cushion his descent. No longer taking any chances, OMEGA Slade charged at Draco who just raised his arm as another warp sound was heard. A thin golden object was caught by Draco before OMEGA Slade swung.

CLANG!

OMEGA Slade's large and broad claymore was being blocked by a golden blade with a black cross-guard. Hyper Draco took advantage of his opponent's stunned moment and pushed back with his super strength, causing Slade to go sliding back.

Shadow's eyes narrowed. The sword Draco was holding…could it be?

It was…the Perfect Inzecter, the partner of the Hyper Inzecter.

"So, you have a sword too," OMEGA Slade admired. "But, unfortunately, it's a toothpick compared to mine," he boasted.

"The size of the sword does not reflect the size of its power," Hyper Draco retorted. "A friend taught me that."

"Let's see if it holds true." OMEGA Slade then charged, releasing a battle cry. Hyper Draco charged straight at him.

The other Titans could've helped Draco at any time but chose not to. This was a matter of pride and honor.

The two combatants fought one another furiously, swords swinging and clashing, spilling sparks on the ground upon contact. Slade's downward swing was evaded as Draco slashed Slade across the chest. He then pressed a button on the cross-guard.

"HYPER POWER! HYPER BLADE!" the Perfect Inzecter announced as it generated red energy around the blade. Slade blocked with his sword as Draco swung it at him and was pushed back with explosive force. Slade was on his knees, steadying himself with his sword.

"Do you yield?" Draco asked and he got his answer.

"NEVER!" OMEGA Slade roared as he went on the attack again.

SWING!

SWISH!

CLANG!

The swordsmen fought with the ferocity of true warriors, with every intent of putting the other down. One was good and the other was evil…but both were still equals.

Of course, this fight was going to end now…RIGHT NOW!

OMEGA Slade leapt back and reached for the OMEGA Phone before sliding the OMEGA Key out and attaching it to his weapon. Hyper Draco, familiar with the technology, knew what was coming and immediately summoned the other Inzecters to him. The Scarab Inzecter detached itself from Jinx's belt, causing her armor to disappear, as the Fire Inzecter flew after it. The Cutter Inzecter also appeared. The three Inzecters then flew towards the Perfect Inzecter and attached themselves to the blade. The Cutter Inzecter rested on one side of the blade while the Scarab Inzecter rested on the opposite side. The Fire Inzecter was on the tip.

"EXCEL CHARGE!" the OMEGA Phone responded as Slade pressed the button.

"HYPER POWER! SCARAB POWER! CUTTER POWER! FIRE POWER!" the Perfect Inzecter announced as the corresponding buttons were pushed, "ALL INZECTERS COMBINE!"

Both Hyper Draco and OMEGA Slade charged at each other and swung their weapons at the exact same time.

"**OMEGA BLADE!**"

"**MAXIMUM HYPER TYPHOON!**"

Both swords made impact with one another.

The OMEGA Sword glowed with a brilliant golden light as it countered against the Perfect Inzecter's crimson glow. The energy surrounding the weapons extended into powerful blades of energy in their respective colors as their wielders continued to push against one another, forcing the other back.

"It seems I have underestimated you, Draco," OMEGA Slade said to his opponent.

"Arigato, Slade-sensei," Hyper Draco replied, pushing back hard with all his strength.

OMEGA Slade decided to taunt him, "Do you think you can fight your destiny? You are only fooling yourself!"

Hyper Draco is shocked and retorted, "Nani? What are you talking about?"

OMEGA Slade continued, "Your sister told me about what you may become and believe me; I'm very impressed. Who knew of the power you would possess? Makes what I do seems like child's play!"

Hyper Draco was shocked. Slade was talking about…Ryuga! How did Copycat know? Wasn't the timeline erased? Unless, somehow…she remembered!

Slade took this moment of distraction to his advantage and added more juice into his sword. There was an explosion of golden and crimson energy that forced the Titans to cover their eyes. They heard a familiar scream as Draco was flung back, forced back into human form as the Inzecters all flew away. Draco landed hard on the ground with burns on his body. Jinx rushed towards him, worried beyond belief.

Slade's OMEGA armor had also deactivated and he panted, his shoulders heaving as he took in the damage he had done. He then stood up straight, satisfied. He said to them condescendingly, "It appears I have the upper hand, but I will not destroy you, at least not yet. You see I want to use my power on all you Titans. I'll spare your lives for another time." He pushed a button on his watch and vanished.

"Did we win or did we lose?" Blackfire asked in confusion.

"You tell me," Renia responded, unsure herself. "Coz I'm not so sure either."

The Titans had lost…and they felt lousy…

* * *

Draco lay unconscious in bed in the infirmary. Jinx was with him, still wearing his jacket. He had cuts and bruises and had bandages on him. He would heal…but until then…

She spoke to him while stroking his face, "You don't care about yourself, do you? I know how you think; as long as the people you care about are safe, it doesn't matter what happens to you, even if you get yourself hurt or killed. Don't you ever think about how we all feel when you hurt yourself trying to protect others without any regard for yourself? Don't you even care about how I feel?" Tears fell from her eyes. "You're an idiot, you know that? But I still love you because of that." She then finished, whispering under her breath, "And that's why I can't tell you…"

Mortuary entered the infirmary and noticed the scowl on Jinx's face when she saw him, Mortuary winced at it.

"How is he doing?" Mortuary asked, sounding really depressed.

"What do you care? You're the one who shot him!" Jinx retorted while walking over to Mortuary and as soon as she got face to face him she gave him a forceful punch across the jaw which actually made Mortuary stagger back. He wasn't surprised that Draco had told Jinx about the incident. She was the one he confided in the most after all. "Why do you have to hate every Orphenoch you come across!? I understand what that one did to you and your friends, but you can't just go hating all of them because of that!" Jinx started to form tears in her eyes "I'm afraid everyday for Ryuki that one day one of these psychos is gonna actually kill him! I don't need to worry that someone he thinks of as a brother is gonna try to kill him off too!"

Mortuary was touched, "Leo really thinks of me that way?"

Jinx's voice softened, "I don't know why he does, but he did tell me so."

"It's true," spoke another voice, it was Draco's and he had woken up as soon as Mortuary came in, "I do think of you that way."

Mortuary rushed over to Draco's bedside and kneeled down with his head hung in shame. He grabbed one of Draco's hands with both of his. "I'm so sorry, for everything I've done. I know you shouldn't forgive me but I mean this, I really do."

Draco placed his free hand Mortuary's shoulder. "You've already been forgiven. The only one I can't forgive is Occultus. You still with me on taking him down?"

Mortuary looked up at Draco and nodded, "Till the end."

A powerful friendship was reformed and the days Occultus were numbered

To Be Continued…

I'd like to thank Zombi138 for co-writing this chap with me as well as the previous one. I know I'm making Draco seem overly powerful but there is a reason for that. When we get to the end of this arc you will understand.


	49. PT049: Back in Tremerton

Part 49: Back to Tremerton.

(Somewhere in Middleton)

Kim was driving her car with Ron riding shotgun. He would've driven it himself but it was _her_ car so she had full driving rights to it. Yes, Kim Possible, the girl who could do anything, was a possessive person and that was what Ron loved about her. She was possessive, but in a good way. There was no way, despite what anyone said about their relationship, would she ever give him up and he would never give her up either, not for any other girl in the world.

A lot of things had changed since they started their Senior year in Middleton High. Brick _finally_ graduated High School after 7 years (It turned out that he had been held back a lot and he was actually 21 by the time he graduated) but he still kept in touch with Monique and them while he was in college.

Felix was out on a date with Zita. They had hooked up in summer. The two of them had a lot in common since they both loved videogames and MMORPG's.

Ron was now on the football team as the official running back.

Kim's little brothers had been enrolled as Freshmen in Middleton High.

And, finally, Ron had a new baby sister named Hana. She had been adopted but Ron loved her nonetheless.

The two teens who made up the crime-fighting duo of Team Possible were on their way back from a mission. Suddenly, Ron heard a familiar ringing sound and looked to his left. There was a white and blue creature running alongside the vehicle and another one was on the right. They were not outside the windows, they were _inside_ them!

"KP, I think we should pull over," Ron advised her. "**Now!**" She saw the look in her eyes. She was ready to stop when suddenly her car was smashed in the side and then began tumbling off the road. The two teens screamed as their vehicle rolled down off the road and crashed into a tree…

…Before the purple car finally exploded.

A figure shrouded in the darkness of the forest looked at the wreckage and smiled with satisfaction. It was about to turn and walk away before a certain ringing reached its ears.

A red and yellow armored figure was standing away from the wreckage with a red haired girl. It narrowed its crimson eyes.

Ron was the Knight of the Monkey and, just before the car collided with the tree, he had transformed into Zodiac Knight Animorph to escape certain death with Kim.

"You okay, KP?" Animorph asked his best friend/girlfriend.

"I'm fine," she answered before her eyes glanced at the car, or at least the burning and smoking remains of it, "Too bad the car isn't."

"Jim and Tim can fix it," he said lightheartedly. "No prob!"

"Yeah." She then asked, "What happened, Ron?"

His eyes narrowed as he scanned the area, "Someone was trying to get rid of us," he added, grimly, "And they're _still_ here."

They heard a light clapping sound when someone slowly walked towards them. First they saw an evil pair of eyes and then when the figure came under the light of the moon, _she_ was revealed to them.

It was the Knight of the Cat, Zodiac Knight Copycat. Animorph recognized her from when he and Kim had gone to Jump City to attend a fashion show and when the Gazelles had attacked.

"So, you survived," Copycat spoke sinisterly, "Pity. It would've saved you a whole lot of trouble."

"Okay, why did you try to kill us?" Kim demanded with her fists gripped. She then activated her battle suit, the blue lines glowing against the white material of her form fitting ensemble

"Please, don't flatter yourself, Kimberly Ann Possible," Copycat spoke with disgust. "You're not my target; you were just along for the ride. The person I'm after is that monkey standing next to you."

"What? Ron? Why?" Kim questioned.

"Oh, he knows why. Don't you, Ron?" Copycat's lips were curled into a smirk under her helmet.

"You want my power," Animorph stated.

"It's the reason we, the Zodiac Knights, fight," Copycat said as she stalked over to them. "So, what do you say?"

"Ron, you can't," Kim begged. Kim often had fears of Ron/Animorph entering the Mirror Dimension and never returning. Now, her fears seemed all too real.

"I have to, Kim," Animorph said to her. "There's no telling what she'd do to get me to fight her. She might go after my family, your family or even _you_." He turned to Copycat. "I accept your challenge."

Copycat moved her head from side to side and replied, "And I almost thought that tonight was going to be boring. Well, lucky me."

"Ron, no…" Kim begged as Copycat and Animorph made their way to a pond and then jumped into the reflection to fight in the Mirror Dimension.

Only one of them was going to come back alive…

* * *

(Unknown place)

"Is he ready?" spoke an armored figure. His visage was hidden under the shadows of a large structure but what little light reflected off a purple demonic looking emblem on his arm.

"Yes, sir, he is," replied a skinny figure with round yellow eyes and wearing what appeared to be a lab coat of some kind. The same symbol was also on was head. "Despite how primitive those Earthlings are, the sophistication of this machine is simply amazing. I must confess that I am quite impressed."

"As soon as we send him back, the destruction of that annoying rock will impress me the most," the larger individual spoke calmly and arrogantly. "Ironic, isn't it, for Earth to be destroyed by one of its own creations? I might just write a poem!" he laughed.

The skinnier figure laughed as well, "I would like to be the first to read it."

"You will, old friend. It will be a masterpiece following the destruction of Earth!"

* * *

(Tremerton)

A sleek and blue as well as hi-tech looking sports car drove into town. Its occupants were four teenagers. They were Yoshiyuki Takada (driver), Craig Smith, Karmen Anders (shotgun) and Renia…Also known as Pluto, Mortuary, Blackfire and the Crystal Alchemist, 4 members of the famous Teen Titans.

"Ah, Tremerton," Takada mused as they drove through the town, "Brings back memories."

"So, this is where Jenny lives, huh?" questioned Karmen. "Seems awfully quiet."

Craig snorted, "Doesn't seem too special to me."

Renia asked, "And who's this Jenny?"

"A good friend and one of Smart Brain's special operatives," Takada answered. "And if we're lucky enough, we just might see her in action."

**KA-BOOM!!! **

There was a loud explosion as a giant monster, resembling Godzilla but with three horns on its head, came stomping into town to do what all giant monsters do; wreck stuff. Karmen, Craig and Renia were ready to get into action but Takada just reclined in his chair nonchalantly as people began running and screaming in panic.

"Yoshi, what in X-Hal's name are you doing!?" Karmen demanded. "People are in danger! Plus, there's a monster in front of us!"

"Relax…" Takada spoke calmly.

"You can't just relax!" Craig shouted.

"Watch me," Takada retorted. "Besides, there is nothing to worry about. Help is on the way." He looked up to see a blue and white metal girl. "And here she is."

"Who's that?" Renia pointed.

"That's Jenny," Karmen answered.

"THAT'S Jenny!?" Craig exclaimed with a bit of surprise, "But she's a-"

"A robot?" Takada finished. "Last time I checked. When I first met her she was just an arrogant robot kid. Let's see if she's changed." He thought, '_Especially since the special training we put her and the others through with Genkai and Anna._'

Jenny (or XJ-9) smirked at the monster and said, "Sorry, Dino-Boy, but this is a 'No Rampaging Zone'!" She turned her arms into cannons and fired energy blasts at the creature's head. However, she was caught by surprise when the horns absorbed the energy and then fired it back at the teenage robot. She tried using her chain guns but the bullets just bounced off its thick skin.

"Alright, I need a new game plan. Too bad my other sisters are at Smart Brain getting internal and external upgraded, Misty's out of town and the Silver Shell is nowhere to be seen. Looks like I need to ask…" she dodged a claw swipe as a screen popped out of her chest, "Mom? I need you."

Takada smiled. Jenny now knew how and when to ask for help, especially at times of crisis. She used to be prideful in her abilities and thought she could handle everything alone. She had been proven wrong though and now knew that she could not fight alone, especially when there were people who cared about her who could lend a helpful hand.

"So, this monster absorbed your energy attack and its hide is too thick for any of your more physical weapons," Dr. Wakeman, Jenny's creator and mother, surmised after hearing her explanation.

"Yeah," Jenny dodged again. "Any suggestions?"

"Shouldn't we help her?" Craig asked with his hand on his Death Buster and glowing necro-green.

"Wait for it…" Takada said. He wanted to see how Jenny faired before jumping in.

"If you can't destroy from the outside…" Dr. Wakeman began.

"Do it from the inside," Jenny finished as the screen slid back into her chest and the panel closed. Her eyes were narrowed. This required perfect timing. It blasted fire at her and she formed a shield from her hands. The edges around the shield fired small armor piercing missiles that caused the monster to roar in agony. Its maw was opened wide and Jenny dived in.

The Titans continued to watch.

10 second later…the longest 10 seconds the 4 Titans had ever experienced…

The creature gagged and then its belly began glowing…

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Takada howled out as he pressed a button in his car and it surrounded them all with an aqua blue force field.

**KAAA-BLOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! **

The monster exploded, sending pieces flying. Parts of the destroyed monster fell on buildings and cars. The entire area was a huge mess and Jenny was sure to get the blame, despite saving the town from turning into an even BIGGER mess! But, the teen robot was not the bit least worried.

Black hummers, 6 in total, drove into the area followed by a large black truck. They all bore the black and silver SB symbol, Smart Brain's emblem, on the hoods and doors. The doors of all the vehicles swung open and men and women wearing body covering hazmat suits, also sporting the emblem and cleaning equipment, rushed in to deal with the mess, clean everything up and maybe collect samples. Smart Brain Corporation's cleanup crew was always handy for a big mess that needed to be cleaned. They also erased memories when required.

Jenny went, "Eew," in disgust and wiped off some of the monster's guts that got on her armor. "I'm gonna need a lot more than wax to clean this gunk off." An operative heard this and sprayed off the gunk with a hose. "Thanks." The operative saluted and joined the others.

"Nice work, Jenny," Takada said as he greeted her, "Hey, Robo-Girl!"

"Takada!" she hugged him, "You came back!"

"Hey, I never said I would never come visit my favorite lady in metal, did I?" Takada spoke playfully.

Jenny blushed, "Always the charmer, huh, Takada?"

He kissed her hand and replied with a smile and a wink, "Always, Jenny."

"Ahem!" Karmen cleared her throat, a look of annoyance (and maybe jealousy) crossing her face. She got her attention.

"Oh, hey, Karmen!" Jenny waved at the alien princess.

"Hey to you too, Jenny!" the two girls hugged.

"Hey, who are your friends?" Jenny asked.

"Oh, these are fellow Titans," Karmen explained.

"I'm Craig, also known as Mortuary," Craig introduced himself.

"I'm Renia the Crystal Alchemist," Renia introduced herself as well.

"You're a Titan?" Jenny quirked an eyebrow as she stared at Renia, "But you're so s-"

"STRONG!" Takada interrupted quickly, "So strong that she should be in the Justice League!" While Takada said this, he was sending a message into Jenny's central processor (her brain). The nanobots in his system had made him into a technopath, allowing him to be able to 'speak' to machines. _'Renia's REALLY touchy about her height. Trust me, you're better off not knowing what happens when she loses her temper.' _

_'Gotcha,' _Jenny then asked, "So, what brings you to Tremerton?"

Takada sighed and said, "Your annual review."

* * *

(Deep in Space)

A large object was slowly making its way to Earth. Only two things were able to be made out from it; a pair of glowing red eyes…

…And the symbol of the Deathtrons on it.

It said only three words:

"DESTROY ALL WEAPONS."

* * *

Boar was smashed into a wall when a missile had exploded and sent him flying. Rubble fell all around him as he picked himself up.

Boar, also known as Brick Flagg, had just been on his way back to his dorm from the library where he had to study for a test when he heard a familiar ringing sound. He took out his Zodiac Deck, transformed, and entered a window to the Mirror Dimension to check it out.

He had defeated the monster easily but just as he was ready to leave, he was shot in the back. He turned to see an unfamiliar green and silver Knight with golden horns on his helmet aiming at him with a submachine gun.

Boar knew a challenge when he saw one.

The other Knight, who identified himself as ARMS of Taurus, was currently aiming at Boar with his Giga Launcher, a bazooka that had shot at Boar moments ago. He was getting ready to shoot at the Pig Knight again when Boar decided to shoot _him_ instead with his eyebeams. The beams hit him in the chest and caused him to drop his weapon. Summoning his rake, Boar charged forward and slashed at ARMS repeatedly and without fail. The green Knight was then smacked away by the rake as sparks were ripped off him and sent him falling.

"Now **that's **fighting!" Boar spoke up as he swung down at ARMS.

"Guard Vent!"

A shield had appeared in ARMS' hand and he used it to block Boar's strike. He then did a sweep and kicked Boar off his feet and causing him to fall on his back before he picked himself up to his feet and began shooting at Boar who was under him. Boar felt several stings as the bullets were shot at him. He thanked his armor or else he would've had more than few aches and pains. He twirled his rake round and struck at ARMS who protected himself with his shield and sent him staggering back before getting up on one knee and firing his eyebeams at ARMS.

ARMS cracked his neck and aimed at Boar again before the Pig Knight came charging at him.

* * *

Jenny knocked on the door and an elderly woman with spiky white hair, glasses and pointed nose opened it. "Young lady!" she spoke in a scolding tone that all mothers had, "It's well past your curfew! What is your excuse this time?' her expression then softened. "What if you had gotten damaged or dismantled somewhere and I couldn't find you?" She also had the worrisome tone all mothers had too.

"Mom, I'm fine," Jenny said before kissing her mom on the cheek. She whispered, "And thanks for the advice."

"I'm always here to help, XJ-9," Nora Wakeman then noticed her robotic company had company and she recognized one of them. "Oh, Yoshiyuki!" She smiled and took his hands before shaking them. "It's good to see you again!"

"Good evening, Dr. Wakeman," Takada said while smiling at the older woman. He had been a fan of her work for a long time. Dr. Wakeman was his idol when it came to robotics which was why he had agreed to recruit Jenny when he had been asked to recruit her nearly two years ago. "It's good to see you too."

"And you've brought friends. Come in, come in," she said. They all entered and were in the living room.

"Dr. Wakeman, I'd like you to meet Karmen Anders, my girlfriend," Takada introduced.

"It's good to meet you," Karmen said sincerely with a smile unlike her sister's.

"It's good for me to meet you too," Nora said. She then said, "I never thought that Yoshiyuki would finally find a girl for himself. When he first came here, he had such a huge crush on XJ-9!"

"MOM!" Jenny exclaimed, blushing with embarrassment.

"DR. WAKEMAN! They do not need to know that!" Takada was equally embarrassed and blushing as well.

"You had a crush on a robot?" Craig quirked an eyebrow. "Why am I not surprised?"

"You used to be a lonely little mad scientist, weren't you?" Renia quipped as she laughed.

Takada shot those two a glare before he turned to Karmen who looked to him for confirmation. Chuckling slightly, he rubbed the back of his head and admitted, "Yeah, I kinda had a crush on Jenny." He then added, "She was hot!"

"Must've been a geek fantasy," Mortuary snickered under his breath but then yelped when a small lightning bolt hit him in the rear.

"Oh, where are our manners?" Renia said. "I'm Renia." She pointed her thumb at Craig. "The one who's dancing like his pants are on fire is Craig."

"It's good to meet you. Are you all…?"

"Yes, they're Titans," Takada said. Takada had explained that Nora knew very well who he was and that he was working for Smart Brain Corporation. Plus, she had seen him on TV and put two and two together. Renia and Craig gasped. "Don't worry, guys, she knows."

"What brings you back here to Tremerton, Yoshiyuki?" Nora asked. "Oh, and sit down you all."

They all sat in the living room on the couch and Yoshiyuki told her, "Ichijyo ordered me to go and do a review on Jenny and her skills. Since she's a Smart Brain Operative and I happen to be the one who recruited her, it was my job to do it."

"I came along to keep him company," Karmen said.

"And we wanted to meet Jenny," Renia said.

"What she said," Craig spoke.

"But why now?" Jenny asked.

"Been kinda busy," Yoshiyuki said with shrug as he took a sip from a glass. Nora had brought them some drinks. One of the glasses tipped over when Renia had reached over and it crashed onto the floor, breaking into pieces.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Renia apologized. "Let me fix that." She collected the pieces.

"Don't worry, Jenny can clean it up and-" Nora then gasped when she saw a circle of some kind form around the broken shards as blue lightning was released from Renia's hands. The glass then melded together and became whole again. "But-what-How did you do that!?" Nora sputtered.

"Alchemy," was Renia's simple answer as she revealed the back of her glove that had a transmutation circle on it.

"She can fix anything broken, granted you have all the parts so it's complete," Craig said with a smile. Thought he had turned her down when she told him her feelings, the user of the Locust Inzecter blushed crimson.

"That is simply amazing!" Nora said with awe. "Alchemy, I've only read it in books and it was believed to just be a faux science!"

"I'm proof that it isn't," Renia said confidently.

"You're so young and so amazing! You could make history with your ability!"

"Sorry," Renia declined, "But a hero never takes credit or try to gain publicity with their powers. I just want to do good, that's all." Karmen smiled.

"So, how did you meet Jenny anyway?" Karmen asked her boyfriend.

It was story time!

Takada then began, "Well it was almost two years ago when…"

* * *

Doc was sent reeling as he was slashed in the chest by his opponent. His opponent was female and she wore blue and white armor and armed with a pair of sharp edged metal fans that she used as her card readers and weapons. He rolled out of the way when she swung them at him and then she kicked him hard in the back of his head.

He had been on a date with Zita. It was nothing fancy really. Okay, so he did have her sitting in his lap while he flew them to their destination. They just went to the arcade and tried beating each other on Zombie Mayhem VI . They had a pretty competitive relationship but Felix loved a strong woman like Zita who could match him. He enjoyed playing with Ron but since the Monkey Knight was preoccupied with Kim, Felix had no one to play with but Zita…sometimes he would go over to her house and other times she would come over to his house. His mom loved her. They also played Everlot and worked well together.

He had then heard a ringing sound and a monster came bursting in and tried to attack Zita. With the help of the cyber robotic arms of his chair, he grappled with the monster and sent it away before he gave chase and transformed into Zodiac Knight Doc, the Knight of the Horse. He left Zita worried but this was something he had to do.

When he had arrived, the monster was already dealt with by the one he was currently fighting with.

His opponent, Zodiac Knight Aqua, threw her fans at him and he used his weapon, a pole-arm with crescent shaped blades on each end, to knock them away and back at her. She then sent wind and water at him but thank goodness he could fly out of her reach but not far enough as he was smashed by the combined forces of water and gale.

Aqua then charged as he got up and charged towards her as well.

To Be Continued…

A/N: The next chap will be a flashback chap. It will be entitled "I Had a Crush on a Teenage Robot".

And can you guess who was coming to Earth? Here's a hint: begins with an "A".

Also, do you think the Heavenly Trio can beat the Knights of Tartarus?


	50. PT050: How the Dog and Robot Met

Part 50: How the Dog and Robot Met

(Flashback…)

It was close to two years ago when Takada and Jenny first met one another. Before that, however, Takada had been called into Ichijyo's office in Smart Brain Corporation, Tokyo.

"Um…you called for me, Ichijyo?" Takada asked as he slowly opened the door. He got a scowl in response.

"Takada, would you please refer to me as Mr. Amakusa while you're here," Ichijyo reminded. Takada growled in response.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Takada barked, "You let Ryuki call you Ichijyo!"

"Well, I like him better than I like you, comparably," Ichijyo replied. "So, he's allowed to be informal with me. Also, you know he prefers to be called Leo at times."

"Well, whatever," Takada shrugged. "Why did you call me here, 'Mr. Amakusa'?"

Ichijyo's eyes narrowed at Takada, noticing that Takada had been sarcastic over the 'Mr. Amakusa' comment but decided not to dwell on it. Instead, he decided to get to the point. "My father just sent me a memo. He wants Smart Brain to have its own personal team of super-powered individuals."

"Super? He wants his own super team?" Takada questioned, confused, trying to know what Ichijyo was going at.

"Yes, he does, and he also sent me a file of perfect candidates," Ichijyo added.

"Um, shouldn't Tazuka and Leo be here?" Takada asked.

"Oh, they already received their assignments as have I," Ichijyo answered. "I'll be leaving on my assignment as soon as I finish debriefing you." Ichijyo picked up an envelope and threw it at Takada. "All the information on the candidate you will recruit is in that envelope, along with plane tickets to America."

"America? The candidate is in America?" Takada blinked.

"The _Candidates _are in America, where I'll be going soon," Ichijyo said. "Now, go, and the best of luck to you."

* * *

"Tremerton, huh?" Takada said as he got off the bus and walked into town. "Seems normal enough. 

He then heard a loud explosion…**BOOM!**

"Then again, I could be wrong…_again_," Takada groaned. Takada looked for the direction of the explosion. It didn't take him long, though. A blue and white robot girl was fighting with a large reptilian looking monster with two eyes on stalks, blue scales, sharp yellow claws and a long tail with a spearheaded tip. It also had a horn on its snout and razor-sharp teeth. People were running away in panic, evacuating the area, while Takada just stood in an alley, watching in hiding. He took out the envelope out of his jacket and leafed through the content before pulling out a file with a small photo clipped to it. There were also additional photographs of his 'target' in action.

Information:

Name: Global Robot Response Unit XJ-9 a.k.a Jenny Wakeman

Age: (Bodily/Mentally) 14. (Actual) 6

Location: Tremorton, USA

Occupation: High School Student

Family: Dr. Nora Wakeman (Her creator/mother) other XJ robots (her sisters before her)

Powers: Flight, super strength, strong impenetrable armor and transformations used to adapt during battle

Additional Data: Possesses a free will and human emotions. She may look like a robot, but she has the "soul" of a teenage girl.

"Hm…it says here that she's the town local hero but not many people seem to think so. It is reported here that she causes a lot of damage during her fights," Takada read and then winced when he saw a building collapse under the monster as it fell from a cannon blast. "She has also gotten into opposition with Skyway Patrol for 'getting in their way'. Hmph, must be one of those government organizations who think they're losing work because of one hero. Where have I heard that before?" A large shadow past overhead and Takada looked up to see who, or what, it was. "Heh, Skyway Patrol. Well, they're a little late."

Jenny was done by the time Skyway Patrol had arrived and they weren't happy. Once again, she had showed them up and they wanted to shut her down for good. It didn't matter if she was doing anything good, it was just that she was not under their thumb and organizations like them didn't like anyone/anything they couldn't control.

Takada fumed. These Skyway Patrol guys should've been grateful for what Jenny was doing. Maybe they didn't like anyone else hogging all the glory. Well, Takada was going to show them soon. He grinned. Maybe a little virus in their systems would teach them a lesson. Ichijyo would be a little mad at him since Smart Brain did provide Skyway with some of its technology but Ichijyo would understand…after a few days depending if the Snake Knight would calm down.

Takada watched the argument and Skyway Patrol warning Jenny, again, to stay out of what they would call _their_ business. Jenny crossed her arms and glared at them as they left mumbling, "Lazy bureaucrats." Brad had told her how Skyway Patrol had a lot of forms needed to be filled out to do _anything_. In her opinion, it was a waste of time!

Takada watched as she flew away and blushed. She was pretty and cute despite being a robot and not to mention strong-willed. Those were qualities that Takada liked in a girl. Sure, he would go out for any pretty face but it took a special kind of woman to win him over completely, both in body and mind. Well, it would appear it was time to keep watching her but where to start? He looked at a note that was included with his orders and read it before blanching. It said only 3 words: Go to school.

* * *

2 days later… 

Takada had stayed in a motel room and used his company credit card to get a room. Today would be his first day in the local high school. He got in as a Sophomore thanks to the paperwork provided for him from Ichijyo.

Dressed in his best blue jeans, blue denim jacket, sneakers and black shirt, he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked through the doors.

As he entered the hallway, he could feel eyes on him, mostly from the girls. Well, Yoshiyuki Takada had to admit that he was good-looking in his own rough kinda way with his spiked up brown hair and such. Heck, he, Ichijyo and Ryuki were three of the most desirable guys in their school back home. And added with Tazuka, well…

To put it simply, girls would often mob them for some insane reason or would try to date them. Ryuki and Ichijyo would politely decline them while Tazuka charmed them all with his fortune-telling trick. Takada just ate all the attention up. Well, he had to get down to business: finding Jenny.

Heck, how hard was it to find a robot girl in a place like this? She'd stick out like a sore thumb.

BOOM!

Hearing the explosion and not to mention the large hole in the wall, he'd found her.

Wow, that was quick.

He watched as Jenny fought with some alien biker-chicks as they were riding through the hallway. They looked reptilian in appearance and Jenny wasn't having a hard time against them.

Takada gripped his deck but then remembered his mission. He was supposed to observe her and report his findings. As of now, he was just a bystander and would do otherwise only when it was required.

God, he hated working for that damn Snake! They were rival Knights for crying out loud. The only reason they were working together right now was that Ryuki was very persuasive and the idea of protecting others was quite inviting. Besides, Ichijyo provided the money for his mother's life support since their life and medical insurance could only last them for so long.

With one last strike, Jenny had driven the alien bikes away. She smiled proudly, but it then faded when angry yells could be heard around her from the students and teachers. Takada's eyes narrowed. How ungrateful! Screw orders!

"HOLD IT!" he barked loudly, gathering everyone's attention. "How can you just yell angrily at her!?"

These were the replies he received.

"She made holes in the walls!"

"She broke the lockers!"

"Destroyed the classrooms!"

"She's just a robot freak!"

The last statement hurt Jenny the most and Takada's blood boiled.

He then added sarcastically, "Oh, and those alien biker chicks wouldn't have done the same? Yeah, right!"

"Well, they wouldn't be here if she wasn't!" another random angry voice yelled.

"So, what are you, a fortune teller!? How do you know they wouldn't have come anyway to cause trouble!" Takada angrily retorted.

"Who do you think you are!?" someone yelled at Takada, accompanied by others.

"Just someone who recognizes a hero when he sees one. Now, you can either yell at Jenny or help call people to clean this place up!"

There were various murmurs as the crowd dispersed, but then two boys rushed over.

"Jenny, you okay?" one boy asked.

"I'm fine, Brad," Jenny assured the red haired boy, named Brad.

"You sure? No dents?" said a black haired boy, who appeared Chinese in appearance, as he examined Sheldon. Jenny rolled her eyes in response. Her eyes then fell upon Takada.

"Thanks for standing up for me," Jenny said with a smile. Takada shrugged.

"Just telling them what's on my mind, Robot Lady," Takada said with a smile. Jenny blushed and Takada looked away, blushing too.

'_Okay…she's kinda cute this up close,_' Takada thought.

'_Cute guy! REALLY cute guy!_' Jenny processed giddily in her CPU.

Sheldon eyes narrowed but then Brad pushed ahead and introduced himself, "I'm Brad Carbunkle. Never seen you around, you new here?"

"Just moved a couple of days ago," Takada replied. "Name's Yoshiyuki Takada, but friends call me 'Takada'." They shook hands.

"Well, nice to meet you, Takada," Brad said. "Any guy who defends Jenny like you did is okay in my book."

"Thanks."

Sheldon stepped over and looked at Takada critically, "I'm Sheldon."

Jenny introduced herself, "And I'm Jenny."

"It's nice to meet you all," Takada said, "Especially you, Jenny." He took her hand and shook it. The cold steel against his skin felt like electricity…in a _really_ good way. Jenny didn't pull away. He let go and said, "I gotta go, first classes and all, I want to make a good impression. Laters!"

Jenny sighed as she watched Takada leave.

* * *

For some reason or unknown coincidence (yeah right!), Takada had all the same classes with Jenny. He would smile at her and he would smile back. They would walk to class together and get to know each other better, they even sat together at lunch with Sheldon and Brad, with the former boy glaring dangerously at the new boy as Brad went on and on how great it was for Jenny to be _his_ friend. Brad wasn't a snob…just really confident about himself despite what others may say to him. 

Takada and Jenny talked animatedly with one another before the spike haired Japanese boy felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see who it was and Jenny groaned. It was the Crust Cousins.

"Say, good looking," Tiff, the short Caucasian one said, "Why don't you sit with us at the Popular Table."

"You look good enough, actually," Brit added, she had dark skin and a 'high class' British accent. "So, why not leave the peasants and join us?"

Takada always hated people who thought they were better than everyone else, sparking his rivalry with Ichijyo. They were able to settle their differences of course, but they still got on each other's nerves. Unlike Ryuki and Ichijyo, Takada attended the Red Horse Private Institute on a scholarship. Ryuki was the only rich boy that he actually liked since Ryuki was not a snob or conceited, but a humble kid who wanted to help everyone and anyone around him.

Takada replied, coldly, "No." Brit and Tiff gasped.

"Come on, you don't know what you're missing!" Tiff said, frantically.

"Yes, I do," Takada added coldly. "Now, buzz off!"

Tiff and Brit fumed before stomping away angrily. Takada bit into his lunch in frustration, trying to calm himself down.

"Woah, why did you do that?" Brad asked. "Anyone would kill to be at the Popular Table. I would."

"And be surrounded by narcissists and snobs who think they are batter than everyone else and act like fake friends?" was Takada's snippy retort. "Pass. I had to face people like them a lot, those who though they were at the Top of the 'FOOD CHAIN'. I learnt that it didn't really matter if I was popular or not unless I had real friends."

"That's so deep," Jenny said with a wide smile. Sheldon grumbled again.

* * *

The school day went on and soon the final bell rang, releasing all the students from the academic and scholastic prison. Takada walked out and adjusted the straps of his bag and went his way towards the motel room he'd rented when she heard a familiar female voice, "Takada! Wait up!" He smiled, it was Jenny. 

"Hey, Jenny. What's up?" he asked.

Jenny asked, "Want to come over to my house later?" Takada scratched the back of his head. He had to **immediately** send a report to Ichijyo.

"Sorry, Jenny," he apologized. "But there's something I need to do right now. It's kinda important."

"Oh," Jenny said, looking downcast.

"But maybe this weekend, alright?" Takada said. Jenny smiled widely.

"Sure!"

"Great!"

* * *

"And send!" Takada said as he clicked on the mouse to send his report via e-mail. He fell back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. He then received an immediate reply with these following words: 

ENGAGE HER IN COMBAT.

Takada sighed. He liked Jenny, but he also knew it had to be done to see if she had what it took to be a future operative of Smart Brain Corporation. Ichijyo, Tazuka and Ryuki were doing the same with their targets as well…

Takada took out his Zodiac Deck and held it out in front of the mirror in the bathroom. He called, "Zodiac Force! Dog!"

* * *

Jenny was at Mezmers with Brad and Tuck and the robot girl sighed depressingly. 

"Okay, what's wrong, Jenny?" Brad asked, "You've been sighing like that for the past 10 minutes."

"Oh, Brad…" Jenny groaned. "I don't think you'd understand. This is more of a girl problem."

"Oh," Brad tucked at his collar. "Girl problem, huh?"

Suddenly the windows of Mezmers shattered and Jenny quickly pushed Brad and Tuck down to the floor, transforming into a make-shift barrier to protect them from the flying shards. No one else got hurt, miraculously.

"What the heck!?" Brad exclaimed.

"What happened? Why did all the windows break?" Tuck asked in bewilderment.

Jenny listened in and heard some sort of screeching, like a bat's but only it sounded like it came from a really big bat. She jumped over the windowsill and looked around, scanning with her optics. Her eyes fell upon a large bat-like creature fleeing the scene.

"You're not getting away from me!"

Jennt followed after the bat, blasting it with lasers but the giant bat creature seemed to have eyes in the back of the head and dodges each shot. If Jenny had pain attention in class, she would've realized that bats were known for their amazing sense of hearing. Jenny continued to fire at it, however, frustrated that this monster was just dodging her attacks, as if it was taunting her, mocking her even. She then noticed that the bat creature was diving down towards the roof of a building, where a dark figure was waiting. The bat creature circles the figure before it perched itself onto its back. Jenny touched down to get a closer look.

Because of her enhanced robots vision, even in the dark Jenny could make out the figure in the dark of the night. It was definitely male. He was clad in black armor which comprised of torso armor, boots and gauntlets. His chestplate was silver and the ensemble was worn over a navy blue bodysuit that appeared to be made of leather. His helmet was black with a silver faceplate and a visor that had two points sticking up to look like ears. The visor had vertical slits on it. Around his waist was a belt with a crystal in the rectangular buckle and sword holstered on the side. On the other side of the belt was a rectangular case. The bat creature had also changed, into a black cape with a pointed collar. To a Batman fan, this guy would be considered someone trying to imitate the Dark Knight of Gotham.

Jenny's eyes narrowed at the armored figure and she said, "Okay, pal, who are you!"

He answered by drawing his sword and said, "Your opponent for the night, Miss Wakeman."

Jenny responded with a confused, "Huh?" before the armored man charged at her and swung down with his sword. Jenny immediately activated a missile launcher and fired but he just sliced the missile in half and the two halves exploded behind him, making Jenny gasp in shock. She then decided to change her right hand into a sword and block his weapon with his. He just swung his fist and caught Jenny in the face. Luckily for Jenny, she didn't have any pain receptors but if she did that punch would've hurt. Jenny jumped back and activated the laser cannon in her chest and fired. The man just wrapped his cape around him and received the blast.

"Yes!" Jenny cheered, thinking her work was done but then…

"Sword Vent: Wing Lancer and K9-Lance!"

She heard the announcement and her armor-clad opponent flew out of the smoke cloud on a pair of batwings. In his hands were a pair of lances and despite their size, he was wielding them quite easily. Jenny growled and flew up to meet him with a punch but he blocked with his lances and then spun them around to push Jenny back and then stabbing them at her. Jenny got hit in the stomach and arm and then her opponent spun around and kicked her in the face until it dented. Jenny held her face and then gripped her fists. This time she turned her arms into gattling cannons. He threw his lances at Jenny but she avoided them easily.

"Nice try, but you're going down!" she aimed to fire but then he just reached to the case on his belt and drew a…a card? This confused Jenny. What was he going to do with that card anyway? Her mental question was answered as he slid it into the handle of his sword.

"Trick Vent: Duplication!" he announced and suddenly, Jenny found herself surrounded by 8 of them. She scoffed.

"Just illusions," she said as she aimed at her 'real' opponent but much to her chagrin, they began flying around, confusing her. Two came her way and she shot at them. They shattered like glass. Two more came at her and she blasted them to bits two. One came from above and two came from below. She just flew aside and they crashed into each other, shattering. Jenny grinned victoriously but then realized that she has just beat 7…

SLASH!

Jenny just got slashed in the back and turned to see her opponent with his sword drawn. The slash had cut through her metal skin, exposing circuitry. She ignored the pain and then started blasting at him. Her shots were being deflected by the armor, much to her surprise so she changed tactics and decided to use her high powered weapons. He, however, drew another card and slid it into his sword.

"Nasty Vent: Super Sonic Screech!"

The bat on his back let out a powerful sonic screech that caused Jenny's audio sensors to go crazy. Also, some of her other systems were being heavily assaulted by the sound. She went out of control and fell hard onto the ground.

Her opponent landed and slowly walked towards her. When he stood above her, he pointed the tip of his sword at her neck. She was heavily damaged from the attack and if he removed her head…she'd be shut down permanently. But then, to her surprise, he just sheathed his sword and started to walk away. "Hey!" she called. "Where do you think you're going!?" He stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"You're not worth to be destroyed right now, Robot Girl," he said to her condescendingly. "Repair yourself and get stronger."

"Who are you?" she questioned weakly as she was slowly going offline.

"Pluto," he answered and then Jenny saw darkness.

* * *

"XJ-9! XJ-9! Please, wake up!" Nora Wakeman, Jenny's creator/mother pleaded as Jenny started to wake up. Jenny was in her mom's lab on the repair table. 

"Mom…?" Jenny said weakly, "What happened? How did I get here?"

"That would be because of me," said Takada, waving. He explained, "I saw you heavily damaged so I took you back home."

"How did you know I lived here?" Jenny asked. Takada pointed behind him for her to see Brad and Tuck asleep.

"They were worried about you," he said. "When they saw me carrying you, they led me the whole way here. You got good friends."

Jenny smiled, "Thanks, Brad, Tuck."

"JENNY!" Sheldon barged in and went to her side, "Jenny, are you okay!? What happened!?"

"Just got into a fight," she said bitterly, "And lost."

"Who did this!? When I find him I'm gonna-!"

"Sheldon," Brad said, woken up by Sheldon's screaming, "If this guy can do this to Jenny, what hope do you have?"

"Oh, I have my ways…"

"XJ-9, you suffered heavy external and internal damages," Nora reported. "I don't think you'll be in any condition to even go to school until I get you properly repaired."

"Oh, mom, what's the worst that could happen?" Jenny asked.

"You could spontaneously explode," Tuck chipped in. Everyone stared at him, bemused, "What?"

"Well, it's late, and I need to go," Takada said, "See you later, Jenny."

"Bye, Takada…"

* * *

Over the next couple of days, Takada was starting to hang out more and more with Jenny and her friends. Sheldon, however, could see that Takada was a little more interested to have something more than friendship with Jenny. Right now, they were at the park having a game of football. Brad kicked the ball and it went sailing into the air, only for Jenny to fly up and grab. "Hey, no flying!" Brad complained but Jenny stuck her tongue and then ran towards the goal. She went past Takada but then he was able to jump on her and tackle her to the ground, causing her to drop the ball and for Brad to grab it. Sheldon wasn't able to catch up with Brad so the redhead was able to score. 

"Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah! Brad is the MAN!" Brad cheered as he did his embarrassing victory dance…

That was not the most embarrassing, however, as Takada was still on top of Jenny. Both of them blushed and then Takada helped her up. Takada apologized lamely, "Um…sorry about that."

"Nice tackle," she said nervously. Takada's phone then rang. He took it out of his pocket and began speaking to it.

"Susie? Am I busy later tonight? Not really. Movies, later tonight? Okay," Takada said, "Bye." Takada smiled, "Looks like I have another date tonight."

"Dude, tell me your secret," Brad begged, "How do you get so many girls to date you?"

"I thought you called yourself the Master of Romance, Brad," Tuck teased, receiving a glare from his elder brother.

"That, my friend, is a personal secret," Takada said. "Well, I gotta go. Catch you guys later." Takada walked over to his bike and raced away after putting on his helmet.

Jenny sighed as she watched Takada zoom away. She had the hugest crush on him and hoped that he'd be interested to go out with her, but the fact remained that she was just a robot and his friend. Suddenly, she received an alert telling her there was a fire. She flew off to help out.

The fire was at an apartment building. Fire fighters were trying to put it out but with limited success. They were helping people still trapped inside to evacuate by the time Jenny arrived.

"My baby!" A woman cried, "My baby is still in there!"

"I'm on it!" Jenny said as she prepared to take off but then a dark blur flew in and then flew out. The figure then landed and Jenny immediately recognized who it was. It was Pluto. "YOU!"

Pluto handed the baby over to the woman and then felt Jenny's glare on him. He then told her, "You can either fight me now, or we can work together to put out this fire and rescue the people." Jenny grunted, knowing he was right.

"Fine, just stay out of my way," she said.

"Gladly."

The two one time adversaries began to help people out of the burning building, while at the same time putting out the fire. Pretty soon, both were done and everyone cheered, but then…

"What's your deal?" Jenny asked Pluto.

"Hm?" he replied.

"First you attack me and now you help me? Why?"

"I have my reasons."

"Tell me!"

"No."

"TELL ME!"

"No."

Jenny fumed and Pluto took off. "Hey, wait!"

* * *

(Later that night...) 

Takada returned to his motel room after his date with Susie. She was nice but well…no second date. He lay on his bed when his phone began to ring. "Hello?"

"_Takada, how goes the assignment?_" it was Ichijyo.

"Well, she liked me but hates Pluto," Takada reported.

"_Good, at least the next time you fight we can see how she is at maximum performance_," Ichijyo replied.

"What about the others?" Takada asked.

"_Ryuki and Tazuka have already gotten to phase two of the assignment, observing and testing out the candidates' battle capabilities on the field_," Ichijyo said, "_And so have I. Takada, you told me before that her only problem was that she often underestimated her opponents. Is this true?_"

"Unfortunately, yes," Takada replied, "Jenny is a bit overconfident since she sees herself as one of the best of the best, and seeing how she often wins her battles, I can see why."

"_Well, her arrogance is something we might need to fix when we recruit her. I will talk to you later_, _Takada._"

"Bye," Takada said as the link was cut off.

* * *

(2 weeks later…) 

Takada's friendship with Jenny and the others had grown and during those two weeks, Jenny had engaged in battle with Pluto and her opponent had left her behind when he had the chance to finish her off. This left her confused and angry. Confused because most of her enemies would never just leave her without finishing her off and angry because she felt she was being toyed with.

One day, at school, Takada met her during lunch and took her aside to talk.

"Um…Jenny?" he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I was wondering if…well…"

"What?" Jenny said, feeling eager. She could only guess what he wanted to ask her.

"You want to go out later? It is Friday night."

"Is this a date?" Jenny asked. She inwardly grinned.

"Let me see…" Takada tapped his chin, "Dinner, dancing, a movie. I guess you could call it that."

"Yes," she said, nodding. "Yes, of course I'll go out with you."

"Nice!" Takada smiled. The bell rang. "I'll pick you up later tonight, okay?"

"Okay!" Jenny smiled and then giggled. She had a date tonight!!

Sheldon had heard everything and scowled.

To Be Continued...

* * *

A/N: Okay, if you must know, this story is told in the POV of the people who were there at the time. However, at one point, this story gets interupted. I decided to end the chap here because I haven't updated ZKD Vol 3 in a while. 


	51. PT051: All Aboard!

Part 51: All Aboard!

"You're going to Tokyo?" Draco asked as Shadowcobra packed his bags. They were in the Snake Knight's room.

"Something is going to happen there and they are going to need my help," Shadowcobra replied. He just had this strange feeling that something bad was going to happen with the rest of the Titans that were in Tokyo because of this whole 'Brushogun' thing.

"But what about the Tower and the city?" Draco asked since Pluto, Blackfire, Mortuary and Crystal (Renia) were in Tremerton, Jinx and Draco were the only Titans around.

"I've already contacted a few of the honorary members to help fill in for you while you are away on _your_ mission with Jinx," Shadow replied. "Remember, this is now your mission because _he_ isn't here to do it."

Draco nodded in acceptance, knowing his friend was right. Shadow picked up his suitcase and said, "I'll be taking the Shadow Basher to the airport. You and Jinx should head to the train station where your ride is waiting for you. Mammoth and Gizmo will be going with you."

"Why? Jinx and I are enough for this mission, Shadow," Draco replied.

"I know, but you may need the backup and they are your friends too. Don't you want to see them again?"

Draco nodded. He did miss seeing Mammoth and Gizmo. They had a lot to do at Smart Brain JC; with Gizmo's job in Research and Development and Mammoth's job in security, they didn't get a lot of free time. It was a good thing that Shadow gave them jobs by promising them high pay and an official pardon for their crimes in exchange for 'community service' (They would have to work with the Titans in fighting crime instead of committing it). It took awhile for them to get used to the idea but with Jinx and Draco's help, the two former HIVE students and criminals were walking on the side of good instead of evil. Shadow could only imagine what could've been of Mammoth and Gizmo if they had stayed on that path.

"See you in a week, maybe two, Ryuki," Shadow bowed. Draco bowed back.

"See you soon, Ichijyo," Draco smiled. Shadow then walked out of the room, followed by Draco.

* * *

In the living room, the honorary Titans that would be looking after the city had already arrived and Draco's eyes narrowed when he saw a familiar yellow and red clad speedster flirting with his girlfriend.

Shadow had called the following: Argent, Herald, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and Hotspot.

Hotspot and Argent, interestingly enough, had developed their abilities because they were both alien/human hybrids created by an alien race via the impregnation of human women. They were meant to become sleeper agents but then went against their creators and became independent heroes.

Wonder Girl was an Amazon from the island Themyscira (or Paradise Island) and sister of the Justice League's own Wonder Woman. She had the same abilities as her elder sister.

Herald had the ability to create dimensional portals with his horn. He was also dating Bumblebee.

And, finally, Kid Flash, the Flash's protégé and the bane of Draco's existence. He had taken a liking towards Jinx that Draco found annoying. Shadow could see it in Draco's eyes that he wanted to do some very unpleasant things to the speedster. He could see the Draco's Orphenoch tentacles start to twitch, threatening to burst out of his back and strangle Kid Flash.

Jinx laughed at another one of Kid Flash's jokes and Draco growled. He then forced himself to calm down. There was no reason for him to become the jealous boyfriend. Of course, he then walked over and gave Kid Flash a glare before leaning over and giving Jinx a kiss on the cheek.

"Alright, you five," Shadow began, "You all are responsible for taking care of this Tower and the city while we (Draco, Jinx and Shadowcobra) are away. I want a report by the time we return, understand?" He received silence but then his dark aura flared up and they all nodded, "Now, I am not going to put anyone in charge since I don't know you all that well. So, you will all have to decide amongst yourselves on who will become leader." He handed Argent a folder, "Here's a file of some of the villains you will be facing. I know Robin has probably given them to you but let's just say they are not to be trifled with." Shadow had heard the news about Façade, Mirage, Tiger and Lion's elimination from the Zodiac Tournament. The former two had been defeated by the latter two and the latter two had been defeated by…Copycat. She was getting stronger, which was no doubt, so they had to keep their guard up. Knowing how close the final tournament was coming, Copycat was going to be working at eliminating the competition.

"Well, luv, I think we can handle things here," Argent said with a sultry smirk at Shadow. She also had a bit of a crush on Shadow. Alright, she liked him even though she knew that Raven and Shadow were in a relationship. It was just so much fun to flirt with him and see what would happen. Granted, Raven would make her worst nightmares come to life if she tried to steal Shadow away.

"Now, I'll be off," Shadow said with a nod. "Draco, Jinx, let's go."

* * *

Draco and Jinx met up with Mammoth and Gizmo at the train station. Draco had also brought along Brimstone. They stood at the platform, waiting, but where was the train?

"Where is that dang train?" Gizmo complained while staring at his watch. "We've been here for ages."

"Oh, shut your mouth, Gizmo!" Jinx snapped. "It's only been a few minutes."

"Have patience, Gizmo," Draco added in agreement. Mammoth didn't say anything. How could he when he was eating a large sandwich.

"But, where is the train?" Jinx asked. And then, they heard a loud whistle. The four of them looked to their left and to their right at the tracks but saw nothing

Suddenly there was a flash and warping sound as a portal formed and a white train with a red front that resembled insect eyes came bursting out of it. The train raced along the train tracks. Draco's eyes widened in recognition of the familiar train.

"The ChronoLiner!" Draco exclaimed.

"Isn't that the train that brought you home?" Jinx asked, referring to the time when Draco was jumping from dimension to dimension because of the Hyper Inzecter.

"Hai, it is," Draco nodded.

"Cool!" Gizmo whistled.

The bullet train stopped in front of them and one of the doors opened. Ant peaked out his head and called, "All aboard!"

"Ant-san!" Draco waved. Ant was an old friend. He had long brown hair coiled into a braid with two bangs sticking out of his hairline. He had blue eyes. His clothing consisted of a red novelty t-shirt with a black blazer thrown over it, blue jeans and black leather shoes. He also had on a conductor's cap.

"Hey, kid, Shadow asked me to be your ride. Get on," Ant said before going back into the ChronoLiner.

"He's going to be our driver?" Mammoth asked, scratching the back of his head. "Who's he?"

"Just an old friend," Draco replied casually.

"One we're grateful to have. For some reason, Shadow doesn't like him that much," Jinx added.

The four of them got onto the train and the door slid close before it made its way along the track and into another portal

Inside the train, Ant was showing the 4 Titans (yes, Mammoth and Gizmo are honorary Titans. That was covered a long time ago) around the ChronoLiner.

"And if you will all follow me, this is the Dining Car and after that we have the Recreation Car," Ant said. The Dining car was white with seats and tables as well as a bar counter where a pretty young woman with short silver hair and green eyes in a white stewardess outfit was standing. Gizmo grinned and flew over.

"Hey, beautiful," Gizmo grinned. "What's your name?" The girl giggled.

"Call me Andie," she responded.

"Andie's a gynoid," Ant explained.

"Gynoid?" Jinx asked.

"A robot that looks and acts like a human being," Draco elaborated.

"Would anyone like a cup of coffee?" Andie offered.

* * *

"And here are your rooms," Ant said as he opened a door to an extravagant looking room that looked like a luxurious suite in a 5 Star Hotel.

"Wow!" Jinx said in amazement.

"Hey, how can a room THIS big fit in a train car?" Gizmo asked. Ant answered.

"Well, the train uses 4th Dimensional physics so any small object can house a large space, like this room for instance. It gives comfort plus you travel in style." Ant said to Draco and Jinx, "You two, this is your room." Jinx walked in, followed by Draco and Brimstone. Ant further told them, "Oh and there is a teleportation device in there so you can transport yourselves to any of the other cars or teleport food over. Just contact Andie to order and she'll send it right over." The door slid close as Ant led Mammoth and Gizmo to their room. Brimstone made himself comfortable on a rug while Jinx jumped onto the bed and touched the sh

"Wow, this is so soft," Jinx said in amazement.

"Hai, it is," Draco said, looking around. This place sure brought a lot of memories.

"So, we're all traveling in a realm between time?" Jinx inquired.

"Hai," Draco nodded, "The ChronoLiner is a train that travels through space and time so you will never be late to your destination. In other words, we'll reach Orchid Bay at the very same time we boarded the train."

Jinx got up and looked out the window at the vast surrounding they were passing by. It was a desert of golden sand and mountains and the sky was the color of rainbows. "It's so beautiful."

"I know," Draco agreed as he looked out the window too. He then leaned over and gave Jinx a kiss on the cheek, "But I can think of something even more beautiful." It was a cheesy line, but it was sincere. Jinx giggled as she laid her head on his shoulder and sighed, watching the scenery.

* * *

"_MAXIMUM HYPER TYPHOON!"_

"_I'm sorry for everything I have done…forgive me…"_

"_Don't die, please, don't die! DON'T DIE!!"_

"_I…Killed her…"_

"_You had no choice."_

* * *

Ryuki Leonard Hasuma/Zodiac Knight Draco suddenly jerked awake and let out a scream. This woke up the girl next to him in bed.

"You okay?" she asked him.

"Nothing," he reassured her. "I just had a really bad dream."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later, okay?"

"Okay." Jen/Jinx understood when to give him space. She trusted him enough to tell her when the time was right. They then heard knocking from the wall.

"People are trying to sleep here," a child-like voice grumbled. There was also a deep snore.

"Gomen nasai, Micron-kun," Ryuki apologized.

"Razzum, frazzum," the minute genius grumbled before resuming his sleep.

The 4 of them (Ryuki/Draco, Jen/Jinx, Micron/Gizmo and Baran/Mammoth) were on their way to Orchid Bay. They were all riding in the ChronoLiner bullet train and would reach there in a few hours. Actually, by the time they got there, it would be as if no time had passed at all. That was the beauty of the ChronoLiner. You could ride it as long as you wanted and still get to where you were going early. Mammoth and Gizmo shared a cabin room while Jinx and Ryuki shared another with Brimstone who was brought along for the ride.

"A good thing that Shadow let me come with you," Jen purred as she snuggled against her boyfriend.

"Hai," Ryuki nodded but the dream worried him. Was it just a dream or a vision of the future?

Jinx reached over to the bedside table and gazed at a card. She then sighed happily, as if remembering something.

"Remember how we got this?" Jen asked referring to the card and her red haired lover nodded.

"How could I forget?" he responded.

* * *

(Flashback…)

"A Pactio?" Draco asked. "What's that?"

Jinx, Shadow, Renia and Draco were in the Knights' Special Ops Room where Shadow was explaining something to them.

"A Pactio is a contract between a Mage, also known as Magister Magi, and a Minister, also known as a Ministra Magi. It's like a connection between the two and it grants extra power," Shadow explained.

"Rorek told me about it," Renia answered.

"OK," Draco nodded, "So, why is this important?"

"Because, Draco, you might need the extra power, the both of you," Shadow answered. "You'll like the results, trust me."

"So, why haven't you made this Pactio thing yet?" Jinx asked the Snake Knight. If there was chance for extra power, she knew Shadow might want his hands on it. He then took out two cards from his pocket. Both were Tarot card size and each depicted a picture. One depicted a picture of Starfire and another depicted of Raven.

"Who says I haven't?" Shadow retorted.

"But how?" Draco asked, surprised that Shadow already made a Pactio. "When?"

"Remember when we were on Gaijo?" Shadow reminded.

"How could we forget?" Jinx remarked sarcastically.

"Anyway, as I was dying, Renia drew a magic circle." Shadow gave Renia a look. "She said it was a Power Transfusion circle, but I knew better."

Renia shrugged, "So, I lied, but you're still alive, aren't you and you gained something in return. Two partners!"

Shadow sighed and continued, "Anyway, now it's time for you two to make a Pactio." Renia began to draw a magic circle around both Jinx and Draco. It didn't take too long and now the Knight and Witch were standing inside a magic circle that was glowing with a purple light.

"Alright, pucker up, you two," Renia said with a grin. Draco and Jinx quirked an eyebrow. Renia elaborated, "A Pactio is initiated with a kiss."

Shadow blushed and answered, "Yes, it is."

"You ready?" Draco asked Jinx.

"Yes, I am," Jinx nodded. They then leaned closer, eyes closed and their lips touched, pressing against each other.

"PACTIO!" Renia exclaimed, arms thrown into the air as the circle flashed out. Soon, it died down and two identical cards fluttered down; one into Jinx's hand and another one in Draco's hand. The cards depicted a picture of Draco, armed with his Keyblade.

Of course, Jinx and Draco hadn't stopped kissing.

"Alright, you two can stop now," Shadow said. They didn't stop. "The Pactio's done." The two were still kissing. Shadow sighed. "Renia, let's go so I can debrief you with the others." Renia nodded and followed Shadow out to meet with Pluto, Blackfire and Mortuary, leaving the couple to make out.

(End Flashback)

* * *

"I can't wait to see this Pactio thing in action," Jinx said as she admired the card. What power would it grant Draco upon activation?

"I guess we'll find out when the time comes, won't we?" Draco said.

"Um!" Jinx nodded as she placed the card back on the bedside table along with Draco's Zodiac Deck and his copy of the Pactio card. She then cuddled with him and closed her eyes. He held the girl close to him and rested his head on the pillow but could not close his eyes.

As I said before, they were going to Orchid Bay, home of Juniper Lee who was the current Te Xuan Ze and a member of Team Mystic. Draco was going to review her progress and Jinx, Mammoth, Gizmo and Brimstone had all come along for the ride. He had already reviewed Jake when he went to New York and Shadow had done the same when he went to Amity Park to review Danny. Pluto had gone to Tremerton to review Jenny.

Originally, this was supposed to be Tazuka's mission, but with his untimely demise, he was unable to do this. Memories of Tazuka made Ryuki shed a tear. The pain was still there. He remembered how he first met Tazuka.

* * *

(Flashback…)

Ryuki was jogging in the park. He had been a Zodiac Knight for awhile now and had gotten used to the prospects of being a hero. He passed by the park and a strange man, sitting at a table, said something random, "Watch your step, you might just find a surprise." Ryuki looked at the man, who was a little bit older than he was. He had short black hair and wearing a blue coat over a white shirt and black slacks. Ryuki walked on and there was a 'squish' sound. He looked under his shoe and grimaced. Ryuki looked at the fortune teller and he just said, "Told you so."

"Well, thanks…I guess," Ryuki added, "Do you mind telling me where I can clean my shoe?" the man pointed behind him to a public restroom. "Thanks." Ryuki rushed towards the toilet to clean his shoe. The fortune teller flipped a coin and stared at it, head's up.

"Things will become quite interesting," he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a blue deck case…bearing the symbol of Pisces, "Quite interesting."

(End Flashback)

* * *

Ryuki inwardly chuckled at the memory. It was embarrassing. Well, the next time he had met Tazuka was a little more pleasant and a little less embarrassing.

* * *

(Flashback)

It was the day after the incident and Ryuki was jogging near the park. The fortune teller was there again, reading a woman's palm.

"You should look behind you for untold danger," he said to the woman. The woman paid him and was on her way. Ryuki stopped and jogged in place in front of the fortune teller. The fortune teller looked up at him, "Care to have your fortune told?"

"Okay…" Ryuki sat down, "By the way, thanks for the warning yesterday…even if it was a little late."

"It was my pleasure," the fortune teller nodded.

"My name is Ryuki Hasuma, but my friends call me Leo," Ryuki introduced himself, holding out his hand.

"Tazuka Mizuki," Tazuka took Ryuki hand and they shook.

(End Flashback…)

* * *

And to find out he was a Zodiac Knight was also shocking.

* * *

(Flashback…)

Ryuki cringed as the sound of ringing invaded his ear. He followed it and ran towards the direction. Tazuka was hot on his heels and in the fortune teller's grasp was…a Zodiac Deck!

Ryuki had no time to ask questions so he looked up ahead to see a woman, the same woman Tazuka had told her fortune to, being pulled by the neck into a window by a tentacle that was coming out of it. It was a Mirror Dimension monster! She struggled against it but the tentacle was cutting off her air supply. Acting quickly, Ryuki shot a fireball at the tentacle and it then retreated back into the window, letting go of the woman in the process as she fell into a heap. Tazuka rushed over and checked her vital signs.

"She's alive," Tazuka said. Ryuki sighed in relief. Tazuka then stood up and held his deck out at the window. The Zodiac Deck was blue with a golden symbol of Pisces on the surface. Ryuki held out his Dragon Zodiac Deck too and their belts appeared on their waists.

"Zodiac Force!" Tazuka called, "Pisces!" and then he snapped it to his belt.

"Zodiac Force!" Ryuki called, "Dragon!" and then he snapped it to his belt.

The armors appeared on their bodies, encasing them, before they stood fully armored.

Ryuki's armor was red with a silver chestplate etched with the symbol of a dragon. On his right forearm he wore a red and silver gauntlet and on his left forearm was a red gauntlet in the shape of a dragon's head. On his legs he wore a pair of knee high red and silver metallic boots. His head was concealed under a red helmet with a silver headpiece that held a red dragon symbol, green lenses and silver mouthpiece. Around his waist was a belt with a rectangular case on the right side with the same dragon symbol that was on his chestplate and headpiece. The buckle had a crystal orb imbedded in the center. All this was worn over a red bodysuit. In this form he was now Zodiac Knight Draco.

Tazuka's armor was blue and white and worn over a black bodysuit. A gold 'X' was on his chest and in the centre was circle bearing his symbol of Pisces. He had fins on the sides and top of his helmet and on his shoulder guards. His faceplate was white with a black 'Y' shaped visor. On his left forearm, like Draco, was an armguard shaped like a hammerhead shark. In this form he was now Zodiac Knight Jawz.

"Let's go!" Jawz shouted before both of them phased into the window and into the Mirror Dimension.

(End Flashback…)

* * *

Both he and Tazuka had fought and defeated the monster before exiting the Mirror Dimension. They then had a talk and Ryuki had found out that Tazuka was a Zodiac Knight because he wanted to protect people too and to stop the Zodiac War. Ryuki then quickly dragged Tazuka along to introduce him to Ichijyo and Takada.

It wasn't exactly a pleasant meeting as both Ichijyo and Takada didn't quite trust any new Zodiac Knights. They had scolded him and warned him about making friends with other Knights who just might be enemies in disguise. Tazuka had assured them that he merely wanted to fight the monsters and none of the other Knights. It didn't stop Takada and Ichijyo from challenging him to a fight though to see his fighting prowess.

Since then, Tazuka had become the 4th member of their group. He would assist whenever they could and they hung out together. They even helped each other when some of the evil Knights decided to cause troubled.

Overtime, Ryuki and Tazuka became the best of friends. And Ryuki took to calling Tazuka 'Tazuka-niisan' and Tazuka took to calling him 'Ryuki-kun'.

Ryuki then yawned and allowed sleep to claim him before he dozed off and cuddled with Jen. He then went off to the Land of Nod.

To Be Continued…

I'd like to thank Phantom Soldier for beta reading this as well as Shadow Element 13 for being my inspiration.


	52. PT052: Victory and Defeat

Part 52: Victory and Defeat.

Suddenly, Takada's story was interrupted by a loud crash and boom outside.

"What the hell was that!?" Takada exclaimed before everyone began to rush out of the house.

When they stepped out, Jenny, Dr. Wakeman, Brad, Tuck's eyes all widened in shock.

"No way…"

"OH MY GOD! HE'S BACK!" screamed Tuck as he began running around in circles.

"What the heck is that thing!?" Craig exclaimed as he pointed up at the massive robot that was beginning to terrorize the town. People were screaming in terror as Armagedroid threaded down the streets and bellowed.

"DESTROY ALL WEAPONS!" Armagedroid shouted, "SO SAYS ARMAGEDROID!"

Looking at the matching reactions of Jenny, Brad, Tuck and Dr. Wakeman, Takada could only say, "Let me guess; an old enemy?"

"Yes, but the last time we saw him he was only a head in space. Who rebuilt him?" Jenny asked.

"I think that's a good clue," Karmen pointed and all eyes were trained on the purple symbol on Armagedroid's massive chest where his furnace was.

"Deathtrons," Takada growled. "Them again."

"Deathtrons, again?" Craig added.

"And they've been busy," Renia nodded.

Jenny dashed forward and activated her rockets, flying straight at the massive automaton.

"JENNY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Takada yelled out at her.

"I beat him once, so I can beat him again!" Jenny said confidently.

"Let's go, guys!" Takada ordered and so the Titans ran/flew after the robot girl.

"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DOG!" Takada called.

"EMPOWERMENT OF ARIES!" Craig called.

"HENSHIN!" Renia and Karmen called out in unison as they summoned their Inzecters and snapped them onto their respective transformation devices.

* * *

Armagedroid lashed out with his tentacles, confiscating and destroying everything it deemed as weapons. That was when it felt a blast to his head.

"YOU!" Armagedroid roared in recognition.

"That's right, ME!" Jenny smirked as she crossed her arms.

"I WILL DESTROY ALL WEAPONS!" Armagedroid proclaimed, "STARTING WITH YOU!" Armagedroid lashed out at her with his tentacles but she outmaneuvered them before she transformed her hands into cannons and began firing at him. The tentacles wrapped around them and crushed them. Jenny allowed Armagedroid to take and throw them into the furnace before flying out of range once more.

"Hey, Jenny!" Jenny heard as she turned around to see both Blackfire (in her Speed Mode) and Zodiac Knight Pluto flying towards her. "Need help?"

"Sure," Jenny nodded before the three fliers went on the attack again.

"That thing is programmed to destroy all weapons, right?" Pluto asked.

"How did you?" Jenny asked and Pluto tapped his helmet covered head.

"I got nanotech in my body plus I looked up Armagedroid's info. I think I know how we can beat him," Pluto told Jenny, "But first you gotta distract him for me."

Blackfire was hurling her blackbolts in full force at Armagedroid. The massive robot lashed at her with its tentacles but she dodged them easily. Armagedroid scanned Blackfire.

"WEAPONS NOT DETECTED!?" Armagedroid shouted in confusion and rage.

Blackfire smirked under her helmet. Her armor was technically not a weapon, and neither were her blackbolts. Therefore, Armagedroid could not take a weapon that was not there.

One tentacle wrapped around her waist and began pulling her in towards Armagedroid.

Oh, yeah, technically Blackfire could be considered a weapon. She struggled against the tight hold of the tentacle but then her eyes widened at the flames stared back at her. Suddenly, a sharp crystal disc flew by and sliced the tentacle in half, freeing the Tamaranean. Looking down, Blackfire smiled as she saw Renia in her Punch Locust armor and Zodiac Knight Mortuary waving back.

"We'll try to see what we can do down here!" Renia told her through the communicators in their helmets.

"Gotcha!" Blackfire replied before she went on the attack again. Jenny began blasting as well.

Pluto landed on the base of Armagedroid's neck and placed his hands on the surface of the mechanical monster's head. He then allowed some of his nanobots to seep through his armor and into Armagedroid. He was going to hack this thing wide open.

"Let's see what brought you back," Pluto whispered under his breath before information began to flood his brain. Suddenly, he was electrocuted but he stayed on. It wouldn't kill or hurt him since he could simply absorb it. "Come on…come on…"

Renia looked at the tank tracks that acted as Armagedroid's feet and grinned. Jumping forward with the help of her armor's grasshopper-like qualities, she landed in the path of Armagedroid.

"EAT CRYSTAL YOU GIANT MOOK!" she slammed both her hands on the ground and a transmutation circle appeared beneath her feet. The energy raced through the streets as they became coated in crystal.

Mortuary, meanwhile, was using his Death Buster to gain Armagedroid's attention. The tentacles lashed and swung at him, but Mortuary was able to avoid them and keep shooting. He looked as Renia did her work and smiled.

Suddenly, Armagedroid's movements were halted. It looked down to see his tracks being covered by solid crystal. He then heard something that sounded like…

"LOCUST JUMP!"

Renia had jumped so high that now she was leveled with Armagedroid's face. Pushing the legs of her Inzecter back into their original position.

"LOCUST PUNCH!"

Throwing her charged fist as hard as she could, it met with Armagedroid's face and the massive droid cursed as its eyes were shattered by the force of the fist. Of course, Renia wasn't done yet.

"HERE'S MY 5 FINGER SALUTE!" Renia screamed as she sent a charge of her alchemical powers into her palm and through Armagedroid's face…

Alchemy had three processes:

Analyzing, Destruction and Reconstruction…Renia was going to stop the process midway…

Armagedroid screamed as its face had turned into a mess of mangled metal. He could no longer see, meaning it could no longer find his targets. Renia jumped down and Mortuary caught her.

"Thanks, Craig."

Jenny and Blackfire were still blasting as Pluto flew to join them, "Girls, I think I know how to beat him."

"How?" Blackfire asked.

"Armagedroid was programmed to destroy ALL weapons," Pluto told them.

Jenny had a knowing grin on her face but Blackfire was still confused.

"Yeah, so?" Blackfire asked.

"I get it," Jenny nodded.

"What?" Blackfire asked.

"Use psychology," Jenny said.

"Because Armagedroid himself IS a weapon!" Pluto told Blackfire, "And with his programming…"

"He'll be forced to destroy himself. His programming gives him no choice!" Blackfire realized.

"While I was taking some needed info, I sort of sent in a little virus of my own. It will make Armagedroid realize he's a weapon and then…"

"DESTROY ALL WEAPONS! ARMAGEDROID IS WEAPON! MUST DESTROY SELF! SELF DESTRUCTION INITIATED!" Armagedroid bellowed.

"HE'S GONN A BLOW!" Pluto howled as Blackfire and Jenny and himself flew out of there.

Renia was setting something up as Mortuary called to her, "Come on, Ren! Let's go!"

"I gotta contain the explosion!" was all she said before she looked up to see that Armagedroid was ready to explode.

And then, it happened…

**KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!**

Armagedroid had self destructed in one BIG BANG.

* * *

Meanwhile, the unknown Deathtrons had seen it all happening on their screens and one of them smashed the monitor with his fist.

"USELESS!" the Deathtron screamed in rage.

"Looks like his programming was his undoing," the other one said, "Oh, well."

"Well, what are we going to do now?" the first Deathtron asked his comrade.

"Armagedroid was merely a test. Now that we know what to fix, we can prepare for the future. Follow me; I will explain it all to you."

* * *

With the explosion contained by an energy field spell Renia had erected, shrapnel from Armagedroid's explosion didn't fly all over the town. It was all contained in one little spot.

The Titans all stood side by side, along with Jenny as everyone cheered. Skyway Patrol appeared to take away all of the pieces of Armagedroid. Pluto explained the situation to the Skyway Patrol officer and the officer nodded before walking back towards the airship. The pieces of Armagedroid had been loaded onto smaller similar ships to be transported and be disposed of.

"That was easy," Blackfire said after her Inzecter flew off and her armor vanished into her bracelet.

"Not so much," Renia agreed after her armor vanished back into her belt as her Inzecter hopped away, "Give me normal criminals any day. Leave the giant robots to the Justice League."

"Well, too bad they didn't come," Mortuary said as he removed his Zodiac Deck and his armor shattered away, "But then, more publicity for us then."

"Thanks, you guys," Jenny said as she shook all their hands.

Pluto, with his armor off, said "Hey, what are friends for? Now, can we please get back so I can continue my story?"

"Sure," Jenny nodded as the group returned back to the Wakeman's home to rest after the battle with Armagedroid.

* * *

Meanwhile…back in the Mirror Dimension in Middleton…

Zodiac Knight Animorph was thrown into a tree and it was uprooted by the force and fell. He got up, groaning in pain.

"Because you haven't been looking for opponents, your power as a Zodiac Knight is weak," Zodiac Knight Copycat told him as she stalked towards him like a predator. "The energy of wild Mirror Monsters is not enough."

Animorph swung his battle staff at her and it extended in response. However, it hit only air as Copycat faded away. It had been an illusion.

Animorph looked around, his eyes scanning the area. Where was she?

"Gotcha," Copycat snarled and Animorph spun around in shock. He used a roundhouse kick aimed to her head but she caught his leg before she sent him flying with a powerful forward kick to the chest. She summoned her whip and lashed it out, ensnaring her opponent's neck. Gripping tightly, she pulled, choking him as he attempted to pull the make-shift noose off.

With a powerful tug, Copycat spun her whip around and in a display of strength began to throw Animorph around like a rag doll. He was slammed onto the ground, more trees, and anything else that was in the area. She then pulled the hapless Knights towards her and grabbed him by the throat.

"You're a pathetic loser, Ron Stoppable, and always will be," Copycat said to him as he struggled against her grip. "You're not even worth my time."

"Then….why are you…doing this?" he asked.

Copycat looked at him and gave him the answer, "Because…In the End there can be only One."

* * *

"END OF THE WORLD!!"

Zodiac Knight Boar was being blasted repeatedly by missiles, lasers and bullets that were aimed right at him. His armor began to take damage from the explosive force of his opponent's Final Vent. The firepower came flying at him fast and hard and there was no escape for him.

It was over.

It soon stopped and the area around Boar was littered with smoking holes and craters caused by his opponent's attack. The Pig Knight could no longer stand as he fell to his knees and fell forwards onto the ground, his armor damaged and smoking.

Zodiac Knight ARMS walked around from behind his powerful Zodiac Beast and weapon, Gigataurus, and then slowly made his way over to his fallen prey. He stopped at the body and used his foot to flip the heavy body over. He aimed his gun at Boar's belt and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew at Boar's Zodiac Deck in his belt and it shattered, destroyed. An orb of power rose up and then into ARMS' own Zodiac Belt and into his Deck, granting him the power of his defeated opponent.

His Deck destroyed, Boar reverted back to Brick Flagg as his armor shattered away.

"Not even a challenge," ARMS muttered as he got ready to leave, but then his visor covered eyes gazed at Brick as his body was slowly being vaporized by the harsh environment of the Mirror Dimension. He turned to leave but then turned back around to pick the large boy up.

"Can't have anyone to gloat to if you're dead," the Knight of Taurus said to Brick's unconscious form as he carried him away and out of the Mirror Dimension.

A wild Mirror Monster leapt at the green Knight out of nowhere only to be blasted by beams of heat being blasted out of ARMS' visor. The creature was scorched and destroyed and ARMS continued on his way.

"I'm going to like this new power," ARMS said with his lips curled into a grin.

* * *

Zodiac Knight Aqua dodged as Zodiac Knight Doc attacked him with his crescent bladed staff. He swung but she easily dodged by ducking and sidestepping his attacks. She brandished her fans and slashed at him with the sharp edges, causing sparks to fly. Doc staggered back and then Aqua's feet slammed into his faceplate. He was disoriented but then he felt his female opponent attacking him relentlessly as he was slashed repeatedly, sending sparks flying all around and then he felt a powerful kick in the gut, causing him to fall to his knees and holding his stomach, groaning in pain.

"Is that all you got?" Aqua taunted. Doc got up and then sent discs of energy flying at her but she smacked them away with her weapons. Doc's eyes widened in shock from behind his visor. "You lose." She then charged at him…

SLASH!

Aqua ended up behind him but then he fell forward, his armor shattering and vanishing off the form of Felix Renton. He had numerous bleeding cuts all over his body and his clothes were ripped. Beside him lay the shattered remains of his Zodiac Deck. The energy of the deck rose up and flew towards the victor, namely Aqua, and she could feel the healing Zodiac Horse Power. Smiling, she then walked over and kneeled over Felix. Her hands hovered over him as they glowed. She began to heal him.

"I never wanted you dead or hurt. You were never my enemy, sorry. But, you must know that this is how it must be," she said. She was done as the wounds on Felix vanished. She then picked him up, cradling him in her arms as she walked towards the closest exit of the Mirror Dimension.

* * *

Kim waited, and waited, worriedly for Ron. Did he win? Or did he…No, she couldn't think of that, but that was a cruel possibility. Copycat, as they had heard, was a brutal Zodiac Knight. She always went all out on her opponents. Kim just prayed to God that he would be alright.

Soon the pond began to ripple and then a humanoid shape jumped out, splashing water everywhere. The shape made a loud thud as it landed on the ground. Kim's eyes widened and then she gasped before screaming…

"RON!" Kim screamed. She ran over to her best friend/boyfriend and kneeled down before picking him up. "Ron, speak to me!" He had numerous bleeding gashes all over his arms and most of his shirt had been shredded. A trail of blood dripped down his mouth and there was an ugly bruise around his neck. She begged, "Please, be okay."

"You better take him to the hospital," Copycat said indifferently as she walked into view. Kim growled at Copycat who only looked at her blankly. Kim could not discern the Cat Knight's expression from behind her helmet. "Don't know if he has any time left."

"You did this!" Kim accused, getting into a battle stance as she lay Ron down gently again.

Copycat scoffed, "You want to fight me? Please, you wouldn't even last a second."

Kim let out a battle-cry and leapt at the Knight of Cats but Copycat was prepared. She morphed into a black panther and lunged, and then pinned Kim down after she caught the teen hero by surprise. Copycat morphed back to normal and stared into Kim's green eyes as Kim's eyes glared back into the red eyes of Copycat's helmet.

"You don't have time to fight me, Kim Possible," Copycat stated, bored and impatient with the teen hero's stupidity. Honestly, how had Kim Possible survived this long with being so impulsive she did not know. Maybe it was just luck or because of this fabled 'Ron Factor' she had heard in passing. "Your Ron's life is slipping away with each passing second you waste. You can either waste your time trying to defeat me, or get him help. It's your choice." Copycat got up and turned around, "I've already got what I came for so he's all yours, goodbye."

Copycat then teleported away as Kim ran towards Ron and then she activated her wrist Kimmunicator and called Wade, "Wade, get me a ride to the hospital! Ron's hurt bad!" Kim was afraid for Ron's life. What if...what if he didn't...

What if he didn't make it?

* * *

The ChronoLiner stopped as it arrived at the Orchid Bay train station, exiting from a warp tunnel. Luckily, no one was around to see this. The doors slid open before Mammoth, Gizmo, Jinx and Draco (all in civilian clothes) stepped off the futuristic bullet train. Ant was there to see them off.

"I'll be back to pick you all up when all's said and done. Just give me a call, okay," he said.

"Arigatou, Ant-san," Ryuki bowed to the Dragon Force officer.

"You're welcome. Have fun, kids," Ant said before he boarded the train again and it then traveled into a warp tunnel and vanished.

"I'm going to try to figure out that tech someday," Gizmo said eagerly, rubbing his little hands together.

"Later, Micron," Jinx said to her minute companion, "We got a job to do."

"So, Leo," Baran/Mammoth asked, "You know this Juniper kid personally?"

"Not really," Ryuki shook his head as they walked out of the station and went towards town. Being here hurt. It just reminded him of Tazuka. It just didn't feel right for him to be on an assignment meant for his deceased best friend. He just frowned glumly as he led the way. He didn't want anyone of his teammates to see his expression right now.

* * *

As Shadow's eyes wandered over to the large screen displaying the Mayor of Tokyo, his eyes widened at the news.

"This is bad," he said under his breath, "The Titans are in danger."

To Be Continued…

Well, here's the latest chap. Sorry it took so long, but I've been busy helping others with their fics. Well, tell me what you think of this chap. Is it good enough for you? Well, Ron, Felix and Brick have been defeated and thus their powers go to the three Knights of Tartarus. Too bad for the Heavenly Trio, huh?

OK, whose story you want to be told next? Shadowcobra, Draco or more of Pluto? Should they all come together at the end of this arc? It's all up to you.


	53. PT053: Trouble in Tokyo Again

Part 53: Trouble in Tokyo…Again

When Shadow arrived back in Tokyo, it was already night time. He was going to look for the Titans since he had a bad feeling that something terrible was going to happen involving this whole Brushogun thing. He had on his civilian clothes, which consisted of a black trench coat, a purple turtleneck, black pants, shoes and gloves. He left his hair black and had on a pair of glasses. One of the large screens located upon a building displayed the face of the mayor of Tokyo. He was a good man and a good politician.

His eyes gazed upon the screen and widened considerably at the news. Robin was wanted for murder and the mayor demanded all the Titans to turn themselves in or leave Tokyo immediately.

* * *

Back in her mansion, Emiko Narukawa Hasuma gasped at the news in shock. "Robin would never do such a thing! This simply cannot be true. The Titans are heroes."

Sonomi, her mother, then said, "But, be that as it may, Robin is now a fugitive and along with the other Titans. I don't think our lawyers can help with this debacle and even if they could our own family's reputation would be at stake."

Emiko nodded in agreement. Kokoro Hasuma was in the room as well. Robin was honorable and followed a strict moral code. While hosting the Titans, he had spared with the Boy Wonder and taught him a few tricks of his own. Robin would never kill, but then…how did this happen?

Someone wanted the Titans out of the way and they had to figure out how.

* * *

'_I need to find Raven_,' Ichijyo thought as his communicator began to beep. He listened in to hear Starfire's voice. She was telling everyone else of what was happening. Ichijyo's eyes then narrowed as he heard Starfire gasp in fright. He looked up to see a streak of violet being followed by a streak of blue. '_But first, Starfire needs my help._' Looking left and right, he entered an alley and vanished into the darkness.

* * *

Starfire was flying through the air as she blasted at Mecha-Boi. The naughty parody of Astro-Boy was blasting her back with blue energy beams fired from his hands. She dodged out of the way and blasted back. She had no time for this! She needed to find Robin and the others, quickly!

Suddenly, Mecha-Boi charged, grinning widely.

"SAYONARA!" he exclaimed before Mecha-Boi opened his mouth wide and sent a missile flying at the hapless Tamaranean.

The missile didn't make impact as it was absorbed into a portal of dark energy.

"Raven?" Starfire questioned but then she had a huge smile on her face as she saw the familiar visage of the Knight of Invisibility. He was in his armor and riding upon Stingdiver, standing tall with his arms crossed. "Shadow!"

"I'm here, Starfire," Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra assured her before he turned his attention towards Mecha-Boi. His eyes narrowed in distaste at the blue android as he drew a card from his deck and slid it into his staff. "Final Vent!"

Mecha-Boi watched as Shadowcobra came flying at him, riding upon Stingdiver. He sent was ready to blast Shadowcobra with his arm cannons but then his cannons were destroyed by starbolts fired by Starfire. She shook her finger and said, "Uh, uh, uh..."

Smirking, Shadowcobra continued on with his attack. "STINGRAY SURF!" Stingdiver's sharp fins sliced the blue robot in half before it exploded. He then spun back around and said to Starfire, "Find Robin and hurry. I'm going to go find the others."

"Be careful," Starfire pleaded. Shadowcobra nodded and then went to find his beloved.

* * *

"Let me go!" Raven struggled in the grip of the black creature she was fighting. Its distorted and frightening face contorted into a wide grin as to continued to constrict and engulf her body. She struggled and was ready to chant her mantra but then a burst of light sent the creature flying and screeching in pain. Raven took in a deep breath of fresh air as she turned to see who'd saved her. Her eyes widened and she smiled.

There was Shadowcobra in his armor as he calmly walked over towards Raven. "Together?" he suggested.

"Together," she nodded and then both turned to stare down their opponent who was going on the attack again.

"Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!" A black burst of energy in the shape of her soul self went at the creature.

"Shadow Spell!" Shadowcobra shouted as he slammed his scepter upon the ground of the cemetery and letting loose chains that ensnared their enemy. The blast of energy engulfed it and then there was no more. The Titans didn't usually kill, but Raven hadn't sensed a life force from the black creature.

"You're here," Raven said as she looked up at Shadow who removed his helmet.

"I sensed something amiss and decided to come and lend a hand," he said, smiling at her, "Also, I could never stay away from you, my sweet little blackbird."

Raven blushed and smiled coyly before leaning up and kissing him on the lips. She pulled away as he licked his lips.

"You've been chewing gum," he said to her.

"Don't ask," Raven said. "Now what?"

"We find Robin, but first we need to find Terra, Beast Boy and Cyborg."

* * *

"Get your paws off my man!" Terra exclaimed angrily as she sent a piece of the road flying at the catgirl, Nya-Nya, who had just kissed Beast Boy on the lips. The agile feline flipped over it before dashing towards Terra. She slashed at the geomancer who leant back and swung a fist at the catgirl who jumped up and slapped Terra across the face with her tail. Growling, Terra grabbed the offending appendage and slammed Nya-Nya, face first, upon the pavement. The catgirl got up, snarling, and lunged at Terra only to slam face first into a wall of stone as Terra stalked over to Beast Boy. Beast Boy was still dazed from the full lip-lock he'd received from Nya-Nya. Terra shook her head in disgust. First those Japanese fangirls wanted to molest Beast Boy at that Karaoke place and now this? What, did Beast Boy suddenly develop sex appeal and become a babe magnet with his horrible singing? Terra sighed and helped Beast Boy up. She wiped the lipstick off his lips and then shook him a bit to get him to wake up again.

Nya-Nya had recovered and then lunged at Terra when she had her back turn but then a small green blur slashed her across the cheek, drawing blood. There was a clicking sound as a robotic ant crawled over to Terra. Terra rolled up her sleeve to reveal the Cutter Glove and then turned to smirk at Nya-Nya who just began to circle Terra.

"Time to fix this cat," Terra smirked before the Cutter Inzecter leapt onto her Cutter Glove. "Henshin!" she called.

"HENSHIN!" the Inzecter echoed and now Nya-Nya was staring at a green armored Terra and gulped at seeing the guns on her shoulders. Terra took aim and fired her Vulcans at Nya-Nya, who just ran off, screeching in fear. Terra then took a look at Cyborg who looked like he was going to get eaten by that round yellow mechanoid. Taking careful aim, Terra fired and the robot, Timoko, had to open its mouth to scream in pain before Cyborg aimed and fired his sonic cannon. Timoko got up to attack but then…

"CAST OFF!" Pieces of Terra's Strong Mode armor smashed into it and sent it staggering back. "CHANGE LEAFCUTTER ANT!"

"Come on, let's go!" Terra shouted as she grabbed Beast Boy. Cyborg took hold of her hand before she exclaimed, "Clock Up!"

"CLOCK UP!"

The three Titans vanished in a blur before Nya-Nya and Timoko could give chase.

* * *

After saving Robin from Commander Daizo and the Tokyo Troopers, Starfire had taken him to the temple. She had brought him a spare uniform.

"Are you alright, Robin?" Starfire asked tentatively.

"No, I'm not," Robin grumbled. "I'm a fugitive now after I killed Saico-Tek and now all of you…" Starfire placed a finger on his lips to shush him.

"Please, do not blame yourself. It was just circumstances you could not control, just like all of us being pursued. We barely escaped."

Robin then remembered how cold he'd treated Starfire on this little adventure. She was his girlfriend and he'd ruined a tender moment earlier with his serious attitude. He still had troubled loosening up as it is.

"Starfire, I…" Robin began, "Oh, to hell with it!" He then leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. She gasped in shock and then moaned in delight as she closed her eyes to enjoy this tender moment with Robin, her Robin. They were locked in an embrace but then Beast Boy slid open the door suddenly, causing both Titans to jump in shock and let each other go. Behind Beast Boy were Cyborg, Raven, Shadow (out of his armor) and Terra (also out of her armor).

"What's up?" Beast Boy asked, clueless of what had transpired. The flushed looks on Robin and Starfire's faces did not go unnoticed by Shadow who was wearing an amused look on his face.

"So, what do you have?" Robin asked, acting all serious again. If it wasn't for the voice, none of the Titans would've recognized their disguised leader.

"We searched the crime scene and well and then used my computer's molecular analyzer." Cyborg had a knowing grin on his face, "That wasn't blood on you at all. It was ink."

"Ink?" Robin quirked an eyebrow.

"So were those stains on my armor, the streaks on Raven's cloak, and that lipstick when BB got kissed by that girl that kicked his butt." Cyborg was chuckling at the mention of Beast Boy's ink sample while Terra's left eye twitched in annoyance.

"She was a catgirl!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"I also didn't sense a life force from whatever attacked Starfire and Raven," Shadow nodded. Robin just noticed this.

"You're here," Robin said to his third-in-command.

"I felt like I was needed," the shadow manipulator shrugged.

"I also got this," Raven said as she opened up the book she'd discovered. It was about Brushogun. She began to tell the tale.

The tale of the man who fell in love with his own drawing and used the dark arts to attempt to bring her to life made Shadow frown. Humans would often misuse dark magic to make their desires come true without thinking of the consequences. His folly had turned a young artist into the villain known as Brushogun. Apparently, Brushogun had the ability to make his drawings come to life, explaining the ink samples Cyborg had analyzed.

Robin, regaining his confidence, pulled on his uniform and stood in a confident pose. Starfire smiled as she gazed at their leader while Shadow merely smiled.

"Okay, here's our mission. We're dealing with a criminal who can create other criminals. We're going to find him and bring him to justice!" Robin spoke confidently, and inspiring to say the least.

"Um…" Beast Boy raised his arm. "Just ONE thing: Everyone in Tokyo is out to get us!"

And as soon as he yelled that, all the doors slid open to reveal chefs, Japanese fangirls, Brushogun's creations, and Daizo's Tokyo Troopers.

"Titans! Go!" Robin shouted as he unleashed a smoke bomb before the 7 Titans went on the escape, running away from their would-be captors.

* * *

Okay, if you've watched "Trouble in Tokyo", you pretty much know how this chase scene goes so I won't bore you with details. It's basically a chase scene with the Titans being chased all over the city until they followed the lead towards a familiar looking building.

"The comic book place?" Raven questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"See?" Beast Boy pointed, "I told you we should've search that place first!"

"Beast Boy," Terra reminded, "You wanted to take a tour to see it."

"Oh, I forgot."

"Well, law of averages say that Beast Boy could be right about this one," Shadow said.

"Let's go," Robin said to them as they followed. They'd lost their pursuers.

They entered the building discreetly thanks to Shadow's ability to phase into solid matter. They soon found themselves in the printing room. Of course, there were also various monitors displaying parts of Tokyo. Talk about suspicious.

They then found their target, only to find the frail form of what was once Brushogun.

"You've found me…" Brushogun said with a weak smile. He was attached to a large printing press with cables attached to his back. Starfire and Terra gasped in shock.

Could this be Brushogun?

"Brushogun?" Robin asked. The man nodded. "Were you the one that…"

"Sent Saico-Tek to your city? Yes, but it was only a message…"

"To bring us all here," Raven deduced. "To find you…"

"And rescue me…" Brushogun said weakly.

"Rescue you from what?" Terra asked.

"Someone put you here, and forced you to create these criminals, right?" Shadow asked and Brushogun nodded. "You're not the one behind this, you're just…"

"A slave…I knew that if I sent Saico-Tek, it would bring the Teen Titans to Tokyo and to me. However, Saico-Tek was printed twice. I sent the first one to your city, while the second one was sent to frame Robin."

"So, you're just the brush with someone else telling you what to paint," Shadow nodded.

"So, who framed Robin?" Beast Boy asked, "And sent those things after us?"

"And most of all, who would benefit from creating criminals?" Cyborg asked, scratching his head.

"The hero that captures them," Robin said logically before spinning around, "Isn't that right, Commander Daizo?"

Spinning in his chair to face the Titans, the leader of the Tokyo Troopers clapped his hands in applaud as he walked out of the shadows, "Very good, my young friend."

"Brushogun was the only super criminal you ever caught, but that wasn't enough, was it?"

"Of course, but now that you are in my grasp, I will be hailed a hero while you…vigilantes will be considered criminals! You've lost!" Daizo gloated.

"Not quite," Shadow fished his SNK-Phone out of his pocket, "You see, I had my phone transmit this entire conversation to EVERY radio in the city." Daizo sputtered in shock and hen he glared at the grinning Snake Knight, "Looks like the tables have turned, haven't they?"

"I will not lose!" He snapped his fingers and then the Tokyo Trooper surrounded the Titans. "Take them, dead or alive!" Daizo commanded, pointing at the Titans.

"Titans! Go!" Robin got out his Bo-staff and went on the attack, along with the rest of the Titans.

Beast Boy, as a stegosaurus, knocked a few troopers away as Terra tripped them off their feet with a minor quake. Starfire used her fists to knock them round as Raven sent them flying with her powers. Shadow was slippery, as always, as he dodged from his opponents and went into a whirlwind kick that knocked their helmets away. One of the Troopers got up to reveal half his head missing.

"They're not real!" Shadow said to the others, "They're just living ink drawings!"

"That means we don't have to hold back!" Grinning, Cyborg let loose a sonic cannon blast.

Timoko, Nya-Nya, No Face (the black creature at the cemetery), a new Saico-Tek and a new Mecha-Boi had also shown up to join the battle. The Titans fought them harder than before, knowing they weren't fighting real people.

Robin had chased Daizo upon a catwalk above the fighting below and said, quoting Daizo earlier when he'd been in jail, "Looks like they don't make heroes like they used to."

Daizo glared at Robin, enraged, "You and your little friends have ruined everything!"

"You're going down, Daizo," Robin said as he came closer. "And not as a hero, but as a fake."

"Nowhere to run, _Commander_," Shadow said as he walked over from the other end of the walkway. Daizo was trapped. He could not get past Robin or Shadow but then looked over the side of the walkway and grinned.

"Looks like I'm going down like you say," Daizo said before he leapt off the railing.

"NO!" Robin shouted as he ran over to see Daizo plunge into the ink reservoir under them. At the same time, Brushogun's eyes began to glow brightly as he let out a terrible wail of pain.

"I can safely say that this isn't good," Shadow spoke as he watched the ink as it began to bubble. Brushogun's creations all began to melt into ink, much to the Titans' disgust and confusion.

"We gotta get out of here!" Robin shouted, "TITANS! MOVE!"

* * *

The ground began to shake before it exploded. There was storm outside as a large black figure made of ink began to rise up. It has ink pipes on its body and red eyes with the interior of its mouth being red. It then let out a roar, "THE POWER IS MINE!" Lightning flashed and thunder crashed behind him.

The Titans had all gotten out in time to see this creature that was once Daizo going on a rampage and headed for the city. They couldn't let him.

"That is a whole lotta ink!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"And it stinks too," Shadow said as he covered the lower half of his face with his collar.

"That is going to be one big stain to clean up when this is over," Cyborg assessed.

"And I don't know how long he can control Brushogun's magic either," Raven said.

Daizo continued to leave a trail as he headed towards the city. Rising up were mismatched versions of his creations in various colors. There were dozens of them as he created them in his wake.

"What should we do?" Starfire asked as she gazed up at the black creature.

"Erase him," Robin said firmly.

Daizo looked down to see the Titans and sneered before throwing down a large black palm on them. They barely escaped being flattened before he sent tentacles flying at all of them. They dodged from being ensnared but their attention was also on the army that Daizo was continuously creating.

Robin looked up to see Brushogun protruding from Daizo's massive monstrous form and got an idea. "Starfire, I need you to get me up there." Starfire, nodding, grabbed Robin under his arms and took flight.

Shadowcobra had summoned his ZX-Shadow Basher (they have backups at Smart Brain) and entered the code to change it into its bipedal Battle Mode. The vehicle transformed into an AI assisted battle mech and began firing missiles at the army of ink creatures. Shadow looked up to see Starfire and Robin flying towards Brushogun and then seeing the tentacles headed for them.

His eyes narrowed as he sent shadow discs flying, slicing the tentacles apart. Robin nodded before he sent a grappling hook that embedded itself into Daizo's inky body. Starfire let go, allowing Robin to pull himself over to Brushogun.

"Remove me…from this machine…" Brushogun begged Robin. "Without me, his…my power will be gone."

"But what will happen to you?" Robin asked.

"I will finally have…redemption," Brushogun said with a small smile. Nodding, Robin grabbed onto the frail looking man and began to pull him out. He then felt an extra pair of hands helping him.

"Starfire?" Robin asked

"Let us release him from this pain," Starfire said firmly as she tugged with him. They were then able to pull him completely out of the ink mass and then they all flew down to safety just as Daizo was beginning to convulse. The ink creatures also started to melt as Daizo's massive inky body began to bubble. Shadow's eyes widened in alarm and he wasn't the only one.

"HE'S GONNA BLOW!!!" Cyborg yelled out as they all ran away.

Daizo exploded in a black mass of ink that covered the entire area, including the Titans.

"Ugh, it's in my hair!" Terra groaned as the ink covered her blonde locks, "I knew I should've kept my armor on."

Daizo was covered by ink as he groaned. Shadow just looked at the man who lay in the black mess with disgust. How low could people go just for a medal and being named a hero? Daizo was no true hero. Shadow knew that too well. He then walked over to Starfire and Robin who were laying down Brushogun.

Brushogun said only two words, "Thank…You…" before he vanished. Starfire gasped in shock.

"The magic that kept him alive is gone now," Shadow said, "He is now free of his curse. He can now rest in peace." It was still raining, "Come on, let's get out of the rain." But, his request fell on deaf ears as Starfire and Robin began to kiss each other. Amused, he chuckled before walking over to the other Titans.

* * *

The very next day, a ceremony was being held. Now only did the Titans save Tokyo, but also revealed the real criminal, Daizo. Daizo had been stripped of his status and put into prison for his crimes.

The Titans all stood before the citizens of Tokyo, waving. Beast Boy just puffed up his chest and spread out his arms. It appeared he'd summoned his adoring fans. Terra glared at him and pushed the girls away from her man.

The chef from earlier had also presented Cyborg with an ALL YOU CAN EAT buffet. With a loud, "BOOYAH!" the mechanical Titans jumped in and dug in.

Starfire and Robin were holding hands, along with Shadow and Raven who were also grasping hands. Shadow chuckled with amusement as he saw the commercial onscreen with Raven being the spoke's person for chewing gum.

The mayor then placed the medals around their necks, congratulating them. He said, "For uncovering the truth and pursuing justice as well as protecting Tokyo from a treacherous evil, I present these medals to Tokyo's newest heroes…the Teen Titans!"

Everyone cheered and applauded as the Titans took a bow. Their pictures were being taken as well.

"So, I guess the vacation is over, huh?" Beast Boy asked. Everyone was looking at Robin expectantly for an answer.

"You know, Beast Boy, maybe a vacation isn't going to be all that bad," Robin said. "God knows we've earned it."

"Finally learning how to loosen up, Robin?" Shadow teased.

"Almost lost something precious before I learnt that lesson, Shadow." Robin then gave Starfire a peck on the cheek. The cameras flashed to catch the moment.

"So, next, we're going to Mexico!" Beast Boy said eagerly, only to be smacked by Raven in annoyance.

To Be Continued…

OK, 53rd chap and I'm on a roll. Whaddya think? Pls, review, k?


	54. PT054: Hollowed Heart

Part 54: Hollowed Heart

The 4 Titans and one demon dog arrived in front of the Lee residence. Ryuki raised a hand to the door but then slowly withdrew his hand in guilt. Jinx asked, in concern, "What's wrong, baby?"

"This doesn't feel right," he said softly. "This was supposed to be Tazuka-niisan's mission, not mine." He looked to her, eyes sad, "I shouldn't even be here. I didn't recruit Juniper." Jinx held his hand in hers.

"Tazuka would've wanted you to do this for him," Jinx told him. "Now, knock the door, okay?" she knocked the door using his hand. Someone came shuffling to the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," an elderly voice spoke up and then the door creaked open. An elderly Chinese woman with a large build opened the door. She had a gentle face and her silver hair was tied into a bun. She wore an old Chinese styled dress. "Who is it?"

"Konbanwa, I'm Ryuki Hasuma, madam," Ryuki introduced himself.

"Ah," Jasmine Lee, known by Juniper as Ah Mah, said, "The young Dragon Knight. I've been expecting you."

"You have?" Gizmo spoke up.

"And who are these four?" Jasmine asked with keen interest.

"Oh," Ryuki blinked. "These are my friends, Baran, Mikron," he gestured to Mammoth and Gizmo respectively, before gesturing to Jinx "My girlfriend, Jennifer Wilcox," and finally to Brimstone, "And my dog, Brimstone."

Jasmine briefly narrowed her eyes on Brimstone. The demon dog was wearing the Doberman holographic disguise generated by his collar. Tazuka once told Ryuki that Jasmine had a very keen eye for magical auras and demon auras were also very detectable to those who could sense them.

"Come in, come in," Jasmine beckoned the 4 teens and the dog into the house.

"Lie down, Brimstone," Ryuki commanded as the teens sat down in the living room.

"You came to see Juniper, correct?" Jasmine asked. Ryuki nodded. "You look guilty," she observed, "Why?"

"I just…don't feel…its right for me to be doing this," Ryuki said regretfully, "I mean; Ichijyo said that those who recruited them were the ones who were supposed to evaluate them. Niisan was the one who recruited Juniper, not me. This…it's just a mistake. I have no right to be here."

Jinx frowned, eyes saddened and concerned. She placed a hand on his. Jasmine sighed and shook her head.

"Everything has a right to be where they are needed, young Knight," Jasmine said to Ryuki. "Don't think otherwise."

"But I…" he looked away. He still blamed himself for Tazuka's death. If it hadn't been for him…Tazuka would still be here with them today.

"Where's Juniper?" Ryuki asked.

"Oh, as the Te Xuan Ze, she's busy every time there is trouble with the Magical World," Jasmine reported. "Tonight is not so different. Tonight she's just doing what she does best."

"Fighting evil like the rest of us," Ryuki reasoned. Of course; that was Juniper's duty, her job, her mission, her responsibility. "When will she back?"

"It depends," Jasmine shrugged. "Sometimes minutes, sometimes hours. It depends on the level of the threat."

"Do you worry about her?" Ryuki asked.

"Of course," Jasmine nodded, "What grandmother wouldn't?"

"And her parents?" Ryuki asked. Jasmine sighed.

"I was very reluctant to allow them to know about all this," Jasmine said honestly, "But Juniper was very adamant in wanting them to know the truth. She didn't want to lie to them anymore and I think I was tired of lying to them too. Believe me; they were very…reluctant to accept about all this. Realizing another world exists along our own and that our selected members of out family have been entrusted with its protection."

"I know that feeling," Ryuki nodded. Telling his mother about the Knights and Mirror World was one of the hardest things he had to do in the past. He just couldn't lie to her anymore. True, she had been worried and truthfully she still was but she also knew there was nothing she could do to stop it and just accept it. It was Ryuki's destiny to be one of the 26 Zodiac Knights. "So, where are they?"

"On vacation," Jasmine said, "Only the children are here, though. Actually, Dennis and Ray Ray went along with Juniper to help her out."

"Hey, isn't Ray Ray that little hyper kid who's June's little brother?" Jinx asked.

"Correct. And Dennis is there to lend magic support," Jasmine said, still surprised that her eldest grandchild was a master magician, despite knowing about the existence of the magical world later than the others. But, even so, he had great potential. All of them did, in fact. It was just going to take a while for Ray Ray to realize what his was aside from being June's cheer squad.

"OK, I'm totally lost here," Mammoth said.

"You're not the only one, big guy," Gizmo replied to his friend.

"Oh, you are still new to all this," Jasmine said. Both ex-HIVE agents nodded. "Well, let me tell you about the history of the Te Xuan Ze and the Magical World."

Jinx was also interested to hear about this as was Brimstone, Ryuki too. They (minus Mammoth and Gizmo) had seen strange creatures of all shapes in the city and normal people didn't even bat an eye. It was because they were invisible because of the Veil, the barrier around Orchid Bay that separated the magical world from the human world. The Kaiser looked up and listened intently as Jasmine began her tale.

* * *

Juniper was fighting with a beast that woke up to cause trouble. It had two red eyes and curved horns. It also had a large muscular body, sharp claws that could shred and the legs of a ram. 

Juniper, now a teen, was now leaner and even more beautiful. She had on tight jeans, combat boots with steel toes and a green tank top that had her purple dragonfly symbol on it. On her hands she wore a pair of black cut off gloves with steel studs on the knuckles. Her fist rammed into its head and sent it crashing into a tree, uprooting it due to the impact.

The beast glared at the Te Xuan Ze with blood red eyes and roared before charging again.

"YOU CAN DO IT, JUNE!" shouted a young boy in a red shirt that had a fist emblem on it and black pants. "KICK THAT THING'S BUTT!" This was Raymond "Ray-Ray" Lee, June's little brother.

"Hit it between the eyes, June!" instructed a small talking dog who spoke with a Scottish accent.

"June, just keep it steady," spoke an older boy who was wearing a cape and holding a wand and spell book. "Give me time for a sealing spell."

"CAN YOU PLEASE HURRY!?" Juniper yelled. "I MAY BE ABLE TO KEEP UP FOREVER, BUT NOT THAT LONG!"

Meanwhile, a blue clothed figure was watching from afar. He had on a blue zipped up jacket with black cuffs, black pants and blue boots. A black sash was tied around his waist and holding scabbard that had a sword in it. Atop his head was a strange helmet with a fin on it. His cold eyes observed the battle.

"She hasn't changed a bit," the figure said as he watched a Juniper laid a powerful haymaker on the beast. "Still as strong as ever." His eyes looked over her body, "And even more beautiful." His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Oh, Juniper," he hissed, "You may be powerful, but I doubt you will be able to handle what I have in store for you."

He tapped his foot onto the ground and then vanished in a flash. His movement was caught at the corner of Monroe's eye. They narrowed. What had that been?

* * *

The Ghost Zone. The greenish atmosphere swirled as we gaze upon one of the many ghost lairs floating aimlessly in this area upon a purple rock. This lair belonged to the musical ghost known as Ember McClain. 

And right now she was in bed, unclothed, and covered only by her blanket as she laid her head upon the strong chest of her boyfriend. He appeared to be in his late teens and had dyed short pink hair. He had an arm wrapped gently around her ghost white shoulders as she snuggled up against his naked chest.

"That…" she said breathlessly, "Was wonderful."

"Thanks," Ryan said, smiling. Ryunosuke "Ryan" Kazama was not exactly a normal ghost. He didn't really originate from the Ghost Zone. His first home had been the Soul Society but due to circumstances out of his control he had been forced to leave. In truth, he had been possessed by a weak Hollow that threatened to devour his very soul. Luckily, he had met a wise Vizard who helped him to suppress and seal the Hollow. After a while, Ryan chose to explore the human world. He was an outlaw so he no longer had a place in the Soul Society. With his musical Zanpakuto and his augmented Shinigami and Hollow powers, he set off to do some good. Along the way, he met with the Kamen Riders and became one of them and the rest was pretty much history. He met Danny Phantom, assisted against a massive Hollow invasion and met Ember. His life couldn't be better.

Of course, his cell-phone just had to ring. Orders from "The Order" no doubt. Grumbling, he got out of bed, clad only in a pair of black brief as he dragged himself to his discarded pants and dug into the pockets for his phone. Ember sat up, holding the blanket against her chest to protect her modesty.

"What's wrong, baby-pop?" she asked him.

"I need to go," he said as he pulled his pants on followed by his shirt. He strapped on his guitar and equipped his weapons onto his belt. "Something big is about to happen."

"_Big_?" she asked. She didn't like how that sounded.

"There was a brief detection of an Arrancar in the human realm," he told her.

Ember eyes went wide, "An Arrancar?" Arrancar were Hollows that had gained Shinigami powers and removed their masks to assume more human-like forms. The only clues to them being former Hollows would be the remnants of their skull-like masks and the Hollow hole on their body; a hole where the heart should've been but had vanished a long time ago prior to them becoming Hollows and then Arrancar. "Do you really need to go?"

"I have to, Ember," he said to her. "It's my mission. It's the only reason the Shinigami haven't busted me yet. I'm an agent of The Order."

"But-" Ember was halted when Ryan flash stepped to her and claimed her lips with his. Her eyelids lowered as she enjoyed the sensation for a few seconds before they drew apart.

"I'll come back, Ember," he assured her. "Trust me."

Ember sighed, "Okay…just come back soon, ok?"

Ryan smirked and teased, "So we can do _it_ again?" She threw a pillow at him. "Hey!"

"Pervert," she snickered.

"Oh, you know you love me."

"I do. Now go get them, tiger."

With that, Ryan created a portal using his Trumpet Blaster, Ibuki, by blowing into it and then stepping into the portal. The portal vanished leaving no trace of it.

Ember, gaining inspiration, picked up a pencil and paper and began writing another song. Her eyes wandered over to the spot where Ryan had vanished. She cast it one last worried glance before focusing on the new song she was about to create.

She was going to call it 'Hollowed Heart'.

* * *

Ryuki was standing on the porch, leaning over the banister as he looked up at the sky. Both Brimstone and Jinx soon joined him. The pink haired witch leaned her head on his shoulder as the demon dog licked his hand. 

"What are you thinking about?" she asked. She knew the answer.

"I thought I finally got over it, but the truth is I haven't," he told her.

"Tazuka, right?" she reasoned.

"Hai, I just don't feel I have any right to be here, doing what is supposed to be _his_ assignment."

"Shadow thought you had the right. He was your best friend."

"He was more than that, he was my brother," he corrected. "And it still hurts," he said, placing a hand to his chest.

"I know the feeling. The pain never really goes away, does it?"

"No, it doesn't," Ryuki nodded.

Suddenly, Yaminekoryu exited from Ryuki's body and looked really panicked. Ryuki was surprised to see his Spiritual Guardian like this. "Yaminekoryu, what's wrong?"

"Yaminekoryu?" Jinx questioned. She had not been able to see him ever since knowing about his existence through Ryuki and she still couldn't see him. Ryuki could see him just fine.

"_Aibou, we got trouble, big trouble!_" Yaminekoryu panicked. "_Head's up!_"

Realizing the danger, Draco grabbed Jinx quickly around the waist as well as Brimstone before leaping back when a large shape crashed into the porch, sending shattered wood and splinters flying. Mammoth, Jasmine and Gizmo quickly came rushing out of the house. The large brutish teen was wiping milk of his chin.

"What's going on?" Mammoth asked.

"Yeah, what happened?" Gizmo added.

Brimstone seemed to growl at nothing as he bared his teeth and glared, but Ryuki, Jasmine and Jinx could see what was right in front of them…A Hollow.

Hollows, spirits corrupted by darkness that had lost their hearts. They often appeared animalistic and demonic but shared two common traits. One was the hole on their chests where the heart had been and the second trait would be white skull-like masks they wore over their faces.

The Hollow in front of them had the traits of an elephant. It had a grey hide and big hole in its chest. It, like other Hollows, had a skull mask resembling an elephant and with a trunk. It also had spikes along its back. The beast trumpeted and stampeded towards them.

Mammoth and Gizmo couldn't see the Hollow, but Ryuki could. He acted quickly and charged at the Hollow, throwing a fist directly at its skull mask and sending it flying. It dragged along the grass and came to a stop over the bushes.

Ryuki turned to the others and then back at the Hollow as it came back up to charge at them. It swung its trunk from side to side and lowered its head. It wanted to gore them with its tusks and eat their souls. Ryuki would have none of that. He reached into his pocked and pulled out his Zodiac Deck. Jinx also prepared herself to summon her Inzecter. She was going to stand by him, no matter what. Brimstone was also by his master and his master's mate, ready to combat this threat.

The Hollow charged straight towards them but then there was a sudden flash before it stopped moving. It froze just like a statue.

"Why…did it just stop?" Jinx asked. Ryuki shrugged, not knowing the answer. His eyes were trained on the Hollow as it just stood there.

Then it made a move, but not a violent one. It body just shuddered and fell over onto its side as its skull mask split apart. The Hollow then dissolved into nothingness, not leaving a single trace of it behind.

"Uh…what just happen?" Jinx asked, dumbfounded.

"Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on!?" Gizmo yelled out.

"I think I can answer that," spoke a new voice that Ryuki recognized.

"Ryan-sempai!" Ryuki said as he saw the Vizard approach them, resting his Guitar Axe, Zanki, on his shoulder.

"Hey, kiddo," Ryan, also known as Kamen Rider Oni, grinned. "Sorry if I took care of that thing for you. I knew you could've handled it though."

Ryuki ran out to meet his senior Rider and bowed to him. He then asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Um…who the heck is he?" Mammoth asked.

"One of those Kamen Riders that Ryuki told us about," Jinx explained. She had met Ryan too. It was strange, in a good way, to see another person with pink hair, much less a guy. She got to know Ryan as one of the best musicians and, not to mention, supernatural fighters she had ever met.

"He's a Shinigami," Jasmine observed.

"Not exactly," Jinx shook her head. Jasmine could sense the Shinigami in Ryan, but not the _other_ half of him.

"Just got a call, saying there was a Hollow problem here," Ryan said to Ryuki.

"Hollow…Problem?" Ryuki asked, slowly. That would mean…Oh, no!

"June could be in danger!" Jasmine reacted. She had not yet prepped June on handling Hollows since those were the Shinigami's department, not responsibilities of the Te Xuan Ze. None of the past Te Xuan Ze had ever faced a Hollow before. There were spells to drive them away but not completely destroy them. If June faced a Hollow with her lack of experience, she would be killed.

"June?" Ryan questioned.

'The Te Xuan Ze here, the Great Protector," Ryuki explained, "And if you're right about this Hollow thing, she may need our help!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ryan asked rhetorically. "Let's help this girl out!"

Gizmo and Mammoth stepped in to help but Jinx raised a hand to stop them. "You two aren't going."

"Why not?" Gizmo whined.

"Well, neither of you can see Hollows or any of the magical creatures here," Jinx reasoned. "And you both need to help fix the porch."

"Hey, I'm ready for some action!" Mammoth confidently cracked his knuckles. "Let me at these Hollow things?"

"Fighting against opponents you can't see, much less sense?" Jinx shook her head, "Doubtful."

"The dog's going!" Gizmo argued.

"That dog will go anywhere Ryuki goes, plus he's a demon dog so he can see these things too," Jinx shot back. Gizmo grumbled. "Now, please, for me, guys?" Jinx said, placing a hand on their shoulders. "I'm trusting you two."

"Okay," Mammoth muttered, nodding.

"Fine," Gizmo grumbled, crossing his arms.

Jinx smiled and then summoned her Scarab Inzecter into her hand before joining Ryan, Ryuki, Jasmine, and Brimstone. They were going to help June.

* * *

June screamed as she was thrown back and violently smashed into the ground. She pushed herself back up, shakily, as her eyes narrowed towards her opponent. 

She had quickly and easily (for her) dispatched the previous beast, and now faced a beast of another kind. It had a black body with white spots, two long arms that ended with hands that had long claw-like fingers that glowed with an eerie energy, 4 spider-like legs and a pair of insect-like wings on its back. Its head was like a skull-like mask and insectoid in appearance as well. It had mandibles and a pair of antennae. The eye holes of its mask revealed a pair of cold yellow and eerie eyes. On its chest was a large hole.

June knew what this was from the stories she had been told by Danny. This was a Hollow, a lost soul. She had never encountered one before in her whole career as the Te Xuan Ze and lacked any sort of experience against it. However, that didn't stop her from trying.

With a battle cry, she charged towards the Horror again, despite the cries of protest coming from Monroe.

"No, lass!" he shouted, "Get back! You can't stop that thing!"

"Just watch me!" she gritted her teeth and swung her fist into its head.

It didn't even flinch and just clicked its mandibles before swiping at her with its long claws. She ducked but then got the wind knocked out of her as one of its legs hit her in the stomach, hard. It then used the same leg to hit her face, sending her sliding against the grass, scratching her skin.

"JUNE! YOU CAN DO IT!" Ray-Ray shouted in encouragement, but seeing his sister's state was having an adverse effect on his own confidence.

"Dennis, found anything?" Monroe asked the eldest Lee boy.

"Can't find anything! Hold on!" Dennis flipped through a notebook. "Hah! Got it!" he waved a wand and chanted the spell and a barrier erected itself around the Hollow. "Hah, beat that!" The Hollow passed through the walls of the barrier easily. "WHAT!?" Dennis yelled, shocked and then checked his notebook again. "Crap, that barrier only works on non-ectoplasmic beings and that thing is full of it!"

"Any offensive spells?" Ray-Ray asked as Monroe took out a potion and threw it at the Hollow. It only served to make the malevolent spirit even angrier. Taking its attention away from June, it dashed towards the dog and two boys. But, June was not known to thrown in the towel quite easily so she leapt up and landed on its head and clutched the antennae.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM ME THAT EASILY!" she screamed before slamming her fist against its head several times. The Hollow thrashed about, trying to throw the rambunctious Te Xuan Ze off it. Her punches were slowly making cracks in its mask. Just one more and…

FWOOSH!!!

"ARGH!" June screamed as one of the antennae pierced her shoulder, spraying blood. It then removed itself and June dropped down to the ground, clutching her injured shoulder. She seethed and hissed in pain. The Hollow clicked its mandibles and flexed its fingers. It would be eating a very powerful soul tonight.

Monroe growled and barked before lunging at the Hollow only for it to smack him away. Ray-Ray caught the unconscious dog as he and Dennis looked on in horror as the Hollow was about to have their sister for supper.

"DRAGON COMBUSTION KICK!"

"SCARAB SMASH!"

"GUITAR AXE CHOP!"

A red fiery streak, followed by a black and purple blur and a black flash suddenly struck the Hollow simultaneously. The Lees watched as the Hollows body was sliced straight down the middle in half before its entire head and body exploded and vanished without a trace. June knew who they were very well.

"Draco…" she breathed out, standing as Dennis helped her back to her feet. He was bandaging up her wound.

Zodiac Knight Draco turned to look at June before he reached up and removed his helmet. Jinx, also known as Masked Rider Scarab, also removed her own helmet. A glow surrounded Kamen Rider Oni's head before it faded away, leaving Ryan without his mask on.

"You okay?" Ryuki asked with his eyes on June's wound.

"I'll live," she said, hissing a bit.

"Good," the Dragon Knight smiled.

"Juniper!" Jasmine cried as she rushed towards her injured granddaughter. "Are you alright?" Her eyes were on the bandage. "You're hurt!"

"I'm fine, Ah Mah," June assured her grandmother. "Nothing I haven't handled before."

"Good," Jasmine sighed, relieved.

"Those Hollows are generally pretty tough," Ryan said, "Then again, for a human, you're pretty tough too."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" June narrowed her eyes. Ryan held his hands up in defense.

"Hey, I didn't mean anything by it, Juniper Lee!"

"That looks pretty bad," Jinx said as she looked at the bandaged wound. "We better get that looked at."

"Aye, I agree," Monroe nodded.

"A talking dog?" Ryan asked. That was a new one. The again, he had heard from a friend that former captain Kisuke Urahara had a friend who could turn into a cat.

"Not too weird for me," Ryuki shrugged, briefly being reminded of Fu Dog back in New York.

Brimstone approached the smaller hound and sniffed him and Monroe barked back, "Easy there!" Monroe then narrowed his eyes, "Hey, wait a tick! You're not a real dog! You smell like a demon!"

Ryuki chuckled in amusement as all eyes were on him. "Looks like the secret's out." He pressed a button on his watch and the holographic illusion faded away around Brimstone, revealing his true hell-houndish self. Dennis jumped back.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" he screamed, pointing at the Kaiser with his wand.

"My pet," Ryuki answered simply, scratching Brimstone between the horns. The hell-hound barked.

"You tamed a Kaiser?" Monroe said, impressed.

"Long story," Jinx said.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" June asked. "And who are you?" she directed the question towards Ryan.

"Ryan Kazama," he answered, "With The Order." He didn't want to go too in depth about him being a renegade Shinigami. He barely knew June yet to trust her with that kind of information.

"And I'm here to…evaluate you," Ryuki answered, hesitantly.

"Evaluate me?" June asked.

"It was supposed to be Tazuka doing this…but…"

"I know."

"THAT WAS SO COOL!" Ray-Ray exclaimed, recovering from the shock. "THE EXPLOSION! THAT ARMOR! WICKED! AND YOU FIGHT WITH A GUITAR? SWEET!!!"

"Pretty hyper, isn't he?" Ryan observed.

"Too much sugar and caffeine," was Dennis and June's unison answer.

"So, when do we begin this evaluation?" June asked Ryuki.

But then everyone froze when they heard a clapping sound echoing through the woods. It was eerie since none of them was even clapping…

"What is that?" Jinx questioned, gulping in fright. Ryan had his eyes narrowed as he detected the spiritual pressure.

"Very nice, very nice," someone spoke as a blue figure faded into view. Ryan immediately tensed up, recognizing it. "Very nice indeed."

"An Arrancar!" Ryan gripped his guitar and re-summoned his black mask.

The Arrancar, obviously male, was dressed in a blue jacket with long sleeves and black cuffs. He wore black pants. Around his waist was a black sash that had his Zanpakuto secured to it. On his hands were black leather gloves. On his feet were black leather shoes. His Hollow mask was whole, strangely, since most Arrancar only had a fragment of their original masks remaining during the conversion. It had a fin on top and a grinning facemask. His eyes were concealed by the shadows of his mask.

"You are correct about that," the Arrancar said as he zipped down his jacket to under his chest, revealing a Hollow hole before zipping it back up again.

Ryuki was feeling something familiar when he stared at this Arrancar. It was as if he knew him.

'_That voice…but it can't be…_' Ryuki thought. "Who…who are you…?"

The Arrancar took a look at Ryuki and the Dragon Knight could feel those eyes piercing into his soul. Jinx stood next to him, grasping his hand in comfort. The Arrancar saw this and growled.

"I see you've found happiness," the Arrancar said. "Congratulations."

"Do I know you?" Ryuki asked but then Oni stepped up to face the Arrancar.

"I'm going to send you away!" Oni declared.

The Arrancar wagged his finger, "Manners, please. It would be wise if we were to introduce ourselves, but I don't see the need since I know who _all_ of you are." He raised his hands up to his mask. "I am known as El Pasenderos Aguarius…but I think you all know me better as…" he removed the face mask and everyone's eyes went wide, minus Jinx.

"Surprised?" the Arrancar grinned, his cold blue eyes staring at them soullessly.

"Nii…san…?" Ryuki breathed out.

To Be Continued…

Who is this mysterious Arrancar? What does he want? Why did Ryuki call him 'niisan'? I give you all a cookie to those who guess correctly…

Oh, and thanks to both Shadow Element 13 and Ten Faced Paladin for being my betas and editing where it was needed! Read their fics too, k?


	55. PT055: Broken Bonds

Part 55: Broken Bonds

Ryuki just stood there, frozen and shaken to the core. His heart was racing as a bead of sweat ran down his face. "Nii…san…"

Tazuka, or now known as El Pasenderos Aguarius, just leered at Ryuki coldly with his cold blue eyes filled with uttermost hate. Ryuki was not an empath, but he could still feel it being directed right at him. "Do **not **call me that!"

Jinx put her helmet back on as Oni prepared to fight as well. Ryuki didn't even move.

"So, you have some new friends," Pasenderos grinned. "It would be fun to break you by taking them away from you!" As quick as a flash, he vanished.

He then reappeared behind June, smacking Jasmine away, and grabbed the Te Xuan Ze by the back of her neck before floating right back up. June struggled.

"Juniper!" Jasmine yelled out.

"Let her go!" Monroe yelled.

Pasenderos was already hundreds of feet in the air and then he said, "Okay," before he let June go. June screamed as she fell fast towards the ground.

"JUNE/JUNIPER!" Dennis, Ray Ray, Monroe and Jasmine screamed.

Oni quickly leapt up high and caught June in his arms before she went splat, but then got blasted in the back by Pasenderos with a 'Bala' blast. Smoke billowed from his back as he grunted and slowly floated back to the ground. His back began to heal from the blast but slowly.

"It feels nice to have friends, doesn't it, Ryuki?" Pasenderos asked the stunned Ryuki. "People you can trust to watch your back." He then narrowed his eyes, "Unlike you who left me to die."

That got Ryuki's attention. "But, niisan! I would never-!"

"Shut up!" Pasenderos sent an energy blast at Ryuki who was too stunned to move. Jinx, seeing this, reacted quickly.

"Clock Up!" she commanded, slapping her belt.

"CLOCK UP!" the Inzecter reacted and she vanished.

Ryuki also seemed to vanish as the blast flew by and destroyed a tree.

"CLOCK OVER!"

Pasenderos narrowed his eyes. "Interesting…Smart Brain has new toys."

"I won't let you hurt my Ryuki!" Jinx shouted out.

"_Your_ Ryuki?" Pasenderos spoke. "So, you've found a lover and she fights by your side." He said to Jinx, "Little girl, you better leave him for your own good. When you're in danger, he'll just leave you behind to save himself."

"You're wrong! He would never do that!" Jinx protested, her pink eyes narrowed under his helmet.

"He let me die!" Pasenderos shouted. "And now I'm going to do the same to him!" He placed his face mask back on and reached for his Zanpakuto. Oni tensed up.

"He's ready to use his Zanpakuto," Oni said. "Be careful, everyone."

Pasenderos' Zanpakuto was a katana with a serrated edge and a shark-shaped guard with a blue handle. "Prepare yourself." He then landed on the ground and surged towards Oni and Jinx. Ryuki was in no condition to fight right now. He was still in shock.

Jinx charged and swung her fist but Pasenderos ducked and elbowed her in the stomach. She doubled over before he smashed his fist up into her chest, sending her flying up. Brimstone pounced and bit down on his arm. He swung his arm and threw Brimstone away. He then jumped up to slash her with his Zanpakuto. Oni intercepted and used his Trumpet Blaster, blowing into it to send a blast of sound energy at Pasenderos. The Arrancar raised a hand and dispersed the sound waves before he swung his sword and slashed Oni across the chest. Oni let out a scream as blood spilled from his chest. Pasenderos grabbed the Rider and then threw him to the ground before continuing his advance on Jinx, who was still falling. She screamed.

That scream brought Ryuki back to reality and when he saw Jinx about to be sliced by Pasenderos, he reacted.

"JINXY-CHAN!" He then teleported.

Pasenderos was close to Jinx but then a flaming wall appeared, placing Ryuki in between Jinx and Pasenderos. Pasenderos still swung his sword.

SLICE!

"AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!" Ryuki screamed as his left arm was sliced clean off his. Blood gushed out of his wound and Jinx was horrified.

"BABY!" Jinx screamed but Ryuki grabbed her and teleported with her to escape another slash from Pasenderos.

Ryuki reappeared on the ground and then dropped to his knees, clutching the stump of his arm. Jinx kneeled down, "Baby? Are you Alright?"

Pasenderos just looked on in disgust before sheathing his sword. "You're no fun at all. You won't even fight back. If I wish to defeat you, I want it to be when you're at your best. That way…it's more satisfying."

"Niisan…why…?" Ryuki asked.

"You let me die, so I'm going to make you suffer…but I'm willing to let you all have a chance for a fair fight. Tomorrow night, I will return." A portal materialized behind, "Until then, recuperate and get a new arm." He vanished into the portal. Brimstone barked out angrily.

"Damn it!" Ryan cursed as he changed back to human form, punching his fist into the ground.

"We have to stop the bleeding!" Jinx cried as her armor also vanished. Ryuki's armor had shattered off as well and he was clutching his stump, gritting and hissing in pain as blood continued to drip.

"I can take care of it," Ryuki told her. He ignited his hand and placed it over the wounded area before pressing down. "Ugh!" he grunted as he sealed the wound with his fire power. Jinx and Jasmine cringed. "Now, let's go home."

"But your arm…" Jinx began.

"It will be alright…but right now…what happened to Tazuka-niisan?"

"But he died, didn't he?"

"He did," Ryan said, "And now he's an Arrancar."

"But wouldn't that mean he'd have to be a Hollow first? How did that happen?" Ryuki asked.

"Many reasons how that could happen, but we better get some rest."

"Let us get back to my house," June suggested.

"We also need to disinfect that wound you got there," Jasmine added, looking at June's bandaged shoulder.

* * *

Gizmo and Mammoth had finished fixing the porch as soon as the group returned. Mammoth looked at Ryuki's missing arm and both of them got the story from Jinx. She escorted him to one of the guest rooms and laid him down on a bed. After tonight, he needed plenty of rest. He was mentally exhausted after what had happened. Brimstone was with him, keeping him company as he laid his head on the bed, whimpering sadly. 

"Great, and I was called for a Hollow problem and now we got an Arrancar," Ryan said, crossing his arms.

"How bad is an Arrancar?" Dennis asked.

"A lot worse than a Hollow," Ryan answered. "They are Hollows who have gained Shinigami powers and are intelligent. Most Hollows are like wild animals and follow their instincts, but Arrancar can plan ahead and strategize. Combine with their power, that makes them more dangerous. Only one group can match them; the Vizard."

"Vizard?" Jasmine questioned.

"The antithesis of the Arrancar; Shinigami who have gained Hollow powers. Technically, I'm one of them."

"What do you mean 'technically'?" June asked.

"I…don't want to talk about it," Ryan said evasively. "Right now, we need to plan out a way to take care of this Arrancar."

"He used to be Ryuki's best friend," Jinx stated, "But now he's a monster that wants to kill him."

"I met Tazuka a while back. He was a good piano player and played the keyboard along with Desmond, Takada and Ryuki when they were a band. Tazuka and Ryuki were really close, almost like brothers. I don't know what happened, but maybe when he became a Hollow, his memories were warped and when he became an Arrancar, they got warped even more. Now, all he wants to do is to destroy Ryuki."

"Isn't there a way to help Tazuka?" June asked. "I mean, there has to be a way."

"Doubtful," Ryan said. "Arrancar don't have hearts so he's no different. All they have is hatred and malevolence as well as the urge to cause pain."

"You're wrong!" someone snapped and everyone turned to see Ryuki and Brimstone.

"Baby, you should be resting!" Jinx said as she got up.

"I'm fine, Jinxy-chan," he smiled to her before glaring at Ryan. "The Tazuka-niisan I knew is still in there. I just need to find a way to bring him back."

"Don't be naïve," Ryan bristled. "Arrancar and Hollows are all the same; evil. They can't change."

"I can't accept that!" Ryuki shot back.

"He cut off your arm," Ryan pointed out. "What does that tell you? Furthermore, how will you be able to fight without that arm of yours?"

"I can grow it back," Ryuki said.

Everyone stared.

"Grow...it back?" Gizmo parroted.

"No way," Ray Ray said.

"Watch me," Ryuki growled.

"Baby…" Jinx whispered. She knew what it meant when he needed to grow back a limb. He would need to use his Orphenoch powers to regenerate his entire arm, but to do that he would need to change.

Blue flames began to appear all over his body and then collected at his stump. Gritting his teeth, he growled as his body began to change. His skin turned grey before he morphed into the Ifrit Orphenoch! Jasmine, June and Dennis were shocked. Ryan's eyes widened slightly. Mammoth and Gizmo's jaws dropped. Ray Ray was watching with interest and shouted out, "WOW!"

Jinx watched as the Ifrit Orphenoch let loose a pain filled roar before the stump began to become covered in flame. Suddenly a new arm shot out of the stump. The Ifrit Orphenoch stared at the new arm and growled in appreciation before he changed back to Ryuki. He dropped down to his knees. Brimstone was immediately at his side, licking the sweat off his face as Jinx rushed to pick him up and help him to his feet. He panted.

"Now…I have…my arm back," Ryuki grinned exhaustedly.

"What…happened?" June asked.

"Something I don't want to get into right now," Ryuki said hesitantly.

"Let's get you to bed," Jinx suggested and the Dragon Knight was in no position to argue with her as she walked him back to the guest room to put him in bed.

* * *

"_Shoot Vent!" Draco summoned his Dragon Cannon._

"_Copy Vent!" Jawz created an exact copy of the weapon. They got equipped to their right arms._

_They reared their arms back and Dragonzer appeared. They then thrust out their cannons, shooting fireballs and sending Dragonzer straight at their target. The monster was destroyed in a huge explosion. Dragonzer then swallowed the energy orb._

"_Yatta," Draco cheered. "Arigato, niisan!"_

"_No problem, Ryuki," Jawz said. "Remember, you're never alone in this."_

"_I know that. I have you, Takada-san and Ichijyo-san," Draco smiled under his helmet._

_Jawz's visor glowed for a brief second and then he looked at Draco, "I see big things in your future, Ryuki. Very big things."_

"_You do?"_

* * *

Pasenderos was still in Orchid Bay, but had masked his energy so that he wouldn't be detected. When he came to this city, he never expected to see Ryuki again. Now he could have his revenge. 

"Soon…very soon…rest up, _otouto_…you'll need it."

* * *

Everyone was asleep in the Lee house. Jinx slept with Leo on the bed with Brimstone on the floor. Mammoth, Gizmo and Ryan were all asleep in the living room. Ryan took the couch while both the big teen and small genius slept on the couch. Gimo nearly got crushed by his larger friend when he grabbed him and hugged him like a teddy bear. 

Ryuki couldn't sleep. He was still thinking about what had happened.

'_How could Tazuka-niisan have turned into that?_' he wondered

'_He said you abandoned him when he died_,' Yaminekoryu replied to him.

'_But I would never do that! He knows it!_'

'_Does he? It seems to me that he's forgotten about all that._'

'_Then I have to remind him!_'

'_What are you going to do?_'

'_Remind him of the bond we shared!_'

Careful not to wake up Jinx and Brimstone, Ryuki got out of bed. He checked to make sure he had everything he needed for this. He had to go see Tazuka. He needed to see him!

He took out his Pactio card. Closing his eyes, he focused on calling _it_ forth. He remembered using it when he had been hopping dimensions. He never thought he'd have to use it again for a long time.

In a flash of light the card vanished and his Keyblade appeared in his hand. Inspecting his weapon, he was satisfied with its appearance. He looked back at Jinx and Brimstone and apologized, "Gomen nasai," before he used the magic of the Keyblade to teleport him.

He wanted some answers from Tazuka. He needed to know what'd happened to his brother. He deserved to know.

* * *

A Hollow was cornering one of the many magical creatures in the city, a fairy. As it was ready to devour her, a flaming vortex pushed it back. Ryuki appeared, gripping his Keyblade. He turned his attention towards the fairy, and said, "Get out of here." The fairy nodded and flew off before Ryuki faced off against the Hollow. 

Hollows, to Ryuki at the moment, were no different from Horrors. Both stemmed from human darkness and the Keyblade he held was created to purify such darkness. The Hollow was wolf-like in appearance and let out a howl before it pounced on Ryuki. The Knight narrowed his eyes and then leapt over the Hollow before the Hollow rammed into several trash cans. Incensed, it growled and then lunged for Ryuki again. Ryuki grabbed it by the mask and held it at bay before he raised up his Keyblade.

"It's over…for you," Ryuki said slowly before swinging down his Keyblade and splitting the masked head of the Hollow in half. It let out an anguished scream before it faded away into nothing.

Ryuki had just defeated the 5th Hollow he'd encountered tonight and was going off to hunt for another. He had also changed into a new uniform. It was a black jumpsuit with a red chestplate and matching gloves and boots. He also had on a red scarf and his goggles were over his eyes. He leapt up and the flames shot out of his feet as he took to the air.

More Hollows to hunt. If he destroyed anymore, maybe Pasenderos would show himself and then they would talk.

* * *

Jinx yawned as she woke up. Checking the clock on the wall, it showed that it was 4 am in the morning. Groaning, she then went back to sleep but then her eyes shot wide open as she realized that Ryuki wasn't with her. She panicked and looked around frantically. She accidentally woke up Brimstone and the demon dog barked at its master's absence. The Kaiser's barking also woke up everyone else that was inside the house. They all came into the room. 

"What's going (yawn) on?" Mammoth yawned as he scratched himself.

"What's with all the racket?" grumbled Gizmo.

"Ryuki's gone!" Jinx answered, fearfully.

"He must've woken up to go after Pasenderos!" Ryan concluded.

June's bracelet began to flash, signaling an imbalance in the magical world. "We got trouble. Come on!"

* * *

Pasenderos had sensed the elimination of several Hollow signatures and knew immediately who was responsible. He gritted his teeth, "Ryuki…so you're sending me a message." Pasenderos, out of courtesy, had allowed them to rest for a day, but clearly Ryuki did not want that. He wanted to face Pasenderos now, and killing Hollows was the only was he knew to draw him out. 

"Well, allow me to answer your call," Pasenderos said before he vanished.

* * *

The group was now back in the forest where they'd encountered the Arrancar of Tazuka. June's bracelet had led them there. Mammoth and Gizmo were given trinkets to allow them to see beyond the veil. They would need it if they were going to face against Pasenderos. 

They soon found the Arrancar, leaning against a tree and waiting for them. He removed his face mask and waved at them.

"A beautiful night, isn't it?" he asked. Jinx stepped forward.

"Where's Ryuki?" she demanded. Pasenderos shrugged.

"I thought you knew," Pasenderos retorted. "He's been killing Hollows all night to get my attention."

"It seemed to work, though," Ryan said.

"Well, now I am here so where is he?"

"Right here," Ryuki's voice came as he walked into view, in his Zodiac Knight armor and brandishing his Keyblade.

"So, you've come to face me, Ryuki," Pasenderos sneered as the Dragon Knight approached him. Draco reached up and with a click loosened his helmet before pulling it off his head and dropping it on the ground. Pasenderos quirked an eyebrow.

"You fight without a mask, I should do the same," was Ryuki's remark before he summoned his Keyblade. Smirking, Pasenderos unsheathed his Zanpakuto, slowly sliding it out of its scabbard, the cold steel hissing as it slid against the scabbard's inner surface.

"You should've kept that helmet on. It would've protected you from getting your skull split open."

"I'll take my chances."

Both former friends stared each other down, circling one another as they gripped their respective weapons tightly. Everyone watched as this was unfolding.

"This…isn't right," June muttered. "They shouldn't be fighting like this!"

"I know, Juniper," Jasmine said, regrettably, "But sometimes…life…doesn't always go our way."

"But, Ah Mah," June pleaded, "Their supposed to be friends. Tazuka would never-"

"Tazuka's soul has been warped by the darkness in his heart and lost it in the process. " Jasmine turned to look at the unfolding battle, "Let's just hope Ryuki can provide the light to help find it."

"Go for it, Ryuki," Jinx spoke under her breath.

With a unison cry, both Knight and Arrancar lunged at one another, swinging their weapons. Both Keyblade and Zanpakuto clashed they impacted, shredding sparks off one another. They then pulled back and swung again, blocking, slashing, parrying.

"You're going to pay for what you did to me!" Pasenderos shouted as he swung his Zanpakuto horizontally, aimed at Draco's neck. Draco raised his Keyblade up to block.

"I tried to save you!" Draco retorted.

"LIAR!" Pasenderos sent Draco reeling back with a kick before jumping and twisting his body to strike him down. Draco ducked and spun his body to catch Pasenderos in the side, hard, sending him flying into a tree and smashing it in half. Pasenderos looked up, eyes filled with hatred.

"Tazuka-niisan," Ryuki said, panting, "How could you ever think that I could leave you to die like that?"

Pasenderos growled and then flashed towards Draco, appearing behind him and then swinging his sword at his back. Sparks flew off his armor as Draco screamed. June cringed as Jinx's eyes widened.

"RYUKI!" she screamed.

Ryuki stumbled but recovered quickly before striking back at Pasenderos. Pasenderos easily dodged all of Draco swings by stepping back and side to side. None of Draco's attack struck him but something did as Draco drove past him…a small bit of wetness hit his cheek. Pasenderos wiped it away and looked up. Was it raining? He looked back at Draco and was surprised to see tears trailing down the green eyes of the Knight of Dragons. Was he…crying?

"Why are crying?" Pasenderos asked, curious.

"I'm crying…for you," was Draco's reply as he got ready with his Keyblade.

Pasenderos averted his eyes and then narrowed them angrily before he sent a powerful energy blast at Draco. The Dragon Knight used his Keyblade to create a magical shield to protect himself but the shield shattered from the impact, flinging him back violently. His body shattered a rock upon impact. He groaned in pain as he was on his hands and knees, coughing blood. The tip of Pasenderos' Zanpakuto was at his chin and slowly raised up his head to look up at the malevolent spirit of his fallen friend…his brother…

"Get up, and stop crying," Pasenderos ordered before raising his foot and kicking Draco in the chin, sending him flying back. A memory flashed in his mind.

* * *

"_Get up," Jawz said to him as both of them faced against a powerful looking Mirror Monster._

"_I can't…" Draco said weakly, and in pain as he was on his knees, panting._

"_You can, I know you can. I need you to help me so get up."_

* * *

Draco telekinetically stopped his unintended flight and slowly descended on the ground to lightly land on his feet. He gripped his Keyblade in one hand and wiped his tears away with the other. His eyes were narrowed sternly as he crouched down, his other hand on the Keyblade's handle, grasping it tight. 

Pasenderos saw the look in Draco's eyes and clutched his head. He really wished Draco had kept his helmet on. That way, he wouldn't be looking into _those_ eyes. His head ached when a memory came into his own mind.

* * *

"_Ryuki…" Tazuka said weakly. Blood began to pool under him from his wounds._

"_Niisan…" Ryuki said weakly, hands stained with blood. "Hold on…help is coming…just hold on…"_

"_I can't…" Tazuka said. "Ryuki…please stay strong for us…you're the light to this dreadful darkness…" His eyes closed as an eternal slumber grasped him._

"_Niisan?" Ryuki said as he no longer felt Tazuka. "Niisan?" he shook the body. Tears began to fall from his eyes. "Niisan…No…TAZUKA-NIISAN!!!"_

* * *

'_He…stayed with me? No, that can't be true! He left me to die!' _Pasenderos shook his head as he charged once again at Draco. Draco side-stepped and then smashed the back of his fist hard into the back of Pasenderos' skull, shattering the back-side of his Hollow mask and causing the Arrancar to stagger. Pasenderos retaliated by twisting around and striking at Draco with his Zanpakuto but was blocked by the Keyblade. Both warriors stared one another in the eyes, cold blue and emerald green gazing into each other. 

Another memory.

* * *

_Draco was forced to the ground by a powerful elbow strike in the back from Scorpios. The Scorpion Knight picked up Draco and hurled him into a building and through the window, shattering the glass and landing on the floor. Scorpios stalked towards him, brandishing his scythe. He climbed through the shattered window and stood over Draco, his scythe raised._

"_It's your time, kid," Scorpios sneered before bringing down his scythe._

"_Add Vent!"_

"_Huh!?" Scorpios yelped as a blue armored hammerhead shark rammed into him and out of the building. A blue and white figure leapt into view and held his hand out to Draco. Draco grasped it and was pulled up._

"_Niisan?" Draco gawked. "But-"_

"_I was just in the neighborhood," Jawz cut him off, "Didn't we tell you not to go after this guy alone? He's dangerous."_

"_I had to…he needs to be stopped for all those people he hurt," Draco told him._

"_Then let's do it together!" Jawz raised his hand and Draco slapped his into it before they grasped their hands tightly together, unifying them. They both looked to see Scorpios glaring at them before he howled and charged. Both Knights, brothers, charged right back at him._

* * *

Pasenderos shook his head, growling in annoyance. He then heard Draco ask, "You saw it too, didn't you?" 

Pasenderos roared and swung his Zanpakuto at Draco's head. Draco didn't even make a move as the metal blade swished through the air. Everyone present gasped as Draco did nothing to react against it. He just closed his eyes, waiting for it.

Then, the blade just stopped, close against Ryuki's neck. Ryuki opened his eyes and stared into the eyes of the Arrancar who had once been his closest friend…his brother.

Pasenderos…he was hesitating. Something inside of him was stopping him from dealing the finishing blow, but what? What was it?

* * *

_Scorpios had activated his Final Vent as a sand storm blew into the area, blinding Draco and Jawz. They couldn't see anything as the sand was in their way._

_Scorpios, however, could see just fine. He leapt onto the tail of Garuzak, his Scorpion Zodiac Beast, and then catapulted into the air. He was aiming this fatal strike directly for Draco._

_Draco could not see the attack coming but then felt like someone had pushed him out of the way. He then heard the sound of metal being smashed and shattered and his heart stopped in shock. _

'_No…No…'_

_The sand storm cleared away to reveal Scorpios standing triumphant yet disappointed at the same time. Disappointed that he had not hit the right one, but triumphant that he was able to defeat one of his targets. He stared at Draco who was staring in shock._

"_TAZUKA-NIISAN!!!" Draco screamed. The concrete ground around him shattered at his screams._

* * *

'_I…protected him?_' Pasenderos was wondering. '_Are these…memories…real?_' He took a step back and dropped his Zanpakuto, clutching his head. Was everything he had thought to believe a lie? 

He had always believed that Draco left him to die when instead he had protected the Dragon Knight. Also, Draco had stayed with him until he died…How could he have thought of that of his little brother?

The others were wondering what was going on as the fighting ceased. Ryan was tense as he flexed his fingers, waiting to move in if Pasenderos made one wrong move.

Pasenderos placed a hand to his chest. He had allowed himself to lose his own heart, warping him into a savage Hollow before he somehow became an Arrancar…All he ever thought about was his revenge against Draco for allowing him to die.

Instead…instead…he did not know what to do anymore. Different emotions and memories were mixing around in his head as confusion reigned. What was he suppose to do?

Half of him wanted to seek forgiveness while another half wanted to destroy Draco. Which side was he to follow?

His eyes then fell upon the cracked goggles on Draco's forehead as another memory flashed.

* * *

"_Here you go, Ryuki-kun," Tazuka said as he handed the goggles to the younger boy. He had brought them at a sport's store called 'The Penalty Box'. For some reason, he had thought of Ryuki when buying them._

"_Goggles, niisan?" Ryuki asked as he examined them._

"_Something told me that they belonged with you," Tazuka shrugged. "Go ahead, try them on." Ryuki did as told and strapped them onto his forehead. He looked at his reflection and smiled.  
_

"_Hey, they look good on me!" Ryuki then asked, "But…why?"_

"_Call it an early birthday present, otouto," Tazuka smiled_

"_Arigato, niisan!"_

* * *

'_Those…goggles…'_

"Tazuka-niisan?" Ryuki began, hesitantly.

"Don't call me that!" Pasenderos snapped. "Shut up!" He wanted to hate Draco, he really did, but when these memories came flooding into his mind he had no idea what to think anymore. Giving one last look at Ryuki, he vanished in a flash.

"Niisan!" Ryuki called, but Pasenderos had disappeared. Ryuki looked down, "Niisan…"

* * *

Pasenderos stumbled along a cold and dark back alley as he struggled to get away. He leaned on his Zanpakuto for some support. Memories flashed in and out of his mind as he tried to gain some balance. Some of them were what he believed while others echoed in his soul. 

"What am I doing!?" he cried to himself, tears escaping his eyes. "Otouto…..I ALMOST KILLED MY OTOUTO!!!!!

'_He left you to die!_' a hollow voice echoed in Pasenderos's mind. It sounded very similar to his own. '_He ran like a coward from Scorpios and let you die!_'

"No," Pasenderos sobbed. "He wouldn't do that! He stayed with me to the end!"

'_Lies!_' the hollow voice hissed. '_Lies! Lies! LIES! LIES! LIES!_'

"Shut up!" Pasenderos cried, gripping the remaining pieces of his partial mask. "Just SHUT UP! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Pasenderos clawed at the bone mask, attempting to tear off the final fragments. He wasn't sure if this was a wise thing to do, but his emotional state made him viable to do anything at the moment.

To Be Continued...


	56. PT056: Seek Out His Heart

Part 56: Seek Out his Heart

Ryuki was in a clear state of depression. He sat on the front steps of the Lee's porch, absentmindedly inspecting the Keyblade in his hand, banishing it and summoning it repeatedly. Heaving a sigh, he looked up into the starry sky. His heart hurt in ways that he hadn't felt since Tazuka's death. Now he was back and the corruption in his heart twisted him into something awful.

"Niisan…" Ryuki let down a tear. Jinx then sat down next to him.

"A beautiful night, huh?" she asked. No answer. "Nice new costume," she added, but received no answer again. "I was with Mrs. Lee. She has a lot of books about magical creatures, magic spells, and potions." Ryuki didn't react. She continued, "Ryuki, you need to talk to me."

"I…can't…" he muttered.

"I know you're thinking about your friend, but you need to move on," she advised.

"I tried…after I went back to Tokyo and visited his grave, I thought I did. I thought I could get over it." He clutched his hair, "But…after seeing him again…The pain just came back, and now he's this Arrancar thing." He looked up in the sky. "He's out there, somewhere. And if I can find him, I know I can get through to him."

"Ryan said you can't get through to an Arrancar," she replied. "There's no heart to reach."

"Well, maybe I can! I refuse to believe that Nii-san is gone like that!" he shot back but then realized how harsh that had sounded. "Gomen…Jinxy-chan."

"It's okay," Jinx told him. "You're depressed, but please don't push everyone away."

Ryuki smiled and she smiled back before placing a short kiss to his lips. "So? About that Key thing."

"You mean this?" Ryuki asked, summoning the Keyblade. Jinx nodded. "Remember when I got lost jumping around different alternate dimension? Well, I got this thing to help me fight the Horrors. It's called a Keyblade and it has special properties."

"Wow," Jinx said, sounding impressed. "Can I hold it?"

"Sure," he handed it to her but when her hands touched the handle; it suddenly vanished only to reappear in his hand. Jinx gasped. He chuckled.

"Gomen, I forget that it does that."

"What is it?"

"A very powerful weapon, able to bring salvation or destruction," he explained, "Only those with strong hearts can use it."

"Don't you mean 'pure' hearts?" she inquired. He shook his head.

"No, I mean strong hearts," he added, "Good or evil, if the person has a strong heart, they can use the Keyblade. The Keyblade, as far as I know, reacts to its owner…its master's heart. I thought I lost it when I returned, but it looks like it still has a link to me."

"Wow…" Jinx whistled. "What can it do?"

"Well, when my Zodiac Powers were a bit out of control, the Keyblade helped me focus their magic. I can use a more powerful version of my fire, ice and earth magic, some gravity manipulation magic and other spells. Ryan taught me how to use it right."

"He did?" Jinx asked.

"I did," Ryan admitted as he walked out the door. "A Keyblade isn't very different from a Zanpakuto. A Zanpakuto is alive, has a spirit, and so does the Keyblade."

"He's right," Ryuki confessed, "The Keyblade…I sense a strong spirit in it, a warm and kind one."

"So you were never really alone, huh?" Jinx smiled, glad to have Ryuki open up.

"No, I wasn't," he said. He gazed at the shining Keyblade.

Ryan sat down on the porch, legs crossed as he began to play his guitar.

"We need to do something about that Arrancar," Ryan said.

"His name is Tazuka!" Ryuki snapped.

"Okay, fine," Ryan grumbled, "But you have to stop thinking of him as a human. He's not the same man you knew when he was alive. He's been warped by his inner darkness."

Ryuki stood up and glared at his senior Rider in the eyes. "Forgive me, sempai, but I know Tazuka. He's in there and I know I can get through to him!" He swung his Keyblade. "This Keyblade, it can unlock hearts and maybe I will be able to unlock his from its prison."

"His heart is gone," Ryan said solemnly. Ryuki held in the urge to flinch. Did Ryan really have to remind him after Jinx just told him that?

"If it's lost, then let me find it."

Both Riders stared each other in the eye, blue against green. Jinx looked worried, thinking a fight would break out.

Ryan sighed, "Okay, fine, kid. I maybe older than you, by a few millennia, but I've never met someone as stubborn as you in my entire existence!"

"Ryan-sempai…" Ryuki began to smile.

"He ran away when he could've won, maybe you did get through to him."

"So…you'll let me fight him again and get through to him?" Ryuki asked and Ryan nodded.

"And I won't interfere," Ryan continued, "It's your fight."

Bringing up the Keyblade, it shone under the light of the moon; Ryuki had a firm look on his face. "Arigato, sempai."

Jinx stood up, glad that it never came to blows, but then Ryan picked up his Guitar Axe, Zanki, and spun it around before it formed into a sword. He just restored his Zanpakuto into its sealed form.

"But, we need to train. Would you like to be my sparing partner?" Ryan asked.

"Hai!" Ryuki nodded. They went onto the yard, and faced each other, gripping their respective mystical weapons.

"Hey, what's going on?" Gizmo asked as he came out, followed by Ray Ray and Mammoth.

"Are they gonna fight?" Mammoth asked.

"Woah! Cool!" Ray Ray said excitedly.

"It's nothing, guys, just a sparing session," Jinx told them before adding under her breath, "I hope…"

"Ready?" Ryan asked.

"Hai."

"Then I'll go first!" Ryan then lunged towards Ryuki, swinging his Zanpakuto in a horizontal arc. Ryuki ducked and rolled back before kicking Ryan in the chin, sending him back before he flipped back to his feet and swung his Keyblade. The Vizard spun in mid-air and parried with Zanki. Ryuki pushed back and the Vizard pushed harder and then forced Ryuki back before he swung out his leg, catching Ryuki in the gut.

"Come on, kid," Ryan said, "I know you can do better than that!" Ryuki got back up. A smirk appeared on the Vizard's face. "Good, now, fight me for real!"

"Okay!" Ryuki sent a fire ball at Ryan and he dodged it before Ryuki leapt up and sent down an arc of ice energy at the Vizard. Ryan jumped up to dodge but Ryuki teleported and then swung down the Keyblade. Ryan got slashed in the shoulder and slammed back to the ground. Ryan had to admit that the Keyblade was a powerful weapon. He felt like not only his body took a hit but his heart as well, at least a part of it anyway. He pushed himself back to his feet and glared at Ryuki who landed after him. Ryuki then charged again, swinging his Keyblade like crazy and forcing Ryan onto the defensive, blocking and parrying with his Zanpakuto, not allowing him to counter. Grinning, Ryan then turned intangible and vanished into the ground. Ryuki stumbled.

"Huh?" Ryuki looked around.

"Behind you!" Jinx yelled and he quickly turned before and saw the edge of Ryan's Zanpakuto headed for his neck. He rose up his Keyblade, blocking it, before shooting an ice ball into Ryan's chest and sending him sliding back by his feet. His feet dragged along the grass and he stabbed his sword into the ground to stop himself.

"Wow, you're good with that thing," Ryan complimented.

"You remember what happened before, don't you?" Ryuki asked, pointing the Keyblade straight at Ryan. "Don't hold back on me."

"Don't intend to," Ryan grinned and then he called, "Behead all my enemies…ZANKI!" He released his Zanpakuto and it turned back into the Guitar Axe. He strummed the strings. "Sonic Hammer!" The sound waves slammed into Ryuki with full force and he had to create a psychic shield to endure it. The shield vibrated from the sound waves slamming into it before it cracked and finally shattered. Ryuki slammed back onto the porch.

"You okay, baby?" Jinx asked. Ryuki grinned.

"Oh, I'm better than okay!" Ryuki stood up and prepared to battle Ryan again.

"Well, looks like you want to see how a Vizard really fights," Ryan grinned. "I don't always do this, but you need to see why you can't match up to the Arrancar. I want you to see why I'm the senior and you're the junior!" He closed his eyes and then they snapped open. Jinx gasped in shock, Mammoth's eyes widened and Gizmo looked shock. Ray Ray let out, "Look at his eyes, dudes!"

The iris of Ryan's eyes had turned yellow and the sclera around them had turned black…like a Hollow's eyes.

"We are Vizard," Ryan said in a distorted voice as he reached up to his head, pulling together white fragmented energy. "Shinigami and Hollows combined." The fragments joined together and shaped…into a white skull-like mask with horns and black facial markings. He smirked. "Prepare yourself, Ryuki," he said before he pulled the mask over his face.

Jinx could feel the spiritual energy radiating from him. It nearly suffocated her. Ray Ray's eyes went wide. June and Jasmine came out to see what was going on. June's bracelet was glowing brightly as it sensed the energy coming from Ryan.

Ryuki couldn't fight. He was forced to his knees by the aura he was feeling. Ryan looked at him and shook his head.

"Is that all you can do?" Ryan said before removing his mask and banishing it. "Now you can see how it's different between you and I…How can you think of defeating an Arrancar?"

Ryuki got his breathing back and growled, baring his sharp teeth, his eyes glowing blue and his hair starting to stand up. He gripped his Keyblade tightly and charged straight at Ryan.

"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ryuki cried and rapidly stabbed his Keyblade at Ryan. Ryan tried to dodge but got cut in the side, his arms and his face. Stopping his assault, Ryuki then tried another tactic. He ran around Ryan, creating after images of himself to confuse Ryan. The after-images were an illusion created by his speed and his chi. Ryan had no idea which was which. When did he learn how to do this?

"So, you know some tricks," Ryan admired.

"More than you know," Ryuki grinned and then one of them darted forward and then swung his Keyblade at Ryan's neck. Ryan flinched awaiting impact but after a few seconds opened his eyes to see the tip of Ryuki's Keyblade in his face.

"I can handle myself, you see," Ryuki told him before banishing his Keyblade. "And I will get through to Tazuka-niisan."

"You're really stubborn, kiddo." Ryan chuckled. "Then again, being stubborn sometimes is all you need to be the one standing on top in a fight."

"I am who I am. I cannot be anyone else," Ryuki spoke solemnly before he turned to look at Jinx and the others.

"You're going to look for him, huh?" June asked.

"Take me with you?" Jinx pleaded.

"I won't be too far," he told her, revealing the Pactio card he'd made with her. "If I need you, I'll call you. Don't worry about it."

"Okay…" Jinx nodded, holding a matching Pactio card. Both cards held Ryuki's image, wielding his Keyblade bravely.

"I'm coming with you," June said.

"Juniper…" Ryuki said slowly.

"I'm the Te Xuan Ze, it's my job to keep things in balance," June said stubbornly and confidently.

"Juniper has grown from her experiences," Jasmine added. "She may be of help to you."

"And this is my evaluation, isn't it?" June finished, "So, use this chance to evaluate me."

Ryuki nodded in agreement, "Okay, but at the first sign of real trouble, get out of there."

"Hey, no promises," June shrugged. "But I'll try."

"Good," Ryuki said, "Ikuzo!"

* * *

Pasenderos had nearly torn off every fragment of his bone mask, except for the broken fin in top his head.

'_Kill him…kill him…_' the voice urged, '_KILL HIM!_'

"No!" Pasenderos… (Or was it Tazuka?) denied. "No, I won't do it!" he clutched his head, "Shut up and leave me alone!"

'_NEVER! RELEASE ME! RELEASE YOUR TRUE SELF!_'

"I…won't…" Pasenderos said but his hand was moving for his Zanpakuto.

'_RELEASE YOUR HOLLOW POWERS, ANIHILATE HIM!_'

"Otouto…forgive me…" Pasenderos clutched the sword. His voice wouldn't even obey him and none of his arms would do the same either. "Massacre…Tiburon."

That was the cue the Zanpakuto needed as it shattered.

A tear fell from his eye as the energy engulfed him and he howled.

* * *

Draco was in his Survivor Mode armor with June behind him. She had her arms wrapped around his waist as they raced down the streets upon Dragonrizer's bike mode.

Draco's head snapped up. "Niisan!" he panicked before accelerating.

"What's going on!?" June asked, clutching tightly.

"I heard him screaming!" Draco told her. "He might be in danger!"

'_Or we might be walking into a trap,_' June thought fearfully. She hoped it wasn't true.

Suddenly a blue ball of energy came rushing towards them. Acting quickly, Draco clutched the handles of his bike and Dragonrizer changed back to its draconic form and flew to safety, just as the blue ball smashed into a car and blew it up.

"That could've been us!" June realized. "What shot at us?"

Draco pointed ahead, "That."

Floating in mid-air was Pasenderos…but in his released state. Bony armor covered his entire body, leaving only his upper arms, his midsection and upper legs exposed. His face and head were hidden under a helmet with a grinning face mask. The design of the armor was identical to his Zodiac armor.

"What happened to you?" Draco asked but received no answer as another energy blast came flying at them. Draco maneuvered Dragonrizer out of the way before the mighty armored dragon roared and flew at Pasenderos, readying a counter attack.

The armored Arrancar didn't even flinch or run but raised his head and when Dragonrizer spewed flames at him, which Draco protested, a blue energy barrier erected itself around Pasenderos' body. The flames dispersed around him but not against him. Dragonrizer stopped its assault and decided on the direct approach, bringing down its claws upon Pasenderos. The Arrancar dodged and grabbed the dragon by its tail.

"Brace yourself!" Draco called to June who was now holding VERY tightly to his waist.

Pasenderos began to spin them around and around AND AROUND before sending them straight to the ground. Draco grabbed June and teleported them to safety as Dragonrizer crashed onto the streets below. Draco landed and let go of June before checking up on his Zodiac Beast.

"Dragonrizer! Are you okay?" he asked and received a growl. "I'll take that as a no." He turned to see Pasenderos making his landing, glaring at Draco with his eyes. Draco's own eyes glowed under his helmet and he summoned his Keyblade to make a point. "Tazuka-niisan…I want to help you." The only reply he received was a powerful energy blast headed for him. He smacked it away with his Keyblade. "Niisan! Listen to me!" The Arrancar roared and surged straight towards Draco. June suddenly leapt out between him and Pasenderos before she reared back her fist and threw it forward. Her punch smashed into the Arrancar's armored face and shattered a good portion of the mask. He was sent flying back by the force and June recoiled, flicking her wrist.

"Okay, that hurt," June winced.

Draco looked to see Pasenderos getting back up after he hit a car, shattering the windows and denting the front. The Arrancar growled again.

'_Something's wrong,_' Draco thought. '_He's like an animal right now. It's like his Hollow self has taken over._' He banished the Keyblade and then took out his Dragblaster. He then drew out a card from his belt and slid it into the card reader in the back of the weapon. "Survivor Final Vent!"

Dragonrizer before flying towards its master from behind as Draco jumped up and did a back flip before landing on his dragon's back. It let out another roar as it changed into its motor-bike mode. Tires screeched when they came into contact with the ground before the vehicle sped towards the Arrancar. Pasenderos got up and fired Bala shots at the approaching Knight and Dragon Bike. An aura of flames engulfed Dragonrizer and Draco before they rushed straight towards the Arrancar.

"DRAGON METEOR FIRESTORM!" Draco shouted before he and Dragonrizer accelerated and sped towards Pasenderos like a meteor. The Arrancar didn't have time to dodge before the attack hit and…

* * *

The group at the Lees' residence heard the booming explosion and then they looked to see a mushroom cloud of smoke and flames rising up from the middle of the city. A lot of people were starting to wake up, which was actually quite logical seeing as the explosion had been massive. It would definitely attract unwanted attention, something that Jasmine could do without.

Jinx, eyes were wide and she was worried. Her face showed a determined expression. "I don't care what he said, I'm going!" She was a stubborn girl by nature. She would not let anyone stop her. It was a trait that made her a good thief in the past; her inability to give up. It had been her drive as a criminal and right now it was her drive to run and save her beloved.

Before she could summon her Inzecter, she felt a hand grasp her shoulder gently, yet also firmly. Jinx narrowed her eyes at the second pink-haired youth in the group.

"Let go, Oni," she hissed at him.

"He's not dead," he told her, answering the question that had been playing in her mind.

"How do you-?" she stopped herself when she remembered Draco telling her of how Ryan could detect spiritual energy. "Well, I want to see for myself!" she insisted as she pulled away. The Scarab Inzecter flew into her hand before she snapped it onto her belt, "Henshin!"

"HENSHIN!" the Inzecter echoed before the armor engulfed her body.

"Cast Off!" she commanded. The Inzecter repeated her command and her armor then exploded off her body to reveal the sleeker version underneath.

"CHANGE SCARAB BEETLE!" the Inzecter called.

Ryan sighed and then summoned his Zanpakuto, Kachidoki, that had been disguised cleverly as a tuning fork-like dagger. He tapped it before placing it close to his forehead. A skull emblem materialized on his temple before spiritual flames enveloped his body. He then dispersed the flames as he revealed his black clad Rider form.

"Let's go," Oni said and Jinx nodded.

"What about us?" Mammoth asked. He hated being on the sidelines. He admired Jinx's armor yet again. It just looked so damn cool. Oni shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Mammoth," Oni explained, "An Arrancar is on a whole different level."

"Don't give us that!" Gizmo snapped, "We can handle it!"

"Gizmo, Oni's right," Jinx said to him, pleadingly, "I don't want you two to get hurt. You're the only real friends I have from the Academy. I don't wanna lose you."

"You won't, but we're still going with you," Mammoth said gruffly, arms crossed.

"Ditto for me too," Gizmo smirked. Jinx rolled her eyes and sighed.

"They got spirit," Oni admired as he said to Jinx.

"That's all they got. I just wished they listened."

* * *

Ryuki panted as he stood in a ring of fire. His armor was gone and he was down on his knees. Sweat dripped onto the ground as he looked up.

"Tazuka-niisan…" Ryuki said pathetically as he forced himself back to his feet.

Juniper had been caught in the explosion too. Her clothes had nearly burnt off and her hair was slightly singed at the ends. She had some marks on her too. The rising and falling of her chest indicated that she was still alive. Ryuki let out a relieved sigh.

Pasenderos' condition wasn't so good. His bone armor was gone and he was lying on the ground. His clothes were completely singed. His sleeves were gone and his pants had been burnt off from the knees down. He too was alive, in a sense…he was a ghost, but still alive and…

Too confusing. Ryuki stopped his trail of thought. He looked between the Arrancar and Te Xuan Ze. Both were wounded and needed to be treated.

But who first?

He turned his back on the unconscious Arrancar to check up on Juniper. He did not notice Pasenderos' fingers twitching and curling around the hilt of his Zanpakuto…

To Be Continued…

Well, that's the chap. The next chap we'll return to Shadowcobra. Let's just say there's some sibling rivalry to the extreme in the next chap.


	57. PT057: Snake In The Grass

Part 57: Snake in the Grass

A dark colored motorbike with a sidecar pulled up in front of the Titans East Tower. Attention, of course, wasn't on the ride, but the rider itself. He was male judging by his build and his stance as he dismounted from his vehicle. He was dressed in a black jumpsuit with a purple cloak and matching set of gloves and boots. He removed his black helmet, revealing a pale skinned face and two-toned hair, before placing it on the seat of his vehicle.

He was known by many names; Ichijyo, Shadow, the Knight of Invisibility, the Snake Knight…but he was mostly known as Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra for those who were aware of his true nature.

His red on black eyes gazed upon the massive structure. It resembled Titans Tower in such a way that he'd thought he'd been going in circles, but it also had some minor differences, plus it was situated on a different spot. It was close to the city, not on an island way in the water.

Shadow sighed as he looked at the door. He had been thinking about this for quite some time now, but had found no solution around it. However, he realized it had to be done, if not sooner than later. The Snake Knight of the Teen Titans raised up his hand and tapped a finger on the intercom button.

He heard a voice, "_Who is it?_" That was Bumblebee. He recognized it anywhere.

"This is Shadow, of the Teen Titans," he identified himself, "I request permission to enter Titans East Tower."

"_Hey, Shadow!_" Bumblebee spoke happily through the intercom, "_We know it's you. We can see you on the screen. Come on in!_" The main door slid open and he marches right into the building before the doors closed behind him.

He found his way to the elevator. The members of Titans East were obviously in the living room, hanging out. Though they were superheroes, they were still teenagers and teenagers tended to just slack off and chill out until there was an emergency. That was just…normal.

He reached the top floor and as the elevator door opened, he was suddenly tackled by a black and pink blur.

"Hello, little brother!" the 'blur' shouted out gleefully as it wrapped its arms around him. The blur just happened to be his sister, Megami, also known as Zodiac Knight Moon.

"Good evening, Megami," he said, smiling at his big sister. She helped him up and he dusted off his cloak. "You seem happy today."

"Why shouldn't I be?" she asked him, hands on her hips and a pout on her face before she beamed again, "I mean, you decided to come and visit."

"Yes…visit." Shadow rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably.

"Well, come on in," Moon said, smiling, as she led him towards the Common Room.

The Common Room was a lot similar to the one in Titans Tower, with some subtle differences. But, Cyborg did help with building and designing the place so it wasn't much of a surprise.

On the couch was Speedy as he had his feet propped on the coffee table. He was channel surfing and gave a lazy 'Yo' at the third in command of the Teen Titans' main team. A dark skinned girl with wing and a yellow and black striped top whacked him over the head with a newspaper, yelling at him to be more polite. Shadow chuckled a bit.

Mas and Menos, the two tiny speedsters ran up to him and took a hand each before shaking them vigorously. Shadow knew they both had crushes on Moon, evident by how they would blush around her. Plus, he had been communicating with her, usually on the phone or e-mail.

Aqualad leapt out of a small pool in the room and then dried himself up with a towel. He noticed Shadow and smiled, waving at him, "Hey, Shadow, long time no see." The last time they had all seen each other was at the massive meeting of Titans after the villains had broken out.

Dilia the Enchantress walked into the room with her best friend Liz the Pink Painter and the sorceress smiled a bit nervously when she saw her boss. He assured her this was only a social call. He remembered when she'd been recruited and trained. There had been a lot of damage that day but they were able to assess her potential. She had quite the proficiency in chaos magic and its unpredictable nature was still an issue they needed to work on, but she had good intentions. The Pink Painter, as he knew, had a crush on Draco. Shadow rolled his eyes. How did someone so oblivious and naïve get so many girls to like him?

The final member in the room was Ekelo, a fellow shadow manipulator. A while back, he had to face his demonic father for the fate of the world. Luckily, he had help from the Titans. Shadow also knew that Ekelo had been Raven's first love but Ekelo had assured him that the feelings he had for Raven were that of how a sister loved a brother. With that issue closed, Ekelo was now dating Moon, Shadow's sister. At first, Shadow had been wary about the relationship but then he grew to accept it. Ekelo made Moon happy, so why not?

"What brings you here, Shadow," Ekelo said as he approached the Zodiac Knight of Snakes. Those white eyes bore into Shadow's red and black eyes so intensely, like he was looking for an answer.

"Ekelo, Ichi-chan just came for a visit," Moon told him. Shadow slapped himself in the forehead. Why did she have to call him that nickname?

"Did he just call Shadow 'Ichi-chan'?" Aqualad spoke as Speedy laughed.

"Oh, that's rich!" Speedy laughed out, "Man, what a dorky nickname." Bumblebee was trying not to laugh too but then they all saw a dark aura surrounding Shadow and immediately shut up. His anger was legendary as they had heard stories about how he dealt with Dr. Light that one time. Plus, Shadow's interrogation methods were documented. They had to admit that the Vampangel was one scary mother.

"A visit?" Ekelo asked, "Really?" He leered at Shadow who just leered right back.

"Can't a brother visit his own sister?" Shadow asked, frowning.

"I don't know," Ekelo said offhandedly. "Don't have that many siblings I want to have visit me anyway."

"Ekelo!" Moon scolded. "Be nice."

Ekelo rolled his white eyes, "Fine…"

Moon beamed and then turned to his brother, "So, what's the occasion?"

Shadow sighed and said, "Can you and I talk in private, somewhere?"

Moon blinked, confused, "Sure. Come to my room then."

Moon then dashed straight towards her room with her super speed as Shadow created a shadow portal to follow after her. Ekelo just stood there, staring at the portal as it closed.

Liz walked up to him and asked, "You okay?"

"Oh?" Ekelo asked. "It's nothing," he lied. It wasn't nothing. Something was up and he had to get to the bottom of it.

* * *

"I didn't see Eri," Shadow said. "Where is she?" he asked. 

"Out on a date with Jericho," Moon answered. "They won't be back til later."

"I see," Shadow nodded.

Both of them were in Moon's room. The entire room was pink with the wallpaper being decorated by small crescent moons and bunnies. Shadow resisted the urge to gag. She had boy band posters and also some cute little pictures framed and hung up. Her bed had pink bed sheets with the same design as her wallpaper. At the foot of her bed were stuffed animals, but not normal ones. These were stuffed animals based on those characters of the 'Happy Tree Friends' show, a popular webtoon that Moon was a fan of. The toys may look cute, but they were also morbid…disturbingly morbid. All in all, Moon was almost his polar opposite. She probably got it from their mother.

Shadow's eyes fell upon her bedside table. There was a lamp there and also several picture frames. One had a picture of their family, together. Another was a picture of Titans East together in the common room. The final picture was of Ekelo and Moon together, in street clothes. She had her arms around his neck as she rested her chin on the half demon's shoulder.

"So, why did you decide to come?" Moon asked as she sat on her bed, kicking her legs absently.

Shadow had to be honest, but he decided to tell her something she might not have known, "Copycat and her Knights of Tartarus have been collecting powers."

Moon nodded. She had sensed that some more of the Knights had been defeated recently.

"Both Tarou and Kazuo are in the hospital, in comas and recovering from their injuries. Mirage and Façade are dead. Ron, Brick and Felix aren't in any good shape either," he continued. "Copycat is starting to collect more Zodiac Powers with her team so she can get stronger and win the Zodiac War."

The Zodiac War, the reason the Knights existed. Moon nodded.

"She might just come after you," Shadow finished.

Moon grinned, "So you're worried that she might come after me?" She boasted, "I can handle her."

"I don't think you can," Shadow told her. She stood up to him, mad.

"What is that supposed to mean!?" she yelled at him. How dare he? Where did he get the nerve to say such a thing to her?

"Copycat, unlike you, goes all out in her fights. She might just kill you," Shadow stated. "You, however, don't have what it takes to kill."

Moon fell silent. It was true. She could never use her powers like that. All she wanted was to use her Zodiac Power of Speed for good; fighting crime and evil.

"So, what should I do?" Moon asked. The answer she got shocked her.

"Give up."

Silence…

"WHAT!?" she shrieked, grabbing him by his cloak. Did he think so little of her that he was telling her to just give up her status as a Zodiac Knight?

"It's the wisest course of action. If you gave your Zodiac Powers up to me, Copycat would no longer have a reason to look for you. You'll be safe," he explained.

She snapped, "Don't give me that crap! You want me to just give up my power! No way! I'm not doing it!" He phased out of her grip.

"I was afraid you would say that," he narrowed his eyes. He had not wanted it to come to this, but his sister gave him no other alternative, "By the Code of the Zodiac Knights, I, Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra, challenge you, Zodiac Knight Moon, to a Zodiac Duel!"

The formal challenge of the Zodiac Knights made by the Code; the only option was to accept.

Moon gasped. Was he serious? Was he joking? She saw the look in his eyes. He could not take back the challenge and she could not refuse. Frowning with her eyes narrowed, she accepted, "By the Code of the Zodiac Knights, I, Zodiac Knight Moon, accept your challenge, Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra!" Suddenly, her door burst right open and twin blurs grabbed her legs. It was Mas and Menos. Outside the door were the other members of Titan East. They had been listening in.

"_Please, do not do it, Miss Moon!_" Mas cried out.

"_We need you!_" Menos insisted.

Moon looked at them sadly before kneeling down and rubbing their heads. "It'll be okay."

Speedy was glaring at Shadow, but not as much as Aqualad. Liz and Dilia both wore looks of shock and disbelief. Bumblebee's eyes fell upon Shadow with a look of confusion. However, Ekelo's glare was even more intense.

Shadow ignored them and then decided to leave the room. He turned to speak to Moon "Meet me in the Mirror World, where no one can stop us."

He then left, leaving several shocked/angry Titans behind.

* * *

Shadow stood on the roof, allowing the breeze to blow his hair and cloak back. He heard footsteps. He didn't need to turn to see who it was. 

"Hello, Ekelo," Shadow said. Ekelo was not in a pleasant mood.

"Who do you think you are to tell her she should give up?" Ekelo asked, anger in his voice. Shadow may be Moon's brother, but Ekelo would kick his ass if he ever made his beloved cry.

"This war is for the strong, not the weak," Shadow coldly replied.

"That's bull, and you know it!" Ekelo shot back. "There's another reason for it, so you better fess up!"

Shadow sighed, "I bet the others sent you, is that right?"

"They didn't have to," Ekelo replied, "I came here on my own."

"Good," Shadow looked at him seriously, "Have you ever loved someone so much that you wished to protect them with all your heart."

"Of course I do," Ekelo nodded. He'd experienced it numerous times.

"I'm only doing this to protect her, you know."

"She's strong enough to take care of herself."

Shadow smiled, '_I knew she chose the right person as her love._' He continued, "I know that, but compared to the other Knights she's still at the bottom. Unlike us, she has not fought or collected powers from other Knights."

"She doesn't have to!" Ekelo retorted, "She's already strong without having to resort to that."

"But, that just makes her a perfect target for Copycat."

Ekelo knew about Copycat. She may have helped them out a few times, but only because it benefited her. She would stab them in the back when all was said and done. It was her way. Knowing that she was collecting Zodiac Powers also worried him since he knew his girlfriend, sooner or later, would become a target.

"Do you really think she can handle fighting someone like Copycat, who is willing to kill?" Shadow asked.

Ekelo sighed, "I have faith in her."

"Not the right answer."

Ekelo told him truthfully, "I worry about her. She's done so much to help the people here. You can't just tell her to give up."

"I know that too well. I grew up with her."

"So you decided to challenge her, knowing she wouldn't back down," Ekelo assessed.

"It's the only way," Shadow said, eyes closed, "If I can't tell her to give up, I'll have to make her."

There was a moment of silence before Ekelo spoke again.

"You don't want to do this, do you?" Ekelo asked.

"I've tried to think of a way around it, but found nothing," Shadow said, "This is the only way. If I defeat her, I know I'd leave her alive and in one piece. Copycat, however…" '_Would murder her._'

Shadow received a telepathic call from his sister, "She's ready."

"You're really going to go through with this, aren't you?" Ekelo asked. Shadow didn't reply as he headed back inside the Tower.

* * *

Moon was getting herself ready and her friends were with her. 

"Girl, you're nuts if you wanna fight him!" Bumblebee said.

"Sorry, Bee," Moon did some boxing moves, "Can't back down now. I already accepted."

"He wants you to quit!" Bumblebee said, "And he's going to beat you up to do it."

"Bumblebee's right," Aqualad said. Shadow, as he heard, was vicious in combat. Moon maybe strong, but not at the same level as Shadow.

"_Miss Moon will win!_" Mas said positively.

"_Believe it!_" Menos added.

"This fight could go either way, guys," Liz put in her two cents, "Moon here knows what her brother can do."

"But he knows what she can do too," Dilia added, "Not good odds considering his experience as well."

"Who cares," Speedy said, encouraging the Rabbit Knight, "Moon, kick his ass!"

"Speedy!" Bumblebee exclaimed.

All went silent as Shadow walked in, Ekelo behind him. He received some cold stares. None of that mattered. His eyes went over to his sister.

"You sure you're ready?" he asked her.

"You're going down, little brother," Moon said to him, eyes narrowed with determination. Both Knights took out their decks and stood in front of window. They summoned their belts as they held the decks in front of them, facing the window.

"Empowerment of the Zodiac Snake…" Shadow began.

"Empowerment of the Zodiac Rabbit…" Moon added.

"Henshin!" both called out as they slid the deck cases into their belts. In flashes of pink and purple light, both were donned in their respective armors. Shadow rolled his neck as Moon cracked her fingers and flicked her wrists in anticipation before both of them walked right into the Mirror Portal and into the Mirror World.

The other Titans East members could only wait.

* * *

The two Knightriders shot out of the window and into the streets. They were both in Steel City, or at least the Mirror World version of it. Their cockpits opened up before they both dismounted from their vehicles. They stood motionless as they stared each other down. Only one of them was going to get out of this the winner. 

They both cried out before rushing straight at each other.

Moon was the first to make a move as she swung her fist directly at his face. He didn't even dodge but instead allowed to go through. Her attack literally went through as Shadowcobra became intangible shadow and she stumbled through his body. He solidified and spun around with a kick to her midsection. She was knocked to the side but then spun around to land a kick. The kick was so fast he had not time to evade it. Her foot landed on his chest and he was sent sliding back, the soles of his boots dragging across the cement ground they were standing on.

She then went to attack him again, using her speed to aid her. She threw her fists rapidly at him and he was forced to block with his arms. Her fists smashed into him at such a rapid pace that they appeared to blur and he could not distinct on when she was throwing or pulling her fists. She punched into his defenses and was ready to finish this when he just vanished from sight. She tripped at the last second but regained her footing. She tensed up as she looked around for her brother…her opponent.

Her speed was incredible and was one of her best weapons. She had come to rely on it. Right now, however, her speed was useless as she could not even see her opponent. She was just standing there waiting for any sign of her invisible foe.

'_Where are you?_' she questioned in her mind. She felt a breeze and instantly threw her leg in that direction, hitting nothing but air. False alarm, but right now she was getting nervous. She forced herself to remain calm. This was her brother's strategy; playing on their fears. Fighting an opponent you couldn't see was something that could unnerve even the best of fighters. '_He's playing with me._' She was like a rabbit, waiting to be devoured by a snake.

Suddenly, he became visible and then swung down with his staff from above. She leapt back and did a somersault. The head of his staff hit the ground and the impact made a crater.

He was not playing around now. She drew a card and lifted up her right leg where her card reader was. She slid it into a slot equipped to her boot.

"Strike Vent!" she called before her Rabbit Gloves appeared on her fists. She pounded them together before rushing at him. "Here I come!"

He dodged the first punch by leaning back but then she continued with a downward punch. He had to leap back and her fist shattered the spot she hit. He smirked. She was proving to be quite the opponent. He landed far and slammed his palm onto the ground.

She charged but then her movement stopped as chains of shadows shot out from under her and the shackles caught her wrists and ankles, snapping shut. She struggled but that proved a futile effort as their hold on her only tightened. Her brother drew a card and slid it into his staff.

"Strike Vent!" His Metal Strike Horn equipped itself onto his arm before he charged forward. The tip of that sharp horn was going to hurt if it hit her. She had to do something. Suddenly, she got an idea. It just had to work. She began to vibrate her entire body and soon her vibrations grew so intense that the shackles and chains shattered. Shadowcobra was shocked but then he was more shocked when Moon dashed straight at him and punched him right in the stomach. He doubled over and then she smashed her fists onto his back, forcing him to the ground. She performed a heel kick but he escaped into the shadows again.

He reappeared again behind her and she threw her fist at him only for him to duck and jab her with the horn. She stumbled and groaned in pain.

"I'm surprise you lasted this long," he commented.

"I'm not some weak girl!" she responded.

"Never said you were, but one of us is going to win and the other will lose their powers."

"The loser…WILL NOT BE ME!" she then accessed the full extent of her Zodiac Power and then appeared to disappear from sight.

WHAM! Shadowcobra was thrown to the side by a pink blur.

SMASH! Another direct hit sent Shadowcobra flying.

POW! One more hit, this one sending him into the air.

WHAM! SMASH! BOOM! CRASH! SLAM! POW! Rapid hits smashed into his armored form before he crashed back onto the ground, creating a crater.

Moon panted as she stood above him. "Looks like I win." She kneeled down to reach for his belt when his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "What!?"

"I don't think so!" His visor flashed and then his spirit left his body before entering hers.

"What's going on!?" Moon cried as she stepped back.

'_I'm inside you!_' she heard his voice in her head. '_One way or another, you're going to lose!_'

"Forget it!" Moon shot back, clutching her head, "Get out of me!"

'_Believe it or not, I'm doing this for you!_' Moon's hand involuntarily reached down to her belt to remove the deck case.

"That makes two of us!" Moon cried as her other hand grabbed the other one, wrenching it away. "Did you ever know why I became a Knight in the first place, little brother!?" Do you!?" She screamed out, "I DID IT FOR YOU!?

…

…

…

Moon regained control of her body. '_What?_'

She explained, "The day Yoshido approached you, Fuji approached me too. He told me that I could help you with this power. I've been fighting for you the whole time!" When she received no answer, she continued, "You weren't the only one who got affected by Misha's death. You loved her too! She made you so happy! All I wanted to do was to get that back!"

Moon recalled the times growing up that she had shared with Ichijyo. Since Ichijyo had taken to the darkness side of his abilities, lots of people called him a demon and even tried to attack him. Children teased him. At some points it got so bad he would snap and fight back, only enforcing the people's view on him.

Megami didn't have that problem. She was better with the light. When she used it people called her an angel. People liked having her around. Some even offered to adopt her to get her away from 'the demon' before 'it could corrupt her'. Words like that had hurt her so much she just wanted to cry. Her little brother used to be such a nice person but the hate and fear thrust on him by everyone else turned him cold and unfeeling. Even though his family loved him and made sure he knew it, he was still a very cold person. At some points, Megami feared she had lost her little brother to the darkness.

Then, Misha came along. She was so beautiful and so many boys wanted to make her theirs. A lot of the boys almost got into fights over who would ask her out sometimes. Of course, everyone was surprised when she started getting closer to Ichijyo and the two fell in love. Megami's spirits soared when she saw them together and Ichijyo was actually smiling! A real smile and not those sarcastic or grim ones he always used. Megami and her mother figured it was only a matter of time before they started hearing wedding bells.

Of course, then Misha's sickness came and claimed her, Ichijyo's hope and light shattered into despair and darkness. Megami's spirit was likewise crushed. It wasn't fair! Why did her little brother have to suffer so much?! What did he do wrong that he had to be punished like that over and over again? Ichijyo's grim world returned with a vengeance and Megami thought her brother was gone. That fear became all but confirmed when Yoshido came and turned Ichijyo into Shadowcobra. In the midst of Megami's pain and tears, Fuji came to her and offered her hope. If she could win the Zodiac Battle, then she could bring Misha back for her brother before Ichijyo became twisted by Yoshido's evil.

Meanwhile, Shadowocbra felt himself being surprised yet again. She had been fighting for him? How could he not have known? He'd assumed…yes, he'd assumed. He never asked. He'd assumed that her wish was similar to Draco due to their gentle nature, but he was wrong. She'd been fighting for him all along.

'_Thank you_…' he said. Moon sighed as she felt him leave her body. However, she got the shock of her life when his body got back up.

"BUT THAT CHANGES NOTHING!" He sent her flying with a shadow energy blast. She slammed into the side of a building and dropped down to the ground. She struggled to get back up.

"Ichi-chan…" Moon spoke up.

"In the end there can be only one," he quoted, coldly. He drew a card and slid it into his staff. "Final Vent!"

Metalceros roared as it came charging behind Shadowcobra. The Snake Knight leapt up and landed upon the beast's shoulders before standing horizontally with his Metal Strike Horn aimed at Moon. He was like a spear and the gauntlet was acting as the spearhead.

"RHINOCEROS SMASHER!" he called out. Moon quickly drew and slid a card into her boot.

"Add Vent!" she called and suddenly Hopstar, her Zodiac Beast, showed up and carried her to safety. Shadowcobra and Metalceros just kept charging and smashed into the building, leaving a hole. The Rabbit Knight and her Zodiac Beast decided to follow.

Inside, it was dark so she created a sphere of moonlight in her hand to light the way. Hopstar stood vigilantly by her side, waiting for an attack to come their way. Both of them had to be careful. The darkness was Shadowcobra's element. Ever since he'd been a little boy, he was at home with it. Moon, however, preferred the light. She was feeling nervous as he could attack from anywhere.

She did not have to wait long as a dark shape leapt out of the shadows to attack. She acted quickly and threw her fist. The figure got hit but then dispersed from existence. Soon, more of them jumped out of the shadows. Hopstar attacked alongside its mistress, striking the shadowy figures and sending them to oblivion. They never stopped coming. Moon narrowed her eyes and then let loose the largest ball of light she could create. The shadowy figures shrieked as the light banished them back into the darkness.

She heard clapping and turned to see her brother sitting on a set of stairs. "Nice trick, using the light against the darkness," he complimented.

"Thanks," Moon nodded, "But we're still fighting here."

"My sentiments exactly," he said before sliding a card into his staff, "Sword Vent!" His Snake Coil Saber appeared in his hand as he leapt straight at his sister. She dodged to the side and aimed a kick at his back, but he sidestepped it and caught the leg under her arm before he tugged and sent her sprawling to the ground. He then spun around and swung his sword down on her. She raised up her legs and kicked him hard in the chest, rapidly. The hits sounded like gunshots as she kicked and kicked and kicked. He staggered from the hits before she flipped back to her feet and ran up the stairs at full speed. Shadowcobra recovered and then chased after her. Hopstar went to stop him, but was tackled by Metalceros.

Moon ran up straight towards the top floor and into the room before she turned to face the door. It swung open, but there was nothing there, or so it seemed. He had once again turned invisible.

Soon, it looked like something straight out of a Poltergeist movie as tables, chairs, lamps and anything in the room that wasn't nailed down to the floor flew at her. With her speed, she was able to dodge them easily. She needed to get her brother to reveal himself and that was when she saw the fire extinguisher on the floor. She grinned and then grabbed the instrument before turning it on. She fired the foam everywhere and she could see it covering everything in the room and eventually her invisible brother. She smirked and then attacked his now visible form. She threw his fist straight into his face and out the door before giving chase.

Shadowcobra shook his head to get the cobwebs out. Moon had definitely been practicing. That last punch definitely rated into one of the hardest hits he had taken thus far. He also admitted that using the fire extinguisher was a clever trick. He had underestimated her yet again, a rare thing. A small part of his mind argued that maybe she could handle herself, but his logical side shot back that Copycat would have more powers to use and not hesitate to use them. He kept telling himself that he was doing the right thing as he got back up.

Shadowcobra swung his blade and she grabbed his wrist before pulling the sword away from him and dropping it over a railing. They then struggled with each other as they fought. She caught him in a headlock but he struggled against her.

"Give up!" she told him. He elbowed her in the stomach and she grunted but that only tightened her hold. She leaned back and both of them fell over the railing and down to the ground.

"Let me go!" Shadowcobra screamed but she wasn't listening. She adjusted her hold on him, this time holding him with her arms hooked under his shoulders as she straightened their bodies to fall head first.

"Time to show you something I made up! Bunny Twister!" She spun their bodies as they fell towards the ground. They crashed hard and the concrete exploded from the force of the impact. Dust flew everywhere.

During their entire fight, someone had been watching them. He was clad in green and silver armor and horns adorned his helmet. His visor blinked a few seconds as he scanned the battle scene with great interest. He drew out a gun from his belt before sliding a card out of his belt. He inspected the card in hand before sliding it into his gun.

"Final Vent!"

A metallic creature rose up in front of him and then he placed his weapon at the back of it. If his face could be seen, he would be seen grinning with almost sadistic glee. "Adios, you damned snake." He then pulled the trigger.

"END OF THE WORLD!!!"

To Be Continued…

I'd like to thank Ten Faced Paladin, Shadow Element 13 and Reaper Lord of Death for helping me with this chap. Without them, I don't think I could finish it this well. Kudos to you guys.


	58. PT058: Guilt, Grief and Revelations

Part 58: Guilt, Grief and Revelations

Pasenderos gripped his sword tightly and was about to raise it when a he felt a weight along its length. Looking up, he could see a black clad figure looking down on him with concealed eyes.

"Don't even think about it," Oni threatened as he pointed the barrel of his trumpet blaster in the Arrancar's face. Pasenderos' eyes went wide. How had the Vizard gotten here so quickly?

Ryuki was just as surprised as Pasenderos, "Sempai."

"CLOCK OVER!" echoed through the air and Jinx appeared suddenly by his side, supporting him.

Mammoth and Gizmo arrived moments later. The big guy carried Juniper in his large hands. She groaned a bit and started to stir.

"Jinxy-chan? Minna?" Ryuki asked, bewildered, "What are you all doing here?"

The Scarab Inzecter detached itself from Jinx's belt before flying off, taking her armor along with it. She answered, "We saw the explosion and decided to check it out."

"And what an explosion," Gizmo added, slightly impressed, "Even in the old days we could never do _this_ much damage." Jinx glared at him. "What?"

"Take June home," Jinx ordered curtly.

"Okay, fine," Gizmo grumbled as a pair of mechanical claws came out of his back pack and gently took hold of the Te Xuan Ze. Helicopter blades sprouted out and then spun around before taking him into the air.

"What about him?" Oni asked, his weapon still trained on the defeated Arrancar. He still had some of his mask fragments on his head but they were scattered. Looking closely, you could see scales on his arms. "A natural Arrancar, I see," Oni surmised.

"What?" Jinx asked. "What do you mean 'natural'?"

"The Arrancar in the past were Hollows who attempted to attain Shinigami powers on their own but the change wasn't very significant so they still had some features from their old Hollow forms on their person. Those are usually Hollows with low intelligence. Nowadays, Aizen uses the Hōgyoku, Orb of Distortion, to make more perfect looking Arrancar that look totally human. The only hint of their past Hollow forms would be the mask fragments and the hole. He usually chooses those from the Menos class to become his Arrancar."

Jinx would need to ask more about Hollows one day but for now she needed to support Ryuki.

Pasenderos diverted his eyes with a scowl on his face. Oni addressed him, "You were just a normal Hollow, weren't you? I mean, you were never a Menos just a normal Hollow that decided to become an Arrancar one day, right?" Pasenderos did not reply. "You don't serve Aizen either, do you? The clothes you wear aren't the same colors the Arrancar that serve him wear either." Pasenderos refused to say anything. "Come on, out with it!" Oni insisted, ready to blast the guy.

"Sempai," Ryuki said in a pleading voice, "Yamette kudasai." He had just said, 'Stop, please'.

"Ryuki," Oni said, surprised at the mercy he was sensing from Ryuki.

"Let me talk to him," Ryuki requested, "onegai."

Oni gave a distrusting glance at the Arrancar before he relented. He took away his blaster but still kept his foot on Pasenderos' Zanpakuto. "No funny business."

Ryuki stepped forward towards Pasenderos and kneeled down in front of him. He then asked, "Daijoubu desu ka?" Even now Jinx was surprised by the sound of kindness in Ryuki's voice. This had been someone who was out for his blood and he was treating him like a friend of all things. However, seeing that he still regarded his own sister as family, it didn't surprise her one bit. Ryuki…was a forgiving person, willing to forgive anyone easily. He'd forgiven her for her past mistakes and gave her a chance. It still surprised her how anyone could be so forgiving.

Pasenderos just looked at him, strangely, as a cloudy haze cleared up in his mind. He questioned, "Why do you ask that when I tried to kill you?"

"Because," Ryuki began, taking the goggles off his head and presenting them to Pasenderos, "We are brothers. You told me that yourself, remember?"

Pasenderos' eyes gazed upon them. He remembered them. They sparked a memory.

The voice then screamed in his mind. '_He's close! Now your chance! Kill him! Kill him!_ _Make him pay!_'

Pasenderos had listened to that voice and succumbed to it. Loosening the grip on his Zanpakuto, he softly whispered, "No." The voice screamed out but then silenced. It just went away.

"Nani?" Ryuki asked. His sharp ears had caught it.

"It's nothing," Pasenderos shook his head.

"What happened to you?" Ryuki asked. It was a stupid question with an obvious answer.

"I died."

* * *

Flashback…

_Tazuka found himself in a void. He couldn't see, hear or feel anything. He desperately reached out for something, anything, but there was nothing but a murky darkness in front of him. He heard rattling. It was so close. He groped around him, in search of its source before resting to his chest. He gripped it and realized that it was coming from his chest. He opened his eyes and saw…_

_His body, covered in blood as Ryuki held him. He then realized that was going on._

"_I'm dead," he said to no one but himself._

_He could hear Ryuki begging for him to wake up. Tazuka reached down but his hand just passed through him. Couldn't Ryuki see him? Was he not meant to see him?_

_Tazuka stood there, keeping his distraught 'brother' company until the ambulance came to pick up his body._

* * *

_The funeral had been a sordid affair. Friends and family came to pay their respects, Ryuki and the other two Knights, Takada and Ichijyo among them. They let out a prayer and then slowly began to disperse as rain came down. Ryuki stood in front of his grave, kneeling, muttering, "Gomen nasai, I failed you…Gomen nasai…I couldn't protect you."_

_It took his mother's urging before he would leave the rain._

* * *

"_SURVIVE!"_

_Flames danced all around as Draco changed into his Survivor Mode, standing defiantly in front of Scorpios, the one who had taken his life._

_The scorpion Knight taunted, "Did you cry when he died? I bet you did." He let out a chilling laugh._

_Draco did not laugh and said, "I'm going to make sure you're put away for good."_

"_You need to beat me first," Scorpios challenged._

"_Gladly."_

_And with ferocious cries of battle, they charged at one another._

* * *

_The fight had been hard, but Ryuki won. Asakura was now back in a cage like he belonged. Ryuki gave it his all, for Tazuka. The spirit watched, seemingly invisible to the young Dragon Knight as he stood in front of the docks. In one hand was Scorpios' deck and in the other the remains of Tazuka's deck._

_Looking towards the water, he threw the contents of his hands in it, letting them sink. Ryuki then turned away and left without a second thought._

* * *

_Tazuka continued to watch Ryuki as he tried to live his life but the death of his dearest friend still affected him. He didn't go to Tazuka's grave to offer prayers or anything since the pain was too much for him to even go there. He felt that he didn't deserve it but Tazuka wanted to tell him otherwise. The chain was growing shorter, corroding._

* * *

_Ryuki ran, ran far and fast. Finding out his sister was the evil Copycat had been the last straw. No more! He couldn't stay anymore! People close to him were getting involved in the Zodiac War. He couldn't allow that to happen! So, he ran…all the way to Jump City._

…End Flashback

* * *

"You've been watching over me all that time," Ryuki realized. How could he not have sensed Tazuka. Was it because his spiritual power was work or did his grief get in the way. Pasenderos nodded. "But how did you end up a Hollow?"

Pasenderos continued his tale, "It wasn't by choice."

* * *

Flashback…

_Tazuka's spirit stared horrified at the creature before him, the white mask staring at him maliciously. Its hand darted forward and grabbed the chain attached to his heart before pulling it away, leaving a gaping hole._

_Tazuka let out a scream that turned into a howl as his entire body felt like it was being ripped apart. Some sort of liquid was flooding out of the hole and began to cover him as something white flooded out of his mouth to cover his face and head. His skin morphed into scales as his legs fused together to become a finned tail. Fins grew out of his shoulders and forearms. The scales turn aqua blue and then finally the white substance covering his entire head reshaped itself into a skeletal mask wit a fin on top his head and with two more flanking his head. He then let loose a howl into the heavens._

…End Flashback

* * *

Oni summarised, "Another Hollow made you one."

"Then what?" Ryuki asked.

"I began to search for you," Pasenderos said. "I was also hungry for spiritual energy. For some reason I never went after living humans, just random spirits I came across. I had the need to fill up a void inside of me."

"The emptiness in your heart," Oni concluded. He knew that feeling well. His hand touched the skull emblem on his chest.

"Then, one day, I decided that I wanted more power and that's when I changed," Pasenderos continued. "First I began to tear off my mask, bit by bit and my body began to change. I then created these clothes to cover my scaly skin. Then, I was ready but my mind was all focused on you." His eyes narrowed at Ryuki. "You…let me die…"

Jinx was about to protest but then Ryuki nodded, "Hai, I did." Pasenderos was surprised by this admittance.

"Ryuki," Jinx spoke up, "But you said-"

"He died protecting me," Ryuki interrupted, "He took a hit meant for me and it killed him. If I had been a little stronger…he wouldn't have…he wouldn't have…" Tears began to water his eyes and drip to the ground. "In a way…I was the cause of his death."

"Ryuki…"

Pasenderos lay there, stunned. His hand let go of his Zanpakuto and he slowly approached Ryuki, even on his hands and knees. Oni was about to take out a weapon but then he stopped when he saw what Pasenderos was doing…

The Arrancar's arms were wrapped around the Knight in a hug.

"Niisan…?" Ryuki spoke up.

Pasenderos said, "Just let it out, Ryuki-kun."

"Gomen…"Ryuki sputtered before he began to cry. All the pain, grief and guilt over Tazuka's death began coming out at long last.

The whole time that Ryuki cried and mumbled out apologies, Pasenderos felt the Hollow within his mind become more and more desperate as his voice became quieter and quieter.

"Just let it out, otouto," Pasenderos whispered

* * *

Everyone returned to Juniper's house. Pasenderos even came with them, but Ryuki had Zanki at his side, ready to use it on him should the Arrancar prove to be trying to trick them again. Pasenderos had miraculously fixed his clothes, hiding his scaly skin but he hadn't repaired the mask yet.

It was a quiet home which everyone entered. Not that Monroe wanted to be quiet when he saw Pasenderos enter the house with his friends. Jinx was attached to Ryuki as she led him to a room where he could sleep.

No one spoke while they waited for the hex mistress to finish helping her boyfriend. After a few moments, she was seen coming back into the room

"As soon as he touched the bed he went out like a light," Jinx reported as she walked into the living room. "And June's asleep too. Whatever Jasmine gave her worked."

"Good," Monroe nodded, "So, can you explain to me why there's an Arrancar in the house? The same one that tried to kill us, even?"

Pasenderos eyes Monroe and said, sarcastically. "It's good to see you too, Monroe." Monroe growled.

Jinx shrugged, "Ryuki wanted it that way."

"And if he tries to kill us?" Monroe asked.

"He won't," Jinx assured him.

"I won't," Pasenderos repeated.

Ryan was leaning against the wall, looking at the Arrancar with distrust and hate.

"When you became a Hollow, you haven't been following up on what's been happening to Ryuki up until now, have you?" Jinx asked.

"No, I haven't," Pasenderos said regrettably, "All I've been doing was training and thinking of my revenge."

Jinx had to tell Pasenderos everything then, "Okay, here it goes." She then told him everything that had happened to Ryuki and I mean EVERYTHING.

"He…died?" Pasenderos questioned.

"You sound surprised," Ryan spoke. Pasenderos glared.

"And now he's this Orphenoch thing?" Pasenderos added. Jinx nodded.

"He's afraid of it," Jinx told him. "It's like a wild beast that he can't tame, at least not alone. He wears an inhibitor to keep it under wraps, for now."

"And he's dying because of it?"

Jinx nodded, eyes saddened by that fact, "Even with the serum he only has a few years left."

"Isn't there any way to save him?" Pasenderos asked solemnly.

"We have a temporary fix," Jinx explained. "But the only way to actually save him is with the Orphenoch King."

"An Orphenoch King?" asked Pasenderos asked confusedly.

"A supposed perfect Orphenoch," Jinx tried to explain. Her knowledge was somewhat limited sometimes. "He has the ability to fix the imperfections in other Orphenochs. The problem is that no one knows where to find him."

Pasenderos just stood there shocked at the revelation. Ryuki was dying and he didn't know about it. Even worse, any kind of cure was in one being and no one had a clue where to find it.

Pasenderos just stood there shocked at the revelation. Ryuki was dying and he didn't know about it.

Jinx wanted to tell him more but then remembered they had company. "Um…can you guys leave us alone for a bit?"

"What if he tries something?" Ryan asked, surprised by her request.

"I trust him," Jinx said. "Now, go. You too, Monroe."

The Scottish dog grumbled as he and the Vizard left the living room. Mammoth yawned and stretched as he walked behind them. Jinx waited until she was sure they were gone.

"What's so important that you needed them out of the room to tell me?" Pasenderos asked, although he had this feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

Jinx sighed and told him, "A few months ago, something happened." She told Pasenderos about the time that was erased, when Ryuki encountered his evil future self and the future he had seen. Pasenderos couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ryuki? Evil? Those two words didn't fit the boy he came to love as his own brother.

"And I don't think he's completely recovered from that," Jinx finished. "He once even told me to kill him if he ever turned."

Pasenderos pondered over the information and asked, "Is that why he cut and dye his hair?" After his mind had cleared, he'd been surprised to see how much Ryuki had changed. The new hairstyle had been a big shock.

"Among other things," Jinx nodded.

"I wonder why I'm even surprised," Pasenderos sighed. "After Hueco Mundo, I really shouldn't."

"You've been to Hueco Mundo?" asked Ryan as he suddenly entered the room, earning Jinx's glare. "Now that is not a nice piece of real estate to visit."

"Had to go somewhere since the Shinigami were hunting me out here," Pasenderos sighed.

"Hueco Mundo?" asked Jinx. "What is that?"

"The home of all Hollows and Arrancar," Pasenderos replied. "Basically it translated to 'Hollow World'. Like we said; not a nice place to hang out."

* * *

…Flashback

_Pasenderos wandered aimlessly through the white deserts of Hueco Mundo in search of…anything. All he really found was sand rocks, trees and more sand. It confused the new Hollow. He had felt the energy of other Hollows here, but there were none to be seen._

_That is not to say that his search had been fruitless. He saw a huge building in the distance at one point. It gave him a very bad feeling. Definitely something that he didn't want to visit. It was odd though. All the other Hollows he had seen looked like monsters with white masks. These guys looked human with white fragments on their heads. Some were even missing their holes. It was odd._

_Leaving the large place behind, Pasenderos went searching for someplace else. His hand would run over his face every now and then. Those guys at the fortress had their masks removed. Maybe he could do it too._

…End Flashback

* * *

"You saw Aizen's fortress?" Ryan gaped. Jinx glared at him for interrupting but decided to say nothing even if the Vizard had been eavesdropping. Monroe was no doubt doing the same thing but was at least smart enough not to come barging in.

"Who?" asked Pasenderos. "You mentioned that name before."

Ryan stared at him, "You don't know? He's that renegade Shinigami that's trying to start a war with Soul Society using an army of Arrancar!"

"A Shinigami with an Arrancar army?" Pasenderos said, staring. No way, he just couldn't believe it. Most Hollows hated the Shinigami. They were the enemy.

"Yup," Ryan nodded, "And what you saw was Las Noches, Aizen's stronghold."

"Well, when I looked at it I sensed a lot of powerful reiatsu," Pasenderos commented. "I never went too close, though."

"It's good that you didn't," Ryan agreed. "If you had you might've been killed for trespassing. Even if you are a Hollow, those other Arrancar will kill you because of their loyalty to Aizen."

Jinx was getting a little confused. Hueco Mundo? Las Noches? "Uh-hum!" she cleared her throat, earning the two hybrids' attention again, "We're supposed to be talking about Ryuki here." She looked at Ryan, "And, you; this was supposed to be between _me_ and _him_."

Ryan rubbed the back of his head. "Right, sorry about that." He left the room once more but stayed at a range to listen in, just incase.

"So, Ryuki saw his evil future self," Pasenderos attempted to start off where they'd left off. "How did that go?"

"He was able to beat that creep Ryuga," Jinx told Pasenderos. "But, as I said he's been affected by it."

"Ryuki-kun's always been vulnerable to traumatic events like that," Pasenderos told him. "It took him awhile to get over the people he couldn't save from the Mirror Monsters." Pasenderos remembered when he would see Ryuki breaking down and crying after fighting a monster that had successfully gotten its next meal. It pained his heart back then to see someone who cared so much for others forced to fight in this war. It didn't seem fair to him, even back then.

"It's worse when he kills too," Jinx said, which surprised Pasenderos.

"He's…killed?" Pasenderos asked. Just how much had his otouto changed?

"It was a bit after he died the first time that he was starting to act a bit weird," Jinx told Pasenderos. "His temper would explode, especially if I was ever in danger. Even before that he would get angry if anyone hurt me."

"That's the way he is. He puts others before himself. He has this need to protect the people around him that it hurts when he fails."

Jinx nodded, agreeing with those words, "One time, a guy named Adonis ripped up my dress and molested me. Ryuki went totally ballistic. Would've killed the guy too, I saw it in his eyes, but Shadow was able to stop him." Pasenderos didn't press further as Jinx continued, "The first time he killed…was when I was kidnapped by…" Jinx hesitated. Bringing up _that_ name again would be like bringing up all the time that…_monster_ had done things to her, forced her to service him. She still had nightmares but with Ryuki with her she had someone to hold onto in her times of vulnerability. But, she had to tell Pasenderos about everything Ryuki been through, the good and the bad. She continued, "By my old teacher, Brother Blood. He used me to get to Ryuki, trying to gain his Orphenoch powers, but it backfired."

Pasenderos logically concluded, "Ryuki killed him." Jinx nodded.

"I was unconscious at the time but the others told me he just tore into Blood. I don't want Ryuki to know this, but I'm glad Blood is dead. I hope he's rotting in hell."

"Ryuki must really love you then if he's willing to kill for you," Pasenderos told her.

"I don't want him to," Jinx said, grimly, "I don't want him to kill for me, it's just not right, but he's changing and I know it. He's killed a few times, some of them were because he couldn't control it or wasn't given a choice. He almost gave up on being a hero a few times."

Pasenderos was surprised to hear that. Ryuki had told him that a hero all he'd ever wanted to be. To have that change in him was shocking. Hearing that Ryuki'd kill was also a surprise but at times that was unavoidable. You had to fight to survive after all and it was either kill or be killed.

"It hasn't been all bad though," Jinx brightened considerably. "He was so sweet with me when we first met. Even though I was breaking the law and all that, he didn't want to hurt me. He even said I reminded him of a cat."

"Cats are his favorite animal," Pasenderos chuckled. "I'm not surprised you two hit it off because of that."

"Yeah," Jinx smiled dreamily. "His mother really likes me too. She's really nice. We got along very well."

"You met his mother?" Pasenderos blinked. "Wow. Only Alex got to meet Emiko. Even then it was only a passing meeting."

"Alex?" Jinx blinked. "Who's Alex?"

"Oh, she's a former girlfriend of Ryuki's," Pasenderos shrugged.

"What?" Jinx blinked in shock. "Are you sure? I mean, I thought Eri was his only ex. You know? Venus?"

"You thought Eri was his _only_ girlfriend?" Pasenderos chuckled. "Well, I'm not surprised he didn't tell you. It is rather rude to talk about your exes unless your current partner asks."

"So he _has_ dated other girls?" Jinx asked while leaning closer. She didn't get to hear about this side of Ryuki's life.

"Sure," Pasenderos nodded. "You honestly don't think someone like Ryuki stays single for long, do you?"

"Well, he is kind of oblivious and he seemed insecure when we started dating," Jinx shrugged.

"All this time and he still doesn't have confidence with women," Pasenderos chuckled. "Okay, we'll start with Caitlin."

"Caitlin?" asked Jinx.

"Yeah," Pasenderos nodded. "She worked at a mall me and Ryuki were sent to close mirror portals in. It was in Canada so we were fairly new to the place. They actually met when she hit Ryuki in the face with a lemon she threw by accident."

"Oh…really?" Jinx snorted with laughter. Even Ryan had to chuckle a little at the admission.

"Yeah," Pasederos nodded. "They hit it off though. She was instantly smitten and Ryuki just kind of gravitated towards her. Things were actually okay between the two of them. They were still on good terms last I remember."

"What about this Alex girl?" asked Ryan.

"She was something else," Pasederos smiled. "She and her two best friends worked for this agency called WOOHP which is something I don't think I can talk about without repercussions falling on someone, even if I am dead already."

"What was she like?" asked Jinx.

"Trendy, fashionable, very kind, but she was a little goofy in her own way sometimes," Pasenderos recalled. "But she was definitely cute and Ryuki and her hit it off as well. Maybe it was because we were all heading in to save Emiko. The chemistry just created itself. Didn't stop Takada from flirting with them, though."

"How close was he to them?" Jinx asked, wondering how she ranked against these girls who obviously had some experience with her current lover.

"Well," Pasederos pondered. "They only called him Ryuki rarely, sticking with his nickname Leo. Only people who were really close to him call him that, like you."

Jinx blushed. Inside, she was rejoicing that she was already ahead of the exes.

"Your aura is way more saturated with his though," Pasenderos observed. "I mean, kisses can place an imprint, but to have this level you must have…oh."

"What?" asked Ryan, who was oblivious to the hidden meaning, as he stumbled back into the room. Jinx quickly caught on before blushing furiously.

"Looks like Jinx has made my little brother into a man," Pasenderos laughed. "Now I know I've been gone for a long time."

Jinx was shocked out of her embarrassment when she heard barking as Brimstone dashed into the room. Pasenderos looked surprised at the demon dog as he grabbed onto Jinx's sleeve with his jaws, tugging as if he was urging her to go somewhere. Jinx then found out what it was then they heard a loud roar.

"What was that?" Pasenderos yelled out. It sounded almost like a Hollow. He had his hand on his Zanpakuto's hilt.

"It's Ryuki!" Jinx realized as she got up. Brimstone let go of her sleeve before she rushed towards the room. Ryan and Pasenderos followed close behind as did Brimstone.

* * *

Mammoth was holding down Ryuki as the boy was shifting between his human and Orphenoch forms, trying to break free. Jasmine was there too as was Monroe. Dennis and Ray Ray were either confined in their rooms, very heavy sleepers or a spell had been cast to make sure they wouldn't awake from the noise. It was possible that it was all of the above.

Gizmo was trying to administer the serum but Ryuki wouldn't let him. Not only that his telekinesis and pyrokinesis were getting out of hand. A lamp had caught on fire earlier and so did the curtains. Anything that wasn't nailed down was floating and flying around fast. Jinx entered the room, ducking a lamp that smashed into a wall.

"What's going on?" Jinx shouted out.

"He just went psycho, that's what!" Gizmo blurted out as he nursed a nasty looking bump on his bald head. "I tried to give him the serum and he decked me with a book!" In his hand was the injector gun with a tube of serum already loaded.

"Give it to me," Jinx ordered and Gizmo handed the injector to her.

Mammoth was having trouble trying to hold the raging boy down. He was a lot stronger than he looked and it was by a sheer miracle that Mammoth wasn't flying across the room. When Ryuki was changing into human form, his skin turned grey and blue flames were licking all over his body as small particles fell off him. Jinx went over, carefully, and then spoke to Ryuki.

"Ryuki, please…calm down," she pleaded, desperately. "Just, please, calm down…"

"Jinx…" Ryuki let out as he started to calm down at the sound of her voice. "It…hurts…"

"I know it does," Jinx said. She saw the crack on his watch where the inhibitor was installed. No wonder he had been changing in and out of his Orphenoch form. "I'll take care of it. Can you stay still?"

He nodded. Jinx pierced his arm with the needle, causing him to wince, before pulling the trigger and allowing the serum to flow into his bloodstream. He then relaxed as his normal skin tone returned and the flames vanished. Jinx wiped the sweat off her brow as Brimstone climbed onto the bed and licked his master's sweat soaked face.

Pasenderos could feel it. He could feel all the pain Ryuki was going through. No doubt it was because he'd lost his humanity. Jinx was lucky to have packed the serum just incase it happened.

The serum was one part DNA stabilizer and one part tranquilizer. It was necessary since at times Ryuki would go into a rage when he was starting to disintegrate. She removed his watch and gave it to Gizmo. "Fix it," she told him, with a tone that didn't leave any room for argument. Gizmo nodded, grinning slightly in glee as he looked forward to taking the SB-Watch apart and seeing what made it tick. He left the room followed by Mammoth who yawned and stretched. Jasmine and Monroe left too, to give them some privacy.

Jinx sat down on the bed, hand on Ryuki's cheek. Brimstone leapt off and looked just as worried.

Pasenderos stepped forward and put a hand on Jinx. The pink eyed witch looked at him and asked, "So, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to be what I was when I was alive; his brother," Pasenderos told him.

Ryan quirked an eyebrow skeptically, "You're joking." The Arrancar shook his head.

"I've never been as serious as this in my afterlife," Pasenderos spoke. "Kami knows he needs me right now."

"So, you're not going to kill him?" Jinx asked.

"The reason I wanted him dead was because I believed he allowed me to die when it was in fact because my memories were messed up once I turned into a Hollow." Pasenderos sighed. "And vengeance doesn't change a thing."

Vengeance. Jinx had to tell Pasenderos about _that_.

"He visited your grave when he avenged you," Jinx said. Pasenderos gaped in shock at what she said and at her.

"What?" he asked. "What did you say?"

"Ryuki, he went after Scorpios…Asakura," Jinx explained, "To avenge you."

"He didn't have to," Pasenderos said. "He couldn't have."

"He told me he left Asakura for dead," Jinx continued, "But then…" She hesitated. Could she tell Pasenderos what happened after? "Asakura came back as an Orphenoch too and he wants Ryuki dead."

Pasenderos was stunned. How much had happened since his death.

"Next you'll be telling me Ichijyo's engaged and Takada finally has a steady girlfriend." He laughed. Jinx looked at him and he stopped laughing. "No way!"

"Thought you used to be a fortuneteller," Ryan jeered and Pasenderos glared.

"Even I didn't see any of this coming," was the reply he got. "I have been out of the loop for too long."

Jinx yawned and suggested, "We're all tired here, so why don't we get some sleep?"

Ryan nodded, "I agree, but what about him?" His thumb was pointed at Pasenderos.

"I think I'll be leaving now," Pasenderos said, surprising both Jinx and Ryan.

"Why?" Jinx asked. "When he wakes up he'd want to see you."

"If he wants to see me, tell him to come to my grave," Pasenderos told her. "I need…to think. Goodbye." He suddenly vanished out of sight, like a ghost.

"You let him go," Jinx observed, looking at Ryan. "You seemed pretty hell bent on wanting him dead before."

"He's not exactly what I come to expect out of an Arrancar," Ryan said to her, "To be honest I thought he'd be more murderous."

"People can surprise you when you give them a chance," Jinx said, looking down on Ryuki.

"Because Ryuki gave you one, huh?"

Jinx nodded. "That's just the way he is."

"Goodnight, then," Ryan said as he left the room and shut the lights. Jinx laid down, her head resting on Ryuki's chest as she wrapped her arms across his chest. She closed her eyes and muttered, "Goodnight," as well.

* * *

Jericho and Venus, in their civilian guises of Joey Wilson and Eri Takada walked through the park in Steel City. It was quiet and peaceful and with the lamps shining was a beautiful place. With Titans East protecting the city, crime had gone down and after the Brotherhood of Evil had been locked up they'd had very little super villain trouble.

But that was before Copycat and Slade had gone and released them. The villains were back and plotting revenge, but what she'd heard about Copycat had shocked her. Copycat had killed two men, guards, without any sort of mercy. She couldn't believe how much her friend had changed. When she'd first met Kat all those years ago she had been a very good friend. They would hang out together and have fun…but that was before Kat became a Zodiac Knight and the Knight of the Cats no doubt. The one left behind in the Chinese Zodiac…the one whom felt betrayed.

Eri, as the Knight of Virgo, prayed that her old friend was still in that armor, but after also hearing about how Copycat was collecting Zodiac Powers, she feared the worst. She looked up at Joey's face who smiled down at her.

He had regained his Zodiac Deck and could transform into Zodiac Knights Scizzors again. She was glad, but then that feeling faded when she realized what that would mean. It meant Joey would have to fight and since she was a Knight as well, she was an enemy too.

She could sense it, how the tournament was drawing near. With each Knight that has fallen, there would be less competition and it would soon reach the point where they had to choose to either fight or give up their desires.

Eri desired, so much, just to revive their mother. Her brother, Yoshiyuki, felt the same way and as such they made a vow that if they were to meet each other in final combat, one of them would have to yield. Eri decided that she would be the one to do it. She hated fighting. It just wasn't in her.

She felt Joey's hand squeeze hers and looked up to his face. She could see it in his eyes. They were filled with concern for her. He spoke in her mind, _'Are you alright?'_

She shook her head and said, "I'm fine."

He gestured towards a bench and they sat down. He took hold of the guitar he'd carried all night with him and played a song for her. Music had been one of the ways he could communicate, aside from his telepathy and sign language. He could only speak in his armor but that could only be because what he was thinking was being transmitted through his helmet. It was a good thing that he'd learnt how to think quietly when he was Scizzors or else they would have been a lot of embarrassing moments.

He remembered the day Slade had called him and his brother and sister. He wanted them to all meet someone. When they'd met Kat, she seemed quite violent but then they grew to trust her and they became friends. When she gave them the decks, they were curious about what they would do and she told them that the decks were the keys to their greatest desires.

Joey hadn't known what Grant and Rose's desires were, but he knew his. He touched his throat, the scar still there where he'd been slashed when he was a little boy. Slade, his father, had tried to save him but he'd been wounded and lost his ability to speak. He did, however, discover his latent talent of telepathy as well as his ability to possess people through eye contact, making him a perfect tool in Slade's plans. He would possess someone and use them to gain classified information on whatever it is Slade wanted before someone was sent to retrieve the item Slade desired. When he became Scizzors, he found himself useful in battle as he could now melt his body into a liquid metal form, changing his limbs into sharp weapons he could use in battle.

He met Eri one day and when he discovered she was a Zodiac Knight…he had to make a choice. Only when he met Ekelo had he decided his new path. Nobody questioned him, not even his father, but Grant was a bit upset with him…well, he was more than upset. He'd called him a traitor and a deserter but Kat had smacked him upside the head because of that. Joey thanked her for that but then gave him a warning that if they were to meet on the battle field she wouldn't be merciful. She would treat him as an enemy. Rose had said nothing but he could see it in her eye. He'd made his stand and left Slade and Team Tartarus, deciding to make a new name for himself, to use his powers for good…as Jericho.

It was by a sheer miracle that nobody knew about his past. Well, almost nobody. Eri and Ekelo knew but neither of them was going to tell anyone about it. It wasn't their place.

As Eri enjoyed the song while she rested her head on his shoulder, her communicator beeped. She did remember telling the others that she didn't want to be disturbed tonight. Grumbling, she took out her communicator, flipped it open and said, "What? What is it?"

The response she got chilled her to the bone as she got up in shock. She took out her Zodiac Deck and Joey knew that there was trouble.

To Be Continued…

Well, we'll continue with Shadowcobra's story in Part 59. Hope you enjoy that one too! Pls, read and review. Ten Faced Paladin helped put this together.


	59. PT059: To Understand My Convictions

Part 59: To Understand My Convictions

Jericho and Venus, in their civilian guises of Joey Wilson and Eri Takada walked through the park in Steel City. It was quiet and peaceful and with the lamps shining was a beautiful place. With Titans East protecting the city, crime had gone down and after the Brotherhood of Evil had been locked up they'd had very little super villain trouble.

But that was before Copycat and Slade had gone and released them. The villains were back and plotting revenged, but what she'd heard about Copycat had shocked her. Copycat had killed two men, guards, without any sort of mercy. She couldn't believe how much her friend had changed. When she'd first met Kat all those years ago she had been a very good friend. They would hang out together and have fun…but that was before Kat became a Zodiac Knight and the Knight of the Cats no doubt. The one left behind in the Chinese Zodiac…the one whom felt betrayed.

Eri, as the Knight of Virgo, prayed that her old friend was still in that armor, but after also hearing about how Copycat was collecting Zodiac Powers, she feared the worst. She looked up at Joey's face who smiled down at her.

He had regained his Zodiac Deck and could transform into Zodiac Knights Scizzors again. She was glad, but then that feeling faded when she realized what that would mean. It meant Joey would have to fight and since she was a Knight as well, she was an enemy too.

She could sense it, how the tournament was drawing near. With each Knight that has fallen, there would be less competition and it would soon reach the point where they had to choose to either fight or give up their desires.

Eri desired, so much, just to revive their mother. Her brother, Yoshiyuki, felt the same way and as such they made a vow that if they were to meet each other in final combat, one of them would have to yield. Eri decided that she would be the one to do it. She hated fighting. It just wasn't in her.

She felt Joey's hand squeeze hers and looked up to his face. She could see it in his eyes. They were filled with concern for her. He spoke in her mind, _'Are you alright?'_

She shook her head and said, "I'm fine."

He gestured towards a bench and they sat down. He took hold of the guitar he'd carried all night with him and played a song for her. Music had been one of the ways he could communicate, aside from his telepathy and sign language. He could only speak in his armor but that could only be because what he was thinking was being transmitted through his helmet. It was a good thing that he'd learnt how to think quietly when he was Scizzors or else they would have been a lot of embarrassing moments.

He remembered the day Slade had called him and his brother and sister. He wanted them to all meet someone. When they'd met Kat, she seemed quite violent but then they grew to trust her and they became friends. When she gave them the decks, they were curious about what they would do and she told them that the decks were the keys to their greatest desires.

Joey hadn't known what Grant and Rose's desires were, but he knew his. He touched his throat, the scar still there where he'd been slashed when he was a little boy. Slade, his father, had tried to save him but he'd been wounded and lost his ability to speak. He did, however, discover his latent talent of telepathy as well as his ability to possess people through eye contact, making him a perfect tool in Slade's plans. He would possess someone and use them to gain classified information on whatever it is Slade wanted before someone was sent to retrieve the item Slade desired. When he became Scizzors, he found himself useful in battle as he could now melt his body into a liquid metal form, changing his limbs into sharp weapons he could use in battle.

He met Eri one day and when he discovered she was a Zodiac Knight…he had to make a choice. Only when he met Ekelo had he decided his new path. Nobody questioned him, not even his father, but Grant was a bit upset with him…well, he was more than upset. He'd called him a traitor and a deserter but Kat had smacked him upside the head because of that. Joey thanked her for that but then gave him a warning that if they were to meet on the battle field she wouldn't be merciful. She would treat him as an enemy. Rose had said nothing but he could see it in her eye. He'd made his stand and left Slade and Team Tartarus, deciding to make a new name for himself, to use his powers for good…as Jericho.

It was by a sheer miracle that nobody knew about his past. Well, almost nobody. Eri and Ekelo knew but neither of them was going to tell any one about it. It wasn't their place.

As Eri enjoyed the song while she rested her head on his shoulder, her communicator beeped. She did remember telling the others that she didn't want to be disturbed tonight. Grumbling, she took out her communicator, flipped it open and said, "What? What is it?"

The response she got chilled her to the bone as she got up in shock. She took out her Zodiac Deck and Joey knew that there was trouble.

* * *

ARMS admired the wreckage he had caused with a gleeful smirk under his helmet. The building as well as the area around it was now a smoldering pile of hot slag after he'd been done with it using his End of the World Final Vent. He loved destruction with a passion but having two Knights inside of it made it all the sweeter. No one could survive an explosion like that, especially unprepared.

ARMS had suggested to just ambush all the Knights so that they could take their powers but she'd flat out refused to listen. To her, it was better to challenge each and everyone one of them to honorable combat. ARMS had told her it was a waste of time and the answer he got was her claws in his face.

As ARMS waited for the familiar rush when he would receive new powers from the defeat of two Knights, the crystal in his deck began to glow. He knew why. There were Knights approaching. He got out his gun again and surveyed the area for his 'prey'.

He then saw who were approaching as he turned towards the direction of two roaring engines. Knightriders, two of them, were approaching the area. One was snow white while the other one was a dirty golden color. ARMS eyes narrowed. He recognized that color anywhere. Only one Knight he knew wore that color…

The deserter and the betrayer…

Oh, this was going to be fun.

He entered his own Knightrider. The canopy came down over his body to cover him as he took the controls are started the engine before roaring towards the two others, wanting to officially 'welcome' them.

* * *

Scizzors and Venus saw the familiar Knightrider belonging to ARMS speed into view. It swerved before cutting them off, making them stop. All thee Knightriders opened, letting their occupants out.

"Hello, traitor!" ARMS snorted as he held a hand near his gun.

"Hello again, Grant," Scizzors hissed as he prepared for an assault.

"Get out of the way ARMS," Venus hissed dangerously. "We're only here for Shadowcobra and Moon."

"Well, ain't that a shame," ARMS chuckled. "'Cause I just used my End of the World to blow them both sky high! In fact, I should be getting their power any minute."

"No!" Venus cried. "You lie!"

"He always does," Scizzors spoke up. "Tell me this Grant. If you did blast them then why don't you have their power now? The absorption is instant. Since you don't have their powers I can guess that they are still alive."

"Shut your mouth!" ARMS snapped. "It doesn't matter! Once I take out you two then I'm going to finish them off!"

"Not if I stop you first," Scizzors frowned as he reached to his cards. "Venus, go find Shadowcobra and Moon. I'll deal with my 'brother'."

"Are you sure?" Venus asked.

"Very sure," Scizzors nodded.

"Okay," Venus nodded. "But you had better come back to me or else you are dead." Venus went to look for the Knights of the Rabbit and Snake.

ARMS immediately drew his gun on her, "Not so fast!" Suddenly, there was swishing sound as Scizzors' shears were found near his throat.

"Your opponent is me now, Grant," Scizzors told him, coldly. He slid his card into his shears. "Strike Vent!" Immediately, his other forearm was encased in a gauntlet resembling a large crab's claw.

"I was hoping you'd say that," ARMS said before he spun around and shot Scizzors point blank in the chest, sending the Cancer Knight staggering. "I'm so going to enjoy this!" He then charged at Scizzors, pelting him with bullets.

* * *

Venus heard the gunshots but had to focus on her goal: finding Shadowcobra and Moon. Ekelo had told her that Shadowcobra had challenged Moon to a fight. She wondered why? How could Shadow challenge his own sister to a fight that would most likely strip one of them of their powers as Zodiac Knights. She was confused but right now she had to find them. They had to be under all that rubble somewhere.

* * *

Scizzors morphed his body into liquid metal and twisted around to avoid the shots before solidifying and slashing ARMS across the chest with his claws. He then swung his leg and kicked ARMS in the side. The Knight of Taurus drew a gun and then slid it into his gun. "Shoot Vent!" he called as a cannon pack equipped itself to his back with the large twin cannons on his shoulders pointed at Scizzors. Scizzors reacted quickly as he banished his claw and drew a card before immediately sliding it into his shears.

"Guard Vent!" Scizzors called and the shield came, just in time to receive and block a twin blast of energy from the cannons. ARMS kept on firing on him, not giving Scizzors a chance to fight back. He wasn't going to allow this deserter to leave alive. As ARMS continued to fire, he advanced on Scizzors, one step at a time.

* * *

Venus began to dig through the rubble. She couldn't see any sign of them. Could they have vaporized? The atmosphere of the Mirror World was deadly and their armor only provided them with limited protection before disintegration. Without it they would cease to exist. "Come on…come on, guys," she pleaded. "Where are you?"

* * *

ARMS had his hand wrapped around Scizzors' throat as his other hand was holding the gun. The barrel was aimed straight into Scizzors' faceplate. "Say goodbye," ARMS said as he prepared to pull the trigger and end his brother's life.

"Not going to happen," Scizzors told him before morphing his body into liquid metal, flowing out of ARMS grip before covering up the green armored Knight. ARMS became frantic as the liquid metal that was Scizzors began to engulf his entire body, save for his head.

"GET OFF ME!" ARMS demanded as he tried to pull the substance off but Scizzors was slippery.

"Make me!" Scizzors retorted. "I can crush you easily right now!"

"You don't have the guts!" ARMS shouted defiantly.

"Don't I?" Scizzors said. ARMS was trying to call his bluff. Scizzors couldn't possess ARMS since the visor was covering his eyes but he could at least constrict his body.

ARMS hand reached down to his belt, struggling with Scizzors constricting his entire body. He then drew a card and slammed it into the slot of his card reader/gun.

"Add Vent!" ARMS called. Scizzors knew what that meant. Gigataurus rose up from a portal with its gun arms aimed at both ARMS and Scizzors. "BLAST HIM OFF ME!" ARMS ordered and the mechanical minotaur did as told and opened fire. The blasts hit and shredded the liquid metal off ARMS. ARMS was protected thanks to his thick armor but Scizzors was not so lucky. He began to painfully reform his body as ARMS got ready with another card.

"Shoot Vent!" ARMS' Giga Launcher landed in his hands and he swung the long barrel around to meet with Scizzor's face, sending him sprawling to the ground. When Scizzors looked up, his eyes were staring down the barrel of ARMS' rocket launcher. At that close range, the missile would break his entire body.

Acting quickly, Scizzors pulled out another card before slamming it into his reader.

"Add Vent!" was called before Volcancer appeared onto the battle with an angry hiss. It tackled ARMS, forcing him to drop the launcher in an attempt to fight the monster off.

Scizzors groaned as he managed to get back to his feet again. Volcancer's presence evened the odds, but Gigantaurus was a living armory and much stronger than Volcancer. Thankfully the mechanical monster was slow so ARMS was practically alone until his contract monster could line up for another shot.

"This ends today," Scizzors frowned underneath his helmet before charging at ARMS with his weapon raised.

ARMS himself was having a bit of trouble dealing with Volcancer. The crustacean was quick and its armor was too tough for his basic weapons to harm. Not to mention that it wasn't shy in using its claws to try and strike him down.

Out of the corner of his eye, ARMS saw Scizzors recovering from the last attack and coming back for more.

"I don't think so!" ARMS roared before he summoned up the Zodiac Power of the Pig. Backing away from Volcancer, ARMS fired at both the monster and the contract holder with his eyebeams.

Both Scizzors and Volcancer cried out in pain as the beams hit them. Both went crashing to the ground. They hadn't been expecting that. ARMS watched them writhing in pain with only the deepest amusement and satisfaction.

"It's over for you, you little traitor," ARMS said as he aimed. His visor blinked a couple of times as he locked onto his targets. "Sayonara…" He prepared to fire another beam.

"Final Vent! GENOCIDE CRASH!" was suddenly called as a purple figure came crashing down into ARMS, its legs kicking him back and sending him crashing to the ground. ARMS looked up to see who had attacked him and his eyes widened in shock.

"NO! I DESTROYED YOU!" ARMS yelled out.

Shadowcobra was standing before him, perfectly alive.

"News of my demise have been greatly exaggerated," Shadowcobra told him before diverting his gaze towards Scizzors. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live," Scizzors said as he struggled to his feet. Shadowcobra turned to narrow his visored eyes on ARMS.

"You ambushed us," Shadowcobra hissed. "Not a good idea."

"It's how I fight," ARMS retorted, recovering from his shock and getting back up. The last attack had caused some damage to his armor but he was still able to survive the attack. "At least I got your sister."

"Think again," Moon smirked as she zipped over. Venus floated down as well. Moon's armor was not in good shape. One of her rabbit ears was bent and there were some cracks on her torso armor, but at least she was alive.

ARMS looked at the assembled Knights before him. All 4 of them were united against him. The odds were not good for him. He backed away a bit but then bumped into something. Turning his head slightly over his shoulder, his eyes widened as his lips broke into a grin.

"Copycat!" he yelled out, "I'm so glad to see you! Now we can waste these losers together!" Copycat was silent and kept a stoic stance as ARMS confidently faced the four other Knights. Copycat sighed and tapped a finger on his shoulder. He turned and then Copycat's fist smashed into his faceplate and sent him sprawling to the ground in a heap. Venus and Moon were shocked by this, but Scizzors wasn't and neither was Shadowcobra.

"When I say 'No Ambushes' I mean NO AMBUSHES!" she snapped angrily at the downed Knight. She then turned to the four Knights in front of her. "Sorry about that. The punk thinks he can get away with anything."

"Lackeys get like that," Shadowcobra said stiffly. "I do hope you came to claim him and not fight us."

"Retrieval was the only thing on my mind tonight," Copycat replied. "Besides, the odds are against me here. Even if I use an honorable challenge, there will be no way I can get out unscathed."

"Glad to see you still have good sense," Venus spoke softly as she stepped forward. "Kat…"

"Don't start, Eri," Copycat said, her voice growing darker. "We aren't friends. Not anymore."

"But-!" Eri tried to speak.

"No!" Copycat hissed. "As long as this war continues then we are enemies! The sooner you get that in your head then the better your chances of winning are!"

Not even waiting for a reply, Copycat grabbed ARMS and dragged him away. No one followed her.

"Brutal as ever," Scizzors sighed.

"Oh, Kat," Eri spoke sadly. "Isn't there anything of my friend left?"

"There is," Moon spoke, trying to comfort her. "We'll get her back."

"The only way to do that is by ejecting her from the battle," Shadowcobra remarked coldly. "She won't go down without a fight."

"Speaking of ejecting," Venus began as she stepped towards Shadowcobra. "What's the big deal, Shadow? Why did you try to eliminate Moon? She's your sister!"

Shadowcobra was about to answer when he felt a tingling sensation. He stared down on his hand and saw that the edges of his gauntlet were fizzling. Moon's armor was also fizzling, sending small particles floating into the air.

"Let's talk about this later," Shadowcobra told Venus. "For now, let's just get out of here."

* * *

Both Moon and Shadowcobra leapt out of the Mirror Portal and back into Titans East Tower. Their armor shattered away and vanished. Moon nearly collapsed before Shadowcobra grabbed her and supported her by the waist. "Thanks," she said to him. She had some bruises and was exhausted from fighting her brother.

Shadow gave her a nod as the other Titans approached them. Shadow gave Moon over to Ekelo. "Take her to the infirmary. She needs to be treated for her wounds and also put to bed to rest."

Ekelo narrowed his eyes but nodded nonetheless before lifting Moon up in his arms and carrying her to the infirmary. She had her arms slung around his neck and her head to his chest, just mumbling sleepily.

Shadowcobra turned away and said, "I'll leave. I know where I'm not wanted. Don't worry, she still has her Zodiac Power." Bumblebee wasn't going to let him go easily, none of them was. Mas and Menos zipped up in front of his path, arms crossed and eyes narrowed angrily, Speedy's fingers were twitching as he held his bow and Aqualad had his hands on his hips. Liz and Dilia were upset with him too.

"Not so fast, Shadow," Bumblebee said as he placed a hand to his shoulder and forced him to face her. "We want answers."

Shadow rolled his eyes, "What more do you people want? She's safe, isn't she?"

"It's more about the fact that you were trying to take away her powers," Speedy accused.

"Not her powers," Shadow corrected, "Just her status as a Knight."

"But why her?" Aqualad asked.

Shadow explained it to them, "The Zodiac War is a dangerous fight between every single Knight in this world. Good and evil, friendships, familial bonds are no longer relevant as we seek to defeat one another. It's every Knight for themselves." He finished, "I thought Moon and Venus explained this all to you, or did they forget to mention that they were meant to fight each other too?" He received no answer, "Thought so. They neglected to tell you everything about the Zodiac Knights. Then again, I'm not so surprised. Both of them don't have the drive to do what has to be done."

"Oh, and you do?" Speedy snorted, eyes narrowed at the Vampangel. _'Just give me a reason to use an arrow on you.'_

Shadow heard his thoughts and replied, "You'd be down on the ground kissing the floor before you can even grab an arrow." He narrowed his eyes at the archer threateningly.

"Still doesn't make what you did okay," Bumblebee told him.

"Doesn't matter now. Moon's in no condition to fight," Shadow held up a pink Zodiac Deck case. "Plus, I have this." Liz gasped.

"That's Moon's!" Liz shouted out.

"It is," Shadow nodded. "I can easily destroy it now and claim her powers as well as eliminate her from the Zodiac War. Two birds, one stone." Mas and Menos attempted to make a grab for it but Shadow anticipated them and created a barrier around himself to block their attempts. Speedy had his arrow aimed at Shadow.

"Hand it over," Speedy demanded, "Now, or else."

"Better do as he says," Aqualad added in agreement, fingers curled into fists. "He means it."

"And so do I," Shadow coldly replied, eyed clutching the deck tightly. He then sighed, "But, no. I won't do it like that. Even if it is to protect her, I won't dishonor myself to defeat her this way." He handed the deck over to Bumblebee. The Titans East all blinked when they saw him give it up. They definitely weren't expecting him to hand it over just like that. "Give it to her when she wakes up." Shadow than covered himself with his cloak and walked away. He added, "And tell her to train harder. She'll need it." He then vanished into the shadows. Mas and Menos shivered as the temperature in the room seemed to drop.

"Are you really going to let him leave like that?" Speedy asked as Bumblebee held the deck in her hand.

Bumblebee sighed and answered, "He's not our problem now. I told Robin."

Speedy blinked for a second before he got a small grin on his face. The Boy Wonder was sure to give Shadow a piece of his mind.

* * *

Grant yelled as Kat hurled him across the room and into the wall. He shouted at her, "What was that for!? We could've taken them!"

Kat narrowed her cold eyes at him, "I don't remember ever giving you permission to go after them or to ambush them."

Grant stood up and justified his actions, "It was the perfect opportunity. I could've taken them both out at once and-"

"Taken their powers," she finished, "for yourself."

Grant did not answer. He knew she could read his thoughts and what was going on in his head.

"Let me explain things to you, Grant," Kat spoke to him, seriously, "You follow** my** orders. I don't care if you are Slade-sama's son. You are to follow what **I** say and nothing else. If you are going to do anything, you tell me. Don't think for one second that I'm going to let you go off on your own to collect those powers. The only reason you are even a Zodiac Knight at all is because of me." Grant growled at her in response. "To go behind my back like that, I should just kill you right now." She turned around to leave, "I don't want a loose cannon like you ruining my plans."

"Bitch," Grant muttered and before he knew it he was shoved against the wall by Kat. She had done it so fast that he didn't even have time to blink.

"What was _that_?" she hissed. Grant grew fearful and lost some of his defiance.

"N-nothing," he stuttered as sweat began to bead on his face.

"It better be nothing," Kat said. "Remember, I gave you your powers and I can easily take them away." She let him go. "Goodnight, Grant." She then left him behind as she exited the room. The door closed behind her as Grant crumpled onto the ground. Staring into those cold eyes was not very comforting. He could feel her killing intent. She had the eyes of a killer and he knew that if he ever got out of line again, she would kill him. The only reason he was alive right now was because he was useful to her. He punched his fist onto the floor, his teeth gritted angrily.

* * *

Kat ignored Grant's temper as she walked through the hallway. She had her fill of idiots for the night and she just wanted to cuddle up with Rose, have girl talk with Cathy, just relax and get the thoughts of idiots out of her head.

"Quite the impressive performance, my dear," an accented female voice spoke from the darkness. Kat immediately stiffened.

"No need to be hostile," the voice continued. "I only wish to talk."

"So come out and start talking then," Kat frowned.

Out from the shadows came a woman who had confidence in her actions and looked like she had the attitude to back it up. Kat didn't let her guard down for a second even if she did recognize her. It was the sole surviving member of the fallen Brotherhood of Evil. Kat identified her, "Madame Rouge."

"I must say you were impressive in punishing your lackey."

"You were spying on me?" Kat asked suspiciously.

"I just heard a commotion and decided to see what was going on," Madame Rouge shrugged.

"What do you want?" Kat asked impatiently.

"Oh, just came to talk," Madame Rouge answered.

"Then talk."

"You are a very powerful young woman. That is something to be proud of as well. Still, there is something holding you back."

"Holding me back?" Kat snickered. "What would that be?"

"Just something that you have been holding onto in your fights," Madame Rouge answered. "If you got rid of it, you would have won your little Zodiac War a long time ago."

"Oh yeah?" Kat frowned. "What would that be?"

"Now where's the fun if I just tell you?" Madame Rouge smirked. "You're Slade's apprentice. Figure it out yourself." Madame Rouge then walked away, leaving Kat to think of her words.

To Be Continued…

Another chap, and so soon!? Heck, I'm on a roll. Tell me what you think. Ten Faced Paladin and Shadow Element 13 helped me with this and the previous one if I forgot to mention. Enjoy!

Also, the slogan for this fic: "You Must Fight in Order to Survive!"


	60. PT060: Face the Music

Part 60: Face the Music

Slade was in his office deep in thought with a computer monitor being the only light in the room. He was remembering his last fight with the Titans and how close he was to victory until Draco defeated him. He swore that things would be different next time and Tartarus would start to make their move. He then began to think of Kat. If anything should happen would she be ready to lead? Slade had great confidence in his apprentice, but to lead an entire organization? She just needed a little more time. Suddenly he was taken out of his thoughts when he saw a blue flame erupt from the office and from the flames came two figures cloaked in shadow with one being shorter than the other.

"Greetings, Mr. Wilson. We finally meet," spoke the taller figure that was clad in a black cloak with blue trim.

"And you would be?" Slade asked calmly as he leaned back in his chair.

The man pulled back his hood and revealed himself. "Oh, where are my manners? I am Brother Occultus, master of the Orphenoch race."

Slade smirked, "I've heard of you. Please, give my regards to your brother."

"On the contrary, I'm glad he's rotting in hell." Occultus smiled. "Though I am flattered you know of me. It makes things easier."

"State your business. I am a busy man you know," Slade replied bluntly.

"I've come only to give you warning. Surrender your futile attempts at controlling this world, for I plan to destroy it soon."

"I have only heard rumors but now I know it's true, you are a complete lunatic," Slade began. "What's to gain from it?"

"My ascension to godliness, of course!" Occultus shouted "What better opponent for a god to slay than the entire world?"

Slade looked to the office door to notice Copycat walking in slowly and silently. It seemed that she had activated her Zodiac Armor before coming in. She crept behind the smaller cloaked figure and was about to drive her claws in. But before she could perform her attack, her would-be victim caught wind of her presence. With an unexpected show of speed, Copycat was face to face with her prey and was knocked back from three punches to her stomach and face. The figure removed its cloak and underneath was a teenage boy who looked no older than thirteen years of age. The boy had short parted black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black sleeveless muscle shirt, navy blue pants, black wrist bracers, black boots, and a black leather choker. His eyes flashed green when he stared at Copycat.

"You must be Copycat, Slade's apprentice," Occultus acknowledged as he turned to face her. "Well then, young lady, let me introduce you to my apprentice. Miss Copycat, I'd like you to meet Grave."

As if commanded by the sound of his name, Grave clenched his hand to a fist and it was soon covered with a green flame. Copycat's eyes widened when she saw it. She recognized this power.

"That green flame, that couldn't be. The only person who has that power is…" Copycat spoke up.

"Yes, that is Mortuary's power," Occultus interrupted.

"But how did you-?" Copycat asked still bewildered by the revelation.

"I'll just say that Mr. Smith should watch whose face he spits his blood on," Occultus answered before turning to Slade. "Enjoy all these moments you have before the world is destroyed, Mr. Wilson. I bid you goodbye." Occultus then made his way back to the blue flame and disappeared in it.

Grave followed his master but before stepping into the portal he turned to Copycat with a smirk on his face and waved to her before disappearing into the flame. With both Occultus and Grave gone the flame extinguished itself.

Copycat looked up to her master and noticed he was staring intently at where the flame was. "Slade-sama?" she questioned.

"You've picked the wrong man to make enemies with and now that you're in my way you'll be crushed just as mercilessly as the Titans," Slade declared.

Copycat smirked at her master's statement. "I'll see you later, Grave." She looked forward to driving her claws through his body and hanging his head from the ceiling. Even if he was a child, anyone who got in her way was going to pay for it with their lives.

* * *

A swirling black portal appeared into existence on the grounds of the Hasuma-Narukawa Mansion. There was a roar of an engine as a vehicle sped out of it. Its rider's cloak flapped in the wind before he put on the breaks and killed the engine. He removed the keys from the bike and removed his helmet. Sighing, he looked up at the door.

After challenging his sister to a fight, Shadowcobra a.k.a. Ichijyo was exhausted. Interference from ARMS had derailed his plans but also opened his eyes to see how his sister had improved. Moon was wounded but with help from the Titans East she would recuperate and be up and running in no time.

If only Shadow was that lucky. No doubt Bumblebee had contacted Robin and the other Titans had heard and were waiting to talk to him, or yell at him as the case may be. They would want answers but right now Shadow was too tired to care.

He dismounted from his vehicle before discarding his cloak and haphazardly throwing it into the sidecar. He needed to calm his nerves right now and the best way was a cup of herbal tea. He walked up towards the door and before his hand could reach the knob he heard a not too subtle click before the door creaked open slowly. One eye was staring at him, and it didn't look too happy.

"You're back," the monotonous voice of Raven spoke. Shadow swallowed nervously. Whenever she had that tone in her voice, he knew he was in trouble. She stepped back and the door opened wide enough for him to enter. Raven was nowhere to be seen but then again he knew where the Titans were waiting for him. It had been normal for them to confront or gang up of one of their own within the living room whenever there was trouble or conflict. It happened a lot at the Tower, so why would it be different here?

Shadow removed his boots and put on the house slippers before making his way to the living room. The Titans would no doubt want answers as to what he was thinking. He would give it to them straight before going into his room.

The Titans were staying in the mansion because Emiko Narukawa Hasuma, mother of Ryuki Leonard Hasuma a.k.a. Draco had invited them. Aside from Raven, the other original Titans had not ever stepped foot into the mansion. They had been awed by it. Well, all except for Robin who lived in a mansion nearly all his life but it was still a sight to behold. If they hadn't seen it, they wouldn't have believed it.

Robin actually accepted the notion of taking some extra time off in Japan. After they had been given medals of honor for saving Tokyo from Daizo and his ink monsters, the team decided to relax and take in the sights. Robin was planning on taking Starfire on a date and Starfire wanted so much to see a real kimono or yukata. Emiko loved having the girls here seeing as she could 'guilt' them into modeling some of her clothes. It was a win-win situation.

No such luck with Shadow as he walked into the living room. He caught the confused, angry, accusing and disappointed stares directed towards him. What was he supposed to say now?

"So, you've heard, I take it?" Shadow asked Robin who was sitting on the couch with Starfire.

"Bumblebee told us everything," Robin said bitterly.

"And it was hard for us to believe her story at first," Starfire added.

"So, just give it to us straight," Cyborg said, standing to his full height in an attempt to intimidate Shadow. His metallic arms were crossed, "Did you or did you not try to eliminate your sister from the Zodiac War and take her powers?"

Shadow had no reason to lie. They knew the answer to that question. They just wanted him to confirm it. Sighing, Shadow answered, "Yes, I did."

"Dude, why did you do it?" Beast Boy asked.

Shadow turned away, "I had my reasons and just leave it at that."

Robin interjected, "Bumblebee told us your _reasons_ already."

Shadow hissed, "So if that's the case then there is no reason for this. Good day." As he was ready to walk away, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He recognized the aura. "Raven…let go," he warned.

"I won't," she objected, "Not until you tell us why you did what you did." Shadow turned to look at her coldly.

"You already know," he remarked before shrugging her off.

"Please, friend," Starfire pleaded, "Tell us. We need to understand."

Shadow shook his head. Why did it have to be so hard? Turning around, he faced all of the Titans and admitted, "Fine! You want to know why I did it!? Alright, here it goes! The reason I decided to challenge Moon," he neglected to call Moon his sister, "was because I thought she was unfit to be a Knight! I saw her as weak and not willing to do what it takes to win! I thought she didn't deserve to be a Knight, her powers or have any place in this war! I didn't think she could win, alright!"

The Titans listened, shocked at this, but Raven could tell he was lying. Robin could catch that he'd hesitated a few times. There had to be more to it.

"There's more, isn't there?" Robin pressed.

"No, that's the truth," Shadow denied. "Now, is this interrogation over?"

"It's the truth, but not the whole truth," Raven spoke. "There's more to it than that."

"Raven…" Shadow didn't want to continue.

"Just tell us why you really do it and don't try to sugarcoat it," Raven said, holding his hands. He wanted to pull away from her gaze but…he just…couldn't. He sighed in defeat.

"There is more to why you did it," Starfire said, reasoning, "It was not because you saw that she was unfit, was it not?"

Starfire. Though she appeared naïve in the ways of Earth she could pick up on emotion like Raven, though not in the same degree. But, the two girls had meditated together so maybe it wasn't too farfetched to see that the two had a close bond and the experience they had when switching bodies may have resulted in some subtle side-effects like empathy for Starfire and Raven being more cheerful…to a certain limit.

Shadow had to come clean. No hiding it now. "I was trying…to protect her," he finally admitted. Robin had a skeptical look on his face while the other Titans still looked at him with neutral looks or pleading gazes. "Sometimes, if you want to help someone, you have to betray them."

"From what?" Terra asked. "What could threaten you sister so bad that you had to betray her like you did?"

Shadow didn't want to divulge the information but seeing as he had no choice now, he said it out loud, "Copycat has been hunting down Knights for their powers and her targets have been those who still only have their starter powers. They were lucky that they didn't get killed but they could've and now are in intensive care for their injuries or in comas." He remembered that Ron was lying in a coma due to Copycat. She put him there. Not to mention, Kazuo and Tarou. "Ron Stoppable/Zodiac Knight Animorph, Brick Flagg/Zodiac Knight Boar, Felix Renton/Zodiac Knight Doc, Kazuo Hibiki/Zodiac Knight Tiger, and Tarou Hibiki/Zodiac Knight Lion have already been eliminated and their powers taken." The Titans were stunned. "And, because of that…I decided…"

"You didn't want your sister to get hurt so you wanted to take her off the list," Robin concluded. Shadow smiled slightly. Robin always was a good detective. Despite being impatient and often jumping to conclusions, he could still logically make a conclusion from the facts. Shadow answered with a nod.

"In this war only one Knight can remain and to do that you need to eliminate the others."

"So, is she…?" Raven asked.

"She stood up to me," Shadow said, "And proved to me that she could handle herself. I let her keep her Zodiac Power."

"That is such a relief," Starfire said.

"However, I still worry that when she faces Copycat she may not win," Shadow said.

"She has the others to help her when that happens," Robin said. "And you."

"So…can I leave then?" Shadow asked carefully.

"No way, dude!" Beast Boy stood up, grinning madly, "You have to be punished!"

Shadow quirked an eyebrow and had a worried look on his face. He didn't like the look on Beast Boy's face. This feeling of terror was also added when Cyborg laughed manically and rubbed his hands together. He could scan their minds but did he _want_ to? "What are you going to do to me?"

* * *

When one lived in Tokyo, the strange and unusual was part of the norm. There were magical girls in short skirts throwing around corny speeches while fighting monsters and also martial artists with techniques and fighting prowess that went well beyond the imagination. Heck, they even had a large lizard attacking the city and a large monster made of ink that had been human before he was defeated by a group of colorfully dressed teenagers who would be considered heroes. In Tokyo and maybe the whole of Japan the weird was considered normal. So, seeing a portal appeared out of thin air with a bullet train racing out of it was not going to turn many heads, save those who still hadn't gotten used to the strange country that was Tokyo. Tracks seemed to grow out of the ground to allow a smooth ride for the large vehicle itself as it cruised along the ground of the local cemetery, miraculously missing the gravestones. It then made a stop and one of the doors on the side slid open. Several youths and a canine hopped out of the door to land on the ground. The train would remain there to pick them up later.

Ryuki was dressed in a proper black suit walked towards the gravestone, followed by Brimstone who was padding alongside him. With him was Jinx and she was dressed in a black dress too, holding his hand to lend him support. This was something he needed to do. Ryan was there too and he leaned against the ChronoLiner, just as an observer. He hadn't known Tazuka that well in life so he had no place to be here. Ryuki still appreciated that his sempai decided to come.

Ryuki approached the gravestone cautiously and kneeled in front of it before whispering a prayer. Jinx did the same before burning some incense and setting down some flowers. "I'm sorry that I haven't visited you as often as I should. Been busy, niisan."

Under normal circumstances, when one spoke to the dead, the dead never spoke back.

"You know, I'm standing right here. You don't have to talk to a slab of rock," Pasenderos spoke as he appeared, his clothes repaired and cleaned. He was wearing a Gigai that looked just like him when he had been alive and mortal. The reason was that he didn't want to attract too much attention with the Hollow mask fragments in his hair. He still couldn't get them out but there would be time for that later. "So, you came," Pasenderos smiled.

Ryuki smiled back as he stood up, "Hai, you asked so I answered." Jinx stood up as well, eyeing the Arrancar a little warily even after the talk they had earlier.

Pasenderos eyed the incense and flowers and sighed, "You could've brought some sake so we could drink some here."

Ryuki shook his head, "I don't drink."

"And yet you've had sex already," Pasenderos smirked, causing Ryuki's eyes to go wide and Jinx to blush. "Your girlfriend there didn't tell me. I just picked up on it," Pasenderos chuckled.

Ryuki couldn't help but laugh as well. Even when Tazuka had died, he was still with him, literally, in spirit. A blanket was laid down in front of the gravestone as Jinx, Ryuki, Brimstone and Pasenderos sat down on it. Ryuki scratched the demonic canine's head as the Arrancar looked at the Vizard leaning against the train and offered him a seat, "You know, you can sit with us."

"Pass," Ryan waved off the invite, "This is a private thing between you all. I'm just an outsider."

"Sempai, onegai," Ryuki said. Ryan was still being stubborn.

Pasenderos had to ask, "Why do you call him 'sempai'?"

"Remember when I always talked about the Kamen Riders?" Ryuki reminded.

"Oh, yeah," Pasenderos nodded before saying, "You always went on and on about them, wanting to be like them and stuff."

"Ryan-sempai is a Rider," Ryuki said before digging into his pocket and taking out the badge, "And so am I."

"Wow!" Pasenderos was impressed and proud. "Looks like your wish did come true."

"One of them, actually," Ryuki stated sadly. Brimstone whimpered and rested its head on Ryuki's thigh. Ryuki pet the dog. "Don't you get sad too…"

"I've always thought you were more of a cat person," Pasenderos observed. "But, then again, you always had weird taste in animals too. A demon dog?"

"Guess I just love animals," Ryuki said as Brimstone barked in agreement and licked Ryuki's palm.

"A lot has happened, hasn't it? And I missed it all because I was thirsty for revenge," Pasenderos said sadly.

"It wasn't your fault," Ryuki told him, trying to convince him.

"Wasn't yours either so I don't really have anyone to blame."

Jinx had to cut the depression in the bud and make it a good talk between two 'brothers'. "Hey, Tazuka, if you've been out of the loop, let me tell you some stories from Titans Tower."

Pasenderos nodded, wanting to hear some more about his old friends.

"One time we had a thunderstorm and…" Jinx began the tale.

* * *

Ichijyo wanted to kill someone. He knew he couldn't though. No, that would upset Raven and Starfire. There was no way he would willingly do that. It was actually one of the last things in the world he wanted to do. Still, he still felt the urge to cause grievous amounts of pain on Beast Boy and Cyborg. His precious blackbird might not mind but Starfire still wouldn't like it.

The reason for his grief? Well, the idiot duo had recruited Emiko and managed to have her dig out some of her home movies in which he was involved in some incidents that he was less than proud of. One of which was his school play of "The Three Musketeers".

That certain incident hadn't been his fault. If the dumb dog had kept his mouth shut about his sister then they wouldn't have started arguing. If they hadn't argued then they wouldn't have gotten into a sword fight while Ryuki had been doing his part. If they hadn't started a swordfight then they wouldn't have knocked a torch down and started a fire. Honestly, who would use an actual torch as part of a backdrop in a school play?

The home movie humiliation didn't end there though. Oh no. Beast Boy and Cyborg immediately took those videos to the computers and compiled them to make a single movie. They then uploaded it onto the internet for anyone and everyone to see.

He would find a way to make the two pay. He knew he deserved some soft of punishment but this was cruel, unusual and utterly juvenile…

But in a way, it felt good too seeing as they were teens and even if they were heroes too they were still teenagers who wanted to have fun. Speaking of fun, he was planning his revenge on the two as we speak.

During the ordeal, he had sensed a powerful source of spiritual energy, which was impossibly familiar. He brushed it off as a fluke but then he felt it again. He was shook out of his musing when he heard laughter from Cyborg and Beast Boy as Emiko played another tape for the Titans. The others were laughing too but not as much as Cyborg and Beast Boy. '_Well…let's see who laughs last, shall we?_' Ichijyo grinned evilly as his imagination ran around in his mind. One good prank did deserve another, right?

* * *

Pasenderos laughed at the story as Jinx giggled along with Ryuki who was chuckling as well. It felt great to reminisce about the past.

"Imagine the look on his face when he realized he was naked in the hall!" Pasenderos guffawed. "The girls got an eyeful of that!"

"That really happen?" Jinx asked.

"Takada was making this formula that was supposed to eat away at clothing but it spilt all over him," Ryuki repeated. "That was one chemistry class I would _never_ forget!"

"I was glad I came to visit that day too," Pasenderos wiped a tear away from his eye.

Their pleasant mood was soon interrupted by a chillingly familiar voice.

"What do we have here? Laughter in a cemetery? You don't seem to respect the dead, do you?" Jinx's eyes widened as did Pasenderos'. Ryuki's eyes narrowed. Standing there was none other than the former Zodiac Knight of Scorpio and presently one of Occultus' elite. He was the Dragon Orphenoch, otherwise known by his name as…

"Asakura…" Ryuki growled.

Asakura smirked and looked at Pasenderos. "You look familiar. Didn't I kill you?"

Asakura touched a nearby tree and the group watched as it crumbled into burning ashes. Asakura mock scolded his hand, "Oh, bad hand. Why did you have to hurt the tree?" before he laughed out loud like a maniac.

"New power?" Pasenderos muttered.

"He's full of surprises," Ryuki stated, "_Unpleasant_ ones."

Ryan stood up straight and gripped his Guitar Axe, Zanki. This Asakura person was someone that'd been mentioned a lot as a psycho, monster, beast, and murderer. He was worse than a Hollow, believe it or not. The rumors weren't exaggerated as they were all true.

"I think I killed a few people that are here now," Asakura mused, looking around. "Well, I think so. I mean, maybe that was one of my victims," he pointed to a random gravestone, "or was it that one?" he pointed to another one. He shrugged, smiling, "Well, all I know is all my victims end up here anyway."

"Go…away…" Ryuki threatened, eyes glowing a flaming blue. His fingertips were turning into claws as his teeth began to sharpen. One of the only people that Ryuki had never considered having a single piece of goodness had dared to come and ruin this?

"No, I don't think I will," Asakura said before powering up a blast. He then sent it flying. Ryuki grabbed Jinx and pushed her to the ground as Ryan jumped in and used the his Zanki to smash the blast into oblivion. Asakura frowned at the one who'd ruined his fun. "Oh, are you another one of his friends?" Asakura gestured to Ryuki with his head.

"You heard him," Ryan frowned, "You're not welcomed here. This is a sacred place. Respect the dead and leave." That wasn't a request. It was a warning.

"Well, I was paying my respects, in a way," Asakura touched a gravestone. "I mean, I just wanted to say hi to all my past victims." He spoke to the gravestone, "Didn't I put a bullet in your head after I made you watch me kill your husband?"

That was the LAST straw! With a roar, Ryuki leapt at Asakura and allowed the blue flames to engulf him and change him into the Ifrit Orphenoch. Jinx screamed, "NO!" but it fell to deaf ears. Asakura smirked as he too changed into his Dragon Orphenoch Form.

"Come and get it," Asakura the Dragon Orphenoch growled as he waited for the Ifrit Orphenoch to come to him. He wanted to 'repay' him for making him what he was today.

To Be Continued…


	61. PT061: End of the Dragon

Part 61: End of the Dragon

Sparks flew as Ryuki (in his Ifrit Orphenoch form) slashed wildly at Asakura's (who was in his Dragon Orphenoch form) armor with limited success. Asakura's armor was thick and protected him from injuries. Asakura laughed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Asakura laughed, twistedly, as his shadow morphed into a bluish projection of his human form, save for the clothing. "Is that all you got? Pitiful!" He roared, "LET ME SHOW YOU REAL PAIN!" His arms became covered in his draconic head looking gauntlets before he swung them and sent the Ifrit Orphenoch flying and smashing into a gravestone. "You've made such a mess!" Asakura mocked as he walked towards his opponent. He took in a deep breath and then fired blue fireballs at the Ifrit Orpehnoch. Seeing this coming, the Ifrit Orphenoch leapt back to avoid the blasts and started to dodge with his superior agility.

Ryan, Jinx and Pasenderos were watching on the sidelines. "We need to help him!" Jinx shouted as she was about to summon her Inzecter but then Ryan grabbed her wrist. "Ryan, let me go! He needs me!"

"Jinx, look!" Ryan shouted in her face, making her see his serious expression. "This is a fight for pride and honor! Ryuki is trying to take down his most hated enemy not just for himself but for all the people he has failed to protect from Asakura!"

Jinx looked hesitant to accept this. Pasenderos added, "We cannot interfere. It's his honor, you see."

Jinx looked down, muttering, "Is honor _really_ that important?"

The Ifrit Orphenoch dodged all of the blasts, which destroyed the gravestones instead. In the feral mind of the Ifrit Orphenoch was Ryuki, struggling for control.

'_I can't let these graves be destroyed! I need to gain control!_' Ryuki shouted.

'_Why not give me control?_' Ifrit shouted. '_This is **my** form!_'

After all this time, Ryuki still had very little reason to trust Ifrit with his body. Given the chance, his darker half could be just as dangerous, if not more so, than Asakura himself. However, it was true that Ifrit had better mastery of their Orphenoch form.

'_Alright, do it!_' Ryuki allowed.

'_Yosh! Let's make some noise!_' Ifrit laughed as his consciousness went into the mental driver's seat.

"Is that all you can do? Dodge? Pathetic!" Asakura roared before sending fireballs flying again. This time, however, the Ifrit Orphenoch was not dodging but instead running through the fireballs. The fireballs past by his body as he went straight towards Asakura. When he got into range, he executed a counterattack.

"EAT THIS!" Ifrit roared as he swung his arms, slashing the Dragon Orphenoch across the chest with his forearm spikes before he used his legs to send Asakura flying with a powerful double stomp kick. Asakura smashed into a nearby tree, breaking it in half. Ifrit, seeing this, held his sharp teeth in a grin before he drew back his breath and blew frost from his mouth. The frost covered the Dragon Orphenoch in a thick sheet of ice, leaving his head unfrozen. The evil Dragon Orphenoch struggled, but with limited success as he watch the Ifrit Orphenoch stalking towards him.

Ifrit stopped for a moment and asked, "Do we kill him?"

Ryuki was silent but when remembering all the people Asakura had hurt and killed for his sick enjoyment, he gave Ifrit his answer, '_Hai._' Ifrit smiled.

"Music to my ears." He then lengthened his claws and pounced on their immobilized prey, ready to slice him apart. The ice suddenly shattered as a blur rushed at him and smashed the Ifrit Orphenoch in the chest and then kept moving him, fast, towards the ChronoLiner and pinning him against the side of the vehicle. Jinx gasped.

"Forgot about my other form, little dragon?" Asakura said as he stood in his sleeker, faster and agile secondary Orphenoch form (also known as Demon Form for some reason). "If strength doesn't work, then SPEED should do the trick!" He grabbed the Ifrit Orphenoch by the hair before spinning around and hurling him away. Moving at high speeds and leaving a blur in his trail, the Dragon Orphenoch kicked the Ifrit Orphenoch hard in the back and sent him crashing through another series of gravestones.

Jinx couldn't watch anymore. "To hell with honor!" She blasted Pasenderos and Ryan back with hexes. The Scarab Inzecter heard her cries of anger and flew into her hand. She clutches the robotic beetle tightly and shouted out, the belt appearing around her waist. "Henshin!" she called before snapping the beetle to her belt.

"HENSHIN!" the Scarab Inzecter echoed before covering her body in thick armor. She reached down to her belt and pressed the Cast Off switch. "CAST OFF!" the Inzecter roared as her outer armor exploded off her body. "CHANGE SCARAB BEETLE!"

Jinx a.k.a. Masked Rider Scarab dashed straight into the battle. "Clock Up!" she called, smacking the side of her belt. The Scarab Inzecter replied, "CLOCK UP!"

The Dragon Orphenoch was sent staggering by a powerful hit to his face followed by another and another and another in super speedy succession. Growling, he too increased his speed and saw who had dared to attack him. He licked his teeth as he saw that the Dragon Knight's mate had decided to interfere. He caught one of her fists, and smirked, much to her shock, "You're not the only one who's fast, _onna_." He was about to hit her when a blast of telekinesis sent him sailing. Jinx's armored head turned and her eyes widened to see Ryuki, back in human form, rising from the rubble.

"Leave her alone, _teme_!" Ryuki roared. His clothes were ruined but he was otherwise fine. He gripped his Zodiac deck and summoned his belt before sliding the deck into the slot in front, "Henshin!" In a flash of red light, he was donned in his Zodiac armor as Zodiac Knight Draco.

"The Knight wishes to save his wench, huh?" Asakura mocked as he stood up, back in human form. He wiped the blood off his lips and then his face curled into a portrait of perfect and insane rage. "HOW CAN YOU WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN SAVE YOURSELF!!" Roaring as he changed back into his secondary Dragon Orphenoch form, Asakura rushed towards Draco at high speeds. The Dragon Knight slid a card into his gauntlet, activating his Excel Mode. He then shouted out, "Clock Up!" before disappearing in a blur.

Ryan and Pasenderos could see their movements as both Knight and Orphenoch launched their attacks at one another. They could see Draco block a rather nasty punch from connecting before giving Asakura a powerful uppercut which was then retaliated by a kick to his side. The Dragon Knight swung his fists wildly, hitting the Dragon Orphenoch in the face, head, chest and stomach before sending him on a flight with a powerful kick to the midsection. He then rushed forward and swung down his fist, taking him to the ground.

"Amazing," Pasenderos said, "He's much stronger than he was before."

"You should've seen him when he saved the Multiverse. Now that was impressive," Ryan remarked.

Jinx, still in armor, stood by and watched as her beloved Knight fought against his hated foe. She was still in Clock Up mode so she could tell their movements.

"CLOCK OVER!"

Asakura was laying on his back, in human form as Draco stood above him, the glow of the Excel Streams diminishing. The blade of Draco's Dragauntlet was pointed down on Asakura's neck. The former Knight of Scorpio looked up at the Dragon Knight with taunting eyes and said, "Go ahead, finish me off. I dare ya." Draco growled but remained calm.

"First, answers," Draco said, his eyes trained on Asakura, "How did you get out of the Mirror Dimension when I left you for dead?"

(Mirror World and Mirror Dimension are interchangeable terms)

Asakura chuckled, a look of merriment in his eyes. "Oh, it's my secret…" The blade pressed down on his neck. Blood trailed down from the small wound. "But, since you insist, I'll share." Asakura smirked in a way that still chilled Ryuki to the bone. Even after facing practically Satan himself, even if Trigon was as close as he get to seeing what the Devil himself would look like, Asakura's smile still haunted his nightmares. It was sick and unnatural to him the way someone could derive so much pleasure from so much pain. Looking around, he saw what a mess the cemetery was due to their bout. Smart Brain could fix it, somehow.

"A little kitty helped me out," Asakura said, "Okay, you can kill me now."

Draco was stunned by Asakura's previous statement. It wasn't the request to kill him that had shocked him, but the other one, the revelation. There was only **one** Cat among the Zodiac Knights but there was no way that she would release a monster into the world. "No…" he stepped back from shock, stumbling. "No, you're lying!" Draco shouted. "You're lying!"

Asakura chuckled, "It's so ridiculous how you can still love and trust someone no matter how many times they hurt you. I guess blood really is thicker than water." His eyes turned hard, "Let's find out!" He rose up and morphed into his Orphenoch form before grabbing Draco by the neck and hauling him up.

"Let him go!" Jinx shouted, preparing to attack but a sudden blue blast of energy stuck her stomach and sent her flying. The blast had also caused her Inzecter to retreat as she tumbled on the ground. Ryan and Pasenderos rushed to help her up as she coughed and groaned from the pain, rolling onto her hands and knees.

"Listen well, little dragon," Asakura said, staring intently through the Dragon's Knight eyes. "Family and friends have one thing in common: they will eventually turn into your enemy. They will take advantage of your trust and use it against you. They will use whatever they know of you and use them as your weakness. The worst enemy is often always your best friend." There was truth in Asakura's words, but Draco refused to listen as he struggled with the grip around his throat. He couldn't focus on using any of his Zodiac Powers. His mind was spinning with confusion, anger, hate and fear. Was this the end for him?

Suddenly, several missiles flew through the air before they impacted and sent both Asakura and Draco flying. Draco sailed through the air but felt a grip on his arms and he could see a green glow at the corner of his eye. As he was set down, he looked around to see **them**.

"Minna!" Draco shouted out, surprised but in a happy way. Standing by his side were Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Terra and Robin, all looking ready for battle.

The Titans had arrived. They were still in Tokyo so when reports of a massive fight reached them they knew they had to come. After all, they were the city's newest heroes. "You came!"

"What else did you expect?" Cyborg said, patting Draco on the back.

"Vacations can get pretty boring if all you get to do is read comic books all day, every day," Beast Boy commented.

"Is that him?" Robin asked, pointing at Asakura's rising form.

"It is," said Shadowcobra, clad in his armor and mounted on Shadow Basher's battle mode, the robot's weapons locked onto Asakura. "Former Knight of Scorpio and biggest pain in our necks since the very beginning. Serial killer and psychopath. Also known as the 'Sandman' due to his habit of leaving clumps of sand near his victim's body." His hidden eyes narrowed as he hissed out the name, "Asakura…"

"So, you remember me," Asakura's image grinned as it was projected on the ground, "And you've brought friends."

"You filthy clorbag!" Starfire shouted, eyes glowing green with righteous fury. "We shall not let your reign of fear continue!" Asakura chuckled at her words.

"Reign of fear? Where did you come up with that stuff?" Asakura mocked, earning an angry growl from the Tamaranean.

Shadowcobra eyed Jinx who was slowly recovering and Ryan who was helping her up. However, his eyes fell upon one person he'd never expected to see on this plane of existence again. He'd attended the funeral for goodness sake. '_No wonder that aura felt so familiar_,' Shadowcobra thought to himself. "Tazuka?" Shadowcobra asked and then Pasenderos looked up and smiled.

"You still remember me, huh, Ichijyo?" Pasenderos said, "Oh, and congratulations on your engagement. So, which one of these lovely ladies is your fiancée? Do I get an invitation to the wedding?" Raven had the decency to blush. Shadowcobra wasn't sure if he should remain shocked that his old friend was back or embarrassed that said friend was teasing him about it. Lucky for both of them, their means of covering their faces were hiding their blushes. "Never mind, you can tell me later."

"Jinx, you alright?" Terra asked her fellow Inzecter user.

"I'm fine," Jinx coughed, the Scarab Inzecter resting on her shoulder, never abandoning her. "How's Ryuki?"

"I'm fine," Draco said evenly, in a tone that chilled her. She knew he wasn't. Asakura had just dropped a piece of information that he was struggling to understand if it was fact or fiction.

"Well, time to take this guy down!" Terra rolled up her sleeve and the Cutter Inzecter connected with her armguard. "Henshin!"

"HENSHIN!" the Cutter Inzecter repeated, covering her in her green Leafcutter Ant based armor.

"Henshin!" Jinx said as well before the Scarab Inzecter flew off her shoulder and connected once again with her belt. "HENSHIN!" it echoed before covering her as well in her protective armor.

Asakura looked at the ragtag group of heroes. "These are the ones who will help you defeat me? Not only are you weak, you're a coward and need help!" Draco growled.

"At least he's more human than you will _ever_ be," Jinx spat.

"Titans…" Robin pointed a gloved finger at Asakura, "GO!"

At once, the collective Titans charged straight at Asakura who charged straight back at them and roared.

Shadowcobra leapt off the Shadow Basher and, holding two cards resembling tarot cards, shouted, "Partners Starfire of Tamaran and Raven of Azarath! Reveal the Power Within!" The spell activated and the cards glowed. At the same time, the two girls also began to glow…and change.

Starfire was now wearing the armor she had worn the day she first met her first Earth friends who would later become the Titans. However, the color scheme was not black and silver or even purple, rather pure white and gold. The gauntlets, neck guards, belt and face crown were all gold and her clothes and body armor were now a shining white with gold trimmings. The jewels on her neck guard and gauntlets also glowed brightly. The points of her crown were sharp, resembling the crown worn by the Grand Ruler of Tamaran except with a green gem resting in the centre. Resting on her left hip was a sword handle with a green gem. Her body radiated with gold energy.

Raven still wore white but it was no longer a leotard. It was now a beautiful floor length dress that hugged her body and showed off her curves. The skirt of the dress had slits that ran up the sides to her hips, revealing her shapely legs. The dress was sleeveless and her arms were covered by elbow length skintight gloves with no fingers and gold bracelets around her wrists. On her legs, up to her thighs, were skintight boots with sharp heels. Her body glowed with a radiant light.

Shadowcobra announced, revealing the cards that now bore the present images of both girls, "Ministra Magi: Starfire the Warrior Queen! Ministra Magi: Raven the White Priestess!"

Robin's eyes darted towards Starfire who now glowed and trailed with golden energy as she flew beside him. He was struck speechless by the appearance and beauty of her white and gold Tamaranean battle armor that he nearly lost his concentration. Starfire smiled before turning serious and launching the first attack on Asakura.

Both Ryan and Pasenderos stood and watched as the young heroes did what they did best.

"Not helping?" Pasenderos asked his counterpart.

"Nope," Ryan said as he strummed his guitar, "Not interested. Sides, when he needs it he'll ask." Pasenderos smiled. Ryan's statement made sense. Besides, the Titans were more than enough to defeat Asakura. "I figured you would want to fight him though. He did kill you, didn't he?"

"He did," Pasenderos nodded. "Ryuki-kun avenged me though. I'll only step in when it seems I need to. I may not have my Zodiac Power anymore, but I can still feel some echoes of the future."

The attack was fast and hard. Cyborg aimed with his cannon and fired, knocking Asakura off his feet before Starfire launched her now golden starbolts at the murderous Orphenoch. He was pummeled as small explosions erupted from his body.

Raven chanted, eyes glowing bright white, as she chanted, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" The rubble and remains of the gravestone rose up, covered in white energy before she launched them like missiles as they impacted with the Dragon Orphenoch's body. He roared as he charged straight for them but a disc exploded at his feet and covered him from the knees down in a layer of ice. Robin then threw his birdarangs, sending sparks flying as they cut through Asakura's tough hide.

The Titans had all gotten upgraded. All of Robin's weapons had been upgraded and now made of Soul Metal. His uniform was also made of Soul Fiber and covered his entire body with longer sleeves and with none of the green left. His gloves now held retractable talons near the knuckles, making him a fearsome bird of prey. The ends of his cape also resembled bird wings. His cape could double as a glider too. Beast Boy's uniform had also been switched with a Soul Fiber one with an emblem on his chest resembling a claw. His new uniform also sported shorter sleeves and cut off gloves. He also had a new belt with some added features. Cyborg's body had also been coated with Soul Metal, giving him added protection and his battery replaced with something that would last until the day he died. No, not Plutonium even though Pluto had insisted on it.

All this was done to protect the Titans from the effects of Asakura's powers who could turn any organic matter into ashes. Raven and Starfire were protected by magical auras while Terra and Jinx were protected by their armors.

All in all, Asakura stood no chance.

Terra followed Raven's lead and launched the rubble at Asakura while at the same time shooting with the Vulcan cannons on her shoulders, shooting bullets at rapid succession. They pierced through the Orphenoch's thick hide as he roared in agony. Beast Boy surged past her before changing into a kangaroo and hopping towards Asakura before kicking him hard in the chest, shattering the ice holding him and sending him reeling before quickly morphing into a hummingbird to avoid the flame blasts.

Jinx used her hex blasts as concussions blasts, causing pink explosions on Asakura. He stumbled with each hit. He growled. "This was NOT supposed to happen!" Roaring loudly, he morphed into his sleeker second form and surged towards the Titans.

"CLOCK UP!"

'_Oh, hell no_,' Asakura inwardly groaned as Shadowcobra and Draco's fists hit him in the face and sent him staggering back. Draco looked to Shadowcobra who stood back with arms crossed, the purple Excel Streams of his suit glowing. "All yours," Shadowcobra allowed.

Draco focused on his Zodiac Powers once again, coating his fists in rock and flames before throwing a powerful series of punches at Asakura. Each punch hit with the force of a thunderclap and echoed each time. Draco then used the Power of Scorpio, to add in painful irony, turning himself into a vortex of sand that ripped through Asakura's thick Orphenoch skin. The pain was unbearable as was the humiliation of having his own former Zodiac Power used being used against him. Draco reformed and looked at Asakura's wounded Orphenoch form, blue flames licking over him in sections. "How's that for painful irony?" Draco asked. "The power you've used to hurt so many now being used to hurt you."

"CLOCK OVER!"

"RAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!" Asakura roared, back in his bulkier default Orphenoch form, before swinging his large dragonhead gauntlets at Draco. His attack never connected as Draco summoned a psychic energy shield to deflect the blows. Asakura still kept on attacking, savagely, trying to break through the barrier but it was as strong as Draco's will and right now his will was unshakeable and unbreakable. Sparks ripped off Asakura's chest as Shadowcobra slashed him with his SNK-Gunblade, the purple energy radiating from the light saber. Roaring, he shifted his attention towards Shadowcobra who turned intangible and allowed the Orphenoch to pass through him.

"GRAAAAAHHHH!" the Dragon Orphenoch bellowed in rage as he picked himself off the ground. "What does it take to kill you?!"

"Much more than you have," Draco growled.

The Dragon Orphenoch did not enjoy his chances. Just how the heck did this happen?! He was supposed to just come in, kill the little brat who killed him the first time and anyone else who was witnessing. Now he was outnumbered and getting hurt like he wouldn't believe. THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING!

"What will it be, Asakura?" asked Robin stiffly. "Are you going to surrender, or do we have to end this with force?"

"Surrender?" the Dragon Orphenoch repeated. "Sure I'll surrender." He chuckled before lunging at Robin, "RIGHT AFTER I RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!"

POW!

WHAM!

SMASH!

Three fists; one green, one covered in metal and another one glowing gold smashed into his face, chest and stomach before sending him flying and dragging across the ground. Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy (a gorilla) all grinned at the damage they had caused the Orphenoch. Draco stepped next to Robin. He leaned down and whispered something into his ear. Robin's eyes widened but understanding the circumstances…he decided that this would be an exception.

"Do it, but you're responsible," Robin told him.

"It's been my responsibility from the start," Draco said solemnly before he called, "Jinxy-chan!" Jinx looked up, her purple visor staring straight at her boyfriend. "Pactio card, kudasai."

Nodding, Jinx took out her own Pactio card, similar to the ones Shadowcobra had used to empower Starfire and Raven. She focused on her magic and called, "Partner, Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, Reveal the Power Within!" The energy collected in the card before flying towards Draco in a straight beam. Draco caught it and it reformed into a familiar mystical weapon, the Keyblade. His armor also began to glow and when the glow faded away, the Titans just stared.

He had switched back to his unimpressive Blank Mode. It was basically white and black armor over a black bodysuit and a simplistic round black helmet with white eyes and a silver mouthguard. Why would he purposely revert to his weakest form?

Asakura, getting up, saw this as his chance before he got up and rushed at Draco at full speed. He pulled back his fist, ready to plow it through Draco's head. However, it was not meant to be as red, blue, yellow and purple streaks flew through the air and struck him, sending him sprawling again. The Titans did nothing but watch.

Surrounding Draco and spinning around him were four other Keyblades: the Red Peach, the Shell Rod, the Gold Axe and the Wild Dragon. The 4 Keyblades resonated with energy before they all joined up with the one in Draco's hand. There was a bright flash of multicolored light that forced everyone to cover their eyes.

The result was a brand new Keyblade with a round black hilt and holding a green emblem resembling a clock face. The hilt was strange not because of its shape, but because of the four masks resting on it, in a perfect circular formation. One mask was red and looked like a pair of large and elaborate red eyes with horns and fangs. Another was blue with horns on the side and orange eyes. Following that was a gold one with a blade horn in the centre and slit black eyes. Finally, there was a purple draconic looking mask. The blade of the weapon was mainly red but trimmed in white. There was a hollow slot in the back of the blade. Hanging under the new weapon was a keychain that resembled a bullet train.

This was Draco's Ultimate Keyblade…the Masked Rider Sword.

Pasenderos was impressed as Ryan chuckled. He said, "Haven't seen that thing in a while." The Arrancar turned to look at the Vizard.

"You know what that is?" Pasenderos asked. Ryan's smirk grew.

"Let's just say that thing is what helped our Dragon friend save the Multiverse."

The Titans gazed at the weapon in awe. Draco had a habit of surprising them and today was no different. He turned his attention towards Asakura who was getting up and growling angrily as he changed to his stronger and physically larger form. He then once again rushed towards Draco. The Titans were ready to act but Draco gave them one look and said, "Stand down." They did as told, albeit reluctantly. Draco watched as Asakura came closer and reached down to his belt to remove his deck. Under normal circumstances, his armor would've vanished when the deck was removed but not right now. He put the deck into the slot in the back of his weapon and snapped it in.

"LINER DRIVE FORM!" Draco shouted out and a wave of power was released by the Masked Rider Sword.

At the same time, the ChronoLiner reacted as well and released a beam of energy that engulfed Draco. The Titans took a step back to admire him. They were in for a treat.

"And now, it begins," Ryan said, never taking his eyes off Draco.

The energy surrounding Draco created new armor. It fitted itself onto his torso and shoulders. His card reader vanished. His boots turned red like his bodysuit which then gained black Excel Streams. A new mask resembling a pair of large red triangular eyes fitted themselves onto his faceplate, covering the white ones, before additional yellow, blue and purple spikes rose up flanking his helmet. The change was now complete.

Presenting Zodiac Knight/Kamen Rider Draco, Savior of the Multiverse, in one of his most powerful forms: Liner Drive Form.

The armor on his torso wasn't bulky but more streamline compared to his previous ones. It was red in the back area but white on the chest area with a pair of red 'headlights' on his chestplate. There was a small gold dragon emblem resting near his collar. A red stripe ran down the centre of his chestplate. The white shoulder-guards with red trimmings were broad, pointed and triangular but didn't cause obstructions to the maneuverability of his arms. His color scheme basically resembled the ChronoLiner and all of the train's power was now coursing through him.

Asakura was unimpressed as he charged at Draco. Draco ducked under the swing of Asakura's arm before slashing him across the stomach with his Keyblade. Asakura roared in pain as sparks ripped off his hide. He attacked again but Draco was proving to be too quick a target to hit. Asakura may have superior strength (or so he thought) but Draco's maneuverability was something he could not match up to in his current form. Plus, in this form, Draco's control over his Zodiac Powers was at its peak. He could tell what moves Asakura would make before he even made them thanks to the Power of Pisces: Clairvoyance.

Roaring in rage, Asakura threw his dragonhead gauntlet covered fists at Draco who seemed to move like water, flowing around the attacks fluidly. One punch nearly hit him but Draco grabbed the fist before slashing down with his blade. He did an overhead swing that sliced off one of the Dragon Orphenoch's horns before he did a 5 slash combo, slicing the gauntlets to pieces. Asakura was now unarmed as he stumbled back. The power Draco had now…was incredible.

Unknown to him and the others, save for Shadowcobra, Jinx and Draco, was that the power was limited. Jinx was acting as a conduit for the ChronoLiner's energies and the Keyblade via the Pactio contract she'd made with Draco. Draco had lost the Keyblade after saving the Multiverse and using it to lock away his sister's memories of when she'd nearly doomed the entire Multiverse with her Horror Gate powers. With that done, he had no need for the Keyblade any longer and willingly relinquished it.

Now, he was going to use it to close another chapter of his life. A chapter he should've closed a long time ago.

Asakura roared, flinging energy blasts at Draco but the large round hilt of the Keyblade also doubled as a shield and blocked the blasts. Focusing, Draco then rushed at Asakura and dealt a devastating blow to his head with his fist that broke off Asakura's second horn. He then went into a roundhouse kick that sent Asakura tumbling. Draco then stepped back and away from Asakura.

Time to finish this…for good now. He gave the turntable hilt of his Keyblade a good spin and it went through several rotations before halting, aligning the red mask to the blade before locking in place. The mask and blade began to glow red.

Draco used the power of the ChronoLiner again and a set of crimson energy tracks appeared behind him and ran past him. He ran after the tracks before jumping aboard and then sliding towards Asakura. Surrounding him was the transparent silhouette of the ChronoLiner, colored in red, before he pulled the Keyblade back. Asakura looked up and in his rage ignored the danger before charging straight for Draco in his secondary form.

"YOU'RE MINE!!" Asakura roared, racing at Draco who was racing towards him too at full speed.

"FULL THROTTLE BREAK-DENSHA GIRI (Train Slash)!!" Draco shouted as he swung his Keyblade, releasing the energy build up as he executed a perfect horizontal slash through Asakura before racing past him. The tracks vanished and Draco landed on his feet. He rested the blade of his Keyblade on his shoulder before looking over his shoulder. Asakura's body began to ignite, engulfed in blue fire as he was forced back into human form and collapsed onto his back. Draco turned back around and approached the fallen Asakura.

Asakura looked up at Draco who looked back down on him. Snickering, Asakura said, "So, it's finally over, isn't it? What are you waiting for? Finish me now!"

Draco stared at the Keyblade and down on Asakura. He then thrust his weapon down. Everyone cringed but then Draco stopped, the sharp tip of the Keyblade hovering over Asakura's face, right between the eyes, by a small inch. "No," Draco answered as he withdrew the Keyblade. This did not surprise the other Titans. Draco wasn't a cold hearted murderer. It wasn't his style. "I won't kill you," he watched as Asakura's skin started to turn an ashen grey, "But, I won't save you either. You're not worth it." The Keyblade and his armor vanished. Jinx nearly collapsed from exhaustion as her Inzecter disconnected and flew off, leaving her in her normal form. That had been as intense for her as it was for him. Ryuki walked over to her and helped his girlfriend up before placing a gentle kiss to his temple. "Arigatou, Jinxy-chan." Excited barking was heard as Ryuki was tackled to the ground by a happy Brimstone who began licking his face enthusiastically, wagging his tail too. Ryuki stood up and looked around him. He frowned sadly. The fight had wrecked the cemetery. Shadowcobra walked over and placed a hand to his shoulder.

"We'll get Smart Brain to fix all this. It would be like nothing ever happened," Shadowcobra told him. Ryuki nodded.

Ryuki looked towards the surrounding Titans. He said to them, "Let's go home. We're done here." The Titans obeyed Ryuki's request and walked with him, away from Asakura. Starfire and Raven both turned back to normal as did Terra, whose armor vanished as soon as her Inzecter crawled off her arm and onto her shoulder, clicking its mandibles happily.

Asakura felt enraged and humiliated. How dare Draco turn his back to him!? Not worth it!? With every bit of rage empowering him, he stood back up and once more changed into his Orphenoch form.

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!" Asakura roared as he charged straight at Draco.

He never even reached him.

Asakura stopped in his tracks as he realized what had happened. He turned back into human form before his burning body finally broke down and crumbled into ashes, leaving only that.

His ashes, and nothing more.

Pasenderos had used Sonido and in that instant used Tiburon to run Asakura through.

"Niisan?" Ryuki asked as Pasenderos sheathed his Zanpakuto.

"If you think I'd let someone hurt my otouto when I'm around, then you have another thing coming," Pasenderos snickered.

Ryuki smiled, "Arigatou, niisan."

"Well, I can tell you one thing," Ryan smirked as he sat up from his seat. "Soul Society will have a heck of a time wrangling him in. Provided there's anything left to bring in."

"Well, all the talk about death aside," Shadowcobra commented as he turned to face Pasenderos, his Snake armor vanishing. The two stared at each other for a moment before they clasped hands in a handshake. "It's good to see you again, old friend."

"Good to be back, Ichijyo," Pasenderos smiled. His smile then turned mischievous. "Still, I'd like to see this fiancée of yours. She must be something special if you're going to marry her. I also heard that our sly dog Takada got a steady girlfriend. I need to catch up on the time I've been gone."

"Then I hope you have nowhere to be," Ichijyo chuckled. "It's a long story."

"I've got all eternity," Pasenderos said.

* * *

"Asakura's dead," Copycat muttered as she looked up at the static on the monitor she had been staring at. "Oh, well. He was going to expire anyway," she said, shrugging nonchalantly. Copycat had originally found Asakura nearly dead in the Mirror Dimension as the atmosphere ate away at his body. When she'd discovered that he was turning into an Orphenoch, she took him home for treatment. Her only thought was to use Asakura as a weapon. However, Asakura got loose and months later was found by Occultus and made into one of his generals.

Copycat considered it an acceptable lost because while they had been holding Asakura in the lair, she had a surveillance camera surgically implanted into his brain. Everything he saw, she saw and she learnt a lot of Occultus' plans and also about the Orphenoch King. It was a shame he had to die so early. He was nearly the perfect weapon seeing as his hatred of her brother matched hers in intensity. Too bad he allowed his rage and insanity cloud his own judgment.

She let her thoughts stray to the Orphenoch King. Now how would she use that little bit of information to her advantage? Granted, if she got him, then she would effectively have Occultus and every Orphenoch on the planet by the balls, including her brother. As amusing as that thought was, she had to consider all her options concerning the supposed 'perfect' Orphenoch.

The weapon she saw her brother use and that new form he had turned into both looked painfully familiar. That strange bullet train too. Just what were they? Why was she having visions of dark creatures and such? Something weird was going on and her brother held the key, no pun intended.

"A Keyblade, huh?" Copycat muttered. "Liner Drive Form, huh?" She smirked. "Well now, little brother, it looks like things are going to be interesting from now on, especially with that Orphenoch King coming around soon." Behind her, her own shadow morphed into a demonic shape before changing back.

The seal was unlocking itself and soon…Horrors would befall mankind.

* * *

After the Titans had left and the ChronoLiner departed, Libra appeared with Fuji in the cemetery.

"What a mess," Libra commented as he looked at the damaged gravestones and the rubble as well as the damaged grounds. He knew Ichijyo would send people to help clean this up, but he couldn't help but come here to see if he could do anything.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Fuji asked his companion and watched in amusement as Libra drew a card out of his belt and slid it into his staff. "I see."

"Time Vent!"

To Be Continued…

I'd like to dedicate Liner Drive Form as a tribute to Kamen Rider Den-O's own Liner Form as well as thank the developers of Kingdom Hearts for the Keyblade. Also, thanks to Ten Faced Paladin for patiently helping me finish this chap. Without his help, it wouldn't have turned out so well.


	62. PT062: Devilish Laughter

Part 62: Devilish Laughter

Sparks flew into the air as a jagged blade clashed with a key-like sword. Their wielders locked the weapons and eyes each other intensely. Black orbs and green orbs met before with a united cry they pushed off one another and their feet dragged against the dirt surface they were fighting on.

"Nice form," Pasenderos, the Arrancar of Tazuka, said as he gripped Tiburon. "You're really good with that thing," he complimented.

"I had to be when I had to save the Multiverse," Ryuki, the Keyblade's wielder, relied as he went into another stance. "I'll tell you about it sometimes."

"Well, that would be one story I'd like to hear," Pasenderos said as he stretched his arm out at Ryuki, pointing his fist at the Dragon Knight. He said one word, "_Bala._"

"Kuso!" Ryuki cursed as he leapt to the side and rolled over the ground to avoid the blast of energy from Pasenderos' fist. Weaker than a _cero_, a _bala _was definitely just as deadly as it took less time to charge up and several blasts could be fired in succession. Pasenderos continued to rain the _bala _blasts on Ryuki who had no choice but to run and avoid them, trying to create some distance between himself and his Arrancar sparing partner.

The Titans had all returned to the Tower and Pasenderos had been introduced to the group. To say they were shocked was an understatement since they had learnt about Hollow and Arrancar from Ryan when the Vizard had visited them the last time. Beast Boy had freaked out about his soul probably getting eaten, but Pasenderos gently assured the changeling that he wouldn't be eating anyone's souls. He had evolved beyond the need to feed on souls.

Pasenderos realized that a lot had changed since his death and his descent into a Hollow. Shadow, or Ichijyo, was engaged to an enchanting young woman named Raven whom Pasenderos got to know really well. The most surprising that Pluto, or Takada, had decided to give up chasing skirts and actually settle with one _steady_ girlfriend. It didn't surprise him that Takada had decided to date an alien. He was a sci-fi fanatic and one of his dreams had been to date a real alien and Blackfire fir the bill. Pasenderos had to admit that she was beautiful.

Jinx sat on the sidelines, watching along with Brimstone. She had been watching as Ryuki expertly used the Keyblade to block all of Pasenderos' strikes before countering them. Now she was watching as he tried to escape the _bala _blasts which were causing the ground to explode whenever they missed their target.

Jinx pet the demon dog who was lying next to her and smiled as she watched her boyfriend train with his long-lost 'brother'. He was genuinely happy now and the pain and guilt that had come with Tazuka's death had all but vanished. She was happy for him…and for herself.

Jinx, with her past, had never imagined that she could find someone who would love her for her. Sure there were guys who found her attractive and exotic but they didn't care for her as a person. Mammoth and Gizmo did but they weren't exactly people she was looking for in a relationship. Now, Ryuki was like a fairy tale prince. He was honorable, chivalrous, kind, generous, understanding…and rich! Jinx shook her head. No, it wasn't about the money. The old Jinx may have cared about the money but not her. Now all she wanted was Ryuki.

When he had 'died', she was heartbroken. She felt her happiness had shattered when he laid in the rubble, unmoving and not breathing. She cried over him. Suddenly, he came back to life…but it wasn't without a cost.

He was an Orphenoch now, which meant he was no longer human. It also meant that his DNA was breaking down and that his lifespan was short. She knew he was afraid to die even if he didn't say it. At least he was smiling more and didn't think of himself as a monster.

Ryuki stopped running and decided to charge straight through fray of bala blasts that were sailing at and past him. He used the Keyblade to smack the blast flying at him as he rushed towards Pasenderos. When he got in range, he thrust his Keyblade out at Pasenderos.

Then…movement stopped as Jinx gasped.

Pasenderos had Tiburon's tip pointed right at Ryuki's jugular. Another inch and it would've gone right through. Ryuki…Ryuki had his Keyblade's tip positioned straight at Pasenderos' chest. Another inch and _it_ would've went through. The two warriors stared at one another before exchanging smiles and withdrawing their weapons. Pasenderos sheathed his Zanpakuto into the scabbard as Ryuki banished the Keyblade.

"You've improved," Pasenderos noticed.

"Arigatou, niisan," Ryuki beamed before Pasenderos ruffled his hair, just like old times. Like an older brother who was proud of his younger brother. They then walked back towards the Tower, Jinx walking beside them with Brimstone.

"I still can't believe you cut your hair," Pasenderos frowned as he looked at Ryuki's new hairstyle, "And that you dyed it."

"I needed a change," Ryuki said defensively. "It looks good, right?"

"It needs getting used to, but it looks good on you, Ryuki-kun."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the training room, another trio was in training. Shadowcobra did a back flip to avoid a blast of green energy and ducked under a black energy claw.

"You need to try better than that, girls!" Shadow called as he looked up at Starfire and Raven, who were hovering in the air while he remained grounded.

"Well, if you stopped moving, then maybe we could hit you," Raven complained and then caught the smirk she hated and loved at the same time.

"Now where would be the _fun_ in that?" he grinned.

"You have an obscure view of fun, dear friend," Starfire commented, eyes glowing bright green.

"Well, that's just the way I am," Shadow shrugged. "Now, try to hit me again."

Raven chanted, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" and sent twin beams of dark energy sailing at Shadow. He erected a shadow barrier to block. Starfire then started blasting him with starbolts. The barrier began to crack so he decided to make his move, He turned intangible just as soon as the barrier began to weaken and break. It shattered and the two girls looked around for him.

"Where has he gone?" Starfire asked and Raven scanned the room. There was a black spot under them and Raven panicked.

"Starfire, he's under us!" Raven shouted and then a black snake made of shadows shot out of the spot and opened its jaws wide. The two girls flew out of reach before they were swallowed. The shadow snake then reformed into the shadow manipulating Vampangel who grinned.

"Now, it's my turn!" Shadow said before he took to the air. He flew at Raven and delivered a kick to her head but she was able to block it with a black energy shield in her hand. Starfire let out a yell and threw her fist into him but he used his Zodiac Power to turn invisible and she ended up hitting air.

"That is not fair!" Starfire yelled out. "Show yourself!"

"Starfire," Raven began, "What do you expect from a slippery snake?" She was trying to lock onto his aura but he had hidden it well. It was like he wasn't in the room. The last time he had done this he had actually left the room and it had taken the girl about 30 minutes to realize that he had been watching TV while they had been searching for him. She knew he wouldn't repeat the same trick, but the Vampangel was bi-polar and unpredictable at times. His angel side was playful and cheerful while his vampire side…well…it was more dark and perverted. Raven's cheeks flushed remembering all the things they would do when alone and in bed. She still couldn't believe she was not only in a romantic and meaningful relationship but that she was engaged. She had never removed the ring since he'd proposed to her on her birthday. She did dread the day when she would have to tell her mother. New Azarath was where she lived and Raven had visited her in the Astral Plane to tell her that Trigon had been defeated. What she failed to mention was that she had a boyfriend and was engaged. That was a conversation she was hoping to put off until she could gather enough courage. Maybe bring a friend or two for support. Even if the mental representation of her mother in her mind accepted their relationship, the real Arella may not be as accepting.

Raven then caught something in the corner of her eye as Shadow became visible again. She fired but then he vanished again, causing her blast to go through him. She felt infuriated with him like he was toying with them; which he was indeed doing.

Starfire was actually enjoying this game of 'hide-and-seek'. The only difference was that he was hiding using his Zodiac Power of Invisibility.

Shadowcobra mulled in his shadow dimension and pulled out his two Pactio cards. This would be a good opportunity for the girls to practice with their added powers from the cards. Their only real battle experience they had was with their battle with Asakura.

"Let's give it a go," Shadowcobra nodded before beginning to invoke the power of the cards.

* * *

Meanwhile, the resident mad scientist of the Tower, also known as Pluto, was building another one of his many inventions. Today it was something he had been rebuilding after salvaging them from what used to be the Black Crown Game Shop. The Gamemasters had use these machines to transport their minds into a virtual realm. Pluto was thinking of repairing and modifying them to do much more.

"Oh, this is gonna be so sweet!" Pluto grinned as he rubbed his gloved hands together. "If my calculations are correct, then my newest invention will make humans and computers even closer!" Cyberdog, CD, yipped in agreement at his master. "It needs some more parts, but I can order them from Smart Brain."

It would seem that Pluto still hadn't changed much in terms of his enthusiasm when it came to inventing and science. When Draco had used the ChronoLiner to pick him, Mortuary, Renia and Blackfire, the first thought that came to his mind was to take the ChronoLiner apart and to see how it was able to travel through space and time. Sadly, those were secrets he was not meant to uncover in this century. Time travel was not something you could play around with. Well, that hadn't discouraged him. In fact it had motivated to study on time travel so that he may build his own time machine. Blackfire had been supportive, in her own way. She knew what it was like to be judged by others for being different.

Pluto was just as surprised to see Tazuka again, even if he was an Arrancar. The problem was to get Pluto to believe that Tazuka was now a ghost without him trying to experiment on him. Pluto had always been a skeptic even after he had seen and experienced a lot of impossible things that went beyond and against the understanding and logic of science. He had slowly grown to be more open minded about things but there was still that scientific part of him that would grow skeptical of the unknown. It was in his nature. Fortunately, they were all able to talk about old times.

"Hey, Pluto!" a voice cried through the opening door. The resident mad scientist looked up to see the resident prankster, Beast Boy, walking in.

"What do you need, Beast Boy?" Pluto asked while returning to his work.

"Need some help?" the green boy asked.

"Not really," Pluto shrugged. "Besides, don't you remember the last time you _tried_ to help?"

"Hey, dangerous stuff should be labeled better!" Beast Boy retorted.

"Those vials all said 'biohazard' on them!" Pluto argued. "What do I have to do? Put up a neon sign!?"

"Dude, I would have remembered something like biohazard being on those vials and the label wasn't there," Beast Boy frowned. His eyes trailed over the contents of the lab before he noticed something odd. It was actually another vial with something which Pluto had hanging around his lab. "Hey, what's that?"

"Huh?" Pluto looked up again. His eyes widened in horror. "BEAST BOY!! NOOOOOOO!!"

**BOOOM!!**

* * *

In the main room of the Tower, Blackfire and Cyborg were in the middle of an intense arm-wrestling match. Robin was acting as referee as he kept an eagle eye on the two combatants so that Cyborg couldn't detach his arm and tickle Blackfire into submission. It was also to make sure Blackfire didn't try forcing her energy into her hands to break Cyborg's hand. They had both done those exact means of cheating before Robin had been 'volunteered' for the position.

Suddenly, the entire room shook as a muffled explosion sounded from somewhere in the distance.

"What was that?" asked Robin with some concern.

"Pluto again," Cyborg grunted. "Beast Boy must have wanted to help again."

"Ahh, Pluto's always doing stuff like that," Blackfire giggled. "It just makes it more fun to nurse him back to health."

The explosion was followed by several flashes of light which almost took out the lighting. No doubt it was magical in nature.

"Shadow practicing with those Pactio cards again?" asked Robin.

"Think so," Blackfire shrugged. "Gotta say that my little sister looks pretty good in that outfit. Better stick to her like glue, Robin."

The Boy Wonder stiffened slightly at the words Blackfire used. For a brief second, he entertained thoughts of fanboys trying their best to get a date from Starfire. The thought sent shivers down his spine, but he quickly dropped the thought. Some things he didn't want to think about.

"HAH!" Blackfire suddenly cried as she managed to slam Cyborg's hand down onto the table. Cyborg groaned in defeat while Blackfire began flying around the room in her victory. "Who's the queen? Me, baby!"

Robin sighed before a yawn threatened to escape his mouth. He was still running on Tokyo time a little and was getting sleepy. He checked the time and found that while it was a little early for turn in (meaning it wasn't midnight) but still dark so he decided to do just that. Things were still quiet in Jump City anyway.

* * *

Even with all the catching up they needed to do, Pasenderos still had to leave. He needed to create a new life for himself, beyond that of an Arrancar. He would still live in Jump City and decided to open up a new fortune telling business. He had invited all of them to come over and visit.

"It's funny," Shadow commented as the three Knights of the Teen Titans sat on the edge of the roof.

"What is?" Draco asked his friend.

"That the more things change, sometimes they stay the same," Shadow elaborated.

"Like what?" Pluto asked, curiously wanting to know where Shadow was going with this.

"Nearly 4 years ago we were just some teens roped into a War to fight until only one of us remained to win a wish," Shadow said, reminding them all of why they became Knights in the first place. "We originally fought for different goals. I wanted to revive someone I cared for who died."

"I wanted to wake my mother up from her coma," Pluto added, remembering the vow he made with his sister.

"And I wanted to protect people," Draco finished, starting to understand.

"We have been through a lot, made a lot of enemies and yet made a lot of friends and allies too," Shadow said, "And we've lost a few. Our journey has had a lot of ups and downs."

"Like miscast spells," Pluto muttered, earning a glare from Shadow.

"Or experiments and inventions blowing up for no reason," Shadow rebutted and Pluto glared back.

Draco, realizing that this may turn into another fight, interjected, "But there have been a lot of good times too, right?"

"In the early days? Yes, I have to agree. The adventures we had were exciting," Shadow said.

"Hey, the adventures we are having now are just as great!" Pluto spoke up. Shadow and Draco chuckled.

"True," Shadow said. He then said together, "Before I met you I probably would have never thought of allying myself with others."

"Well, we were, and still are, stronger together than divided," Draco reasoned. "A lot of Black Knights wanted us dead."

"The Black Knights," Shadow hissed. He had been a member of that group, under Yoshido, but no longer. "Thank goodness there aren't anymore Black Knights."

"Not true," Pluto corrected. "Copycat," he reminded.

Draco nodded sadly. She still wore the colors of the Black Knights and was still their enemy. However, she was different. At one moment she would help and then next she would stab them in the back. She had her own sense of honor and her own way of doing things that made her someone to be wary of and reluctant to trust. However, under all that, she had a heart. Draco knew that even if she would strongly deny it.

Shadow looked up at the stars. "The number of Knights is becoming less and less and soon…"

"The Finals," Pluto finished. 8 Knights who had survived would fight for that wish in what would be the climax of this War…this Tournament. Only one of them would be victorious while the others would lose their rights to the wish and maybe even…their lives.

At first they had wanted to have their wishes granted, but now…with such a cost…was it still worth it.

They were friends, for now, but in the end…they would face one another…as enemies.

* * *

_The room was black with the only source of illumination being a single spotlight pointed down on…Robin._

_Robin was spread eagle, his wrists and ankles bound by metal cuffs that had him lying on a metal table. He then heard a loud and horrifying cackling._

"_Let me go!" Robin shouted out, "Let me go!" He struggled with his bonds but the more he struggled the tighter they became. The cackling grew louder and chilled him to the bone. He shuddered as he felt something on his neck._

"_Sit still, little boy," the voice said before laughing. "Or else we can't fit you in your clothes."_

"_Please…" Robin began to beg, eyes tearing up, "Let me go! Don't hurt me anymore…"_

"_Aw, don't cry," the voice said, caressing Robin sickly. "It will be over soon." The cackling and laughter started again and it was joined by deranged music. The room suddenly began to light up as Robin shied his eyes away._

"_Look into the mirror," the voice said in a menacingly joyful voice. Something forced Robin to turn his head and face the mirror. His masked eyes widened in horror as he saw his own face, chalk white and his lips and teeth contorted into a horrendous grin._

_He did nothing but screamed as the voice cackled again. His reflection joined in the cackling too._

* * *

"NO!" Robin shouted out as he suddenly sat up, his face covered in cold sweat. His hair was drenched by his sweat and matted his hair. He held his head, panting as he wiped the sweat away.

"Robin…?" he heard someone's soft voice and turned around to see that it was Starfire, sitting up next to her. She looked worried. "Are you alright?"

Robin then remembered where he was. He was in his room, with Starfire. She had finished up her training and decided to go to Robin's room after a shower where they made love before falling asleep next to each other, spent and cuddling. He calmed down and said to her, putting on a smile, "I'm fine, Starfire. Go back to sleep."

"Alright," she said before kissing him and then lying back down. He pulled the covers over her as he got up. He put on his uniform and walked out of the room, leaving Starfire to sleep alone for the rest of the night.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an alley, a man could be seen walking out of an alley He began to chuckle before it turned into full blown laughter. A police officer going about his rounds spotted him. He then approached the laughing man, "Hey, mack, you okay?" The laughing man continued to laugh as he pointed to the alley. His laughter was so out of control that he could form a single word much less a sentence. The police thought this man was high or something so he asked, "Can you please hand me your identification please, sir?" The man continued to laugh at the question, causing the officer to slowly loose his patience. "Sir, will you please stop laughing and cooperate?" The laughing man still laughed and pointed at the alley. "That's it," the police officer said. "You're coming with me." He grabbed the man's arm but that single contact caused the man's arm to fall off and then crumble into dust. The officer jumped back in shock. "What the hell!?" Was this some kind of sick joke? He looked up at the laughing man whose skin started to turn an ashen grey right before he crumbled down and disintegrated into a pile of ashes in front of the officer's feet. Now definitely freaked out, the officer radioed for help.

A figure in the alley let out a low cackle before it quickly vanished, the devilish laughter echoing as it left.

* * *

Robin made his way to the roof as he tried to calm himself down. He didn't expect to have company as he spied Shadow on the roof too. Since he had moved his roses to the new green house, there was little reason for him to come up unless he wanted to meditate with Raven. At this time of night he was either in his room or in the Smart Brain Special Ops room.

"Can't sleep?" Robin asked, trying to start up a conversation. The Vampangel gave him a short sideway glance.

"Not really," Shadow replied. "I don't really need much sleep, remember?" Robin nodded in understanding. Shadow's nature was that of a creature of the night. He was nocturnal by nature but just chose to sleep when he wanted. Plus, he had a lot of work. Even if he had a clone in his place in Smart Brain Tokyo, he still needed to manage it as he was the CEO. And, added with his responsibilities with handling the Titans Network, it meant that he wouldn't have much time for himself, much less sleep. "What about you? From the looks of it you look like you had a really bad dream."

Robin stared at the Vampangel. Had Shadow read his mind without permission? As if answering his unspoken question, Shadow said, "No, I didn't read your mind judging by that look. It's written all over your face. Plus the cold sweat was a dead giveaway." Then again, Shadow was very observant even if he did tend to keep to himself most of the time. He was still learning to open up and Robin knew the Knights still held a lot of secrets. "So, what was it about?"

"It was nothing," Robin denied but the Snake Knight quirked an eyebrow.

"You sure? Don't want to talk about it?" Shadow asked.

Robin really didn't want anyone butting into his business right now. "Shadow, I'm not in the mood to talk right now. Can we not talk about my nightmare?"

"So it's now a nightmare. I thought it was just a bad dream. Nothing."

Robin grumbled. Shadow had a way of getting answers. It was what made him a good interrogator. Suddenly, their communicators began to beep. They flipped them open and then grew alarmed.

"We need to wake the others up," they said in unison.

* * *

The scene was a familiar one to the Titans; a pile of ashes inside a smaller pile of clothes. It was pretty obvious as to what had done this.

"Orphenoch," Draco sighed sadly. "And just after being free of Asakura."

"Well, this one can't be any worse, can he?" asked Beast Boy.

"You'd be surprised," Shadowcobra sighed as he kneeled down and studied the ashen remains. "There are many people out there who are just as bad or worse than Asakura."

The Titans went silent again. Robin heaved his own sigh before speaking up.

"Alright, we have to find some clue as too what kind of Orphenoch did this and who it is," he ordered. "Let's spread out and see if we can find anything."

"I suggest we split into small groups and stay in contact with one another," Shadow said.

"I got my tracker here," Mortuary said as he revealed his Orphenoch tracker. It was already keyed in on Draco, identifying the Dragon Knight as an Orphenoch. "If it's close, we'll find it."

"Just don't become too gung-ho," Robin said. He knew about Mortuary's hatred for Orphenochs and the necroplasmic Knight had a tendency to disobey orders. Then again, Terra had told them that Mortuary used to be leader of their old group. He was more used to giving out the orders than taking them.

"Pluto, Starfire, Blackfire, Raven, Beast Boy and I will search in the air," Shadow said.

"Okay, so that leaves Cyborg, me, Draco, Jinx, Terra, Mortuary and Renia," said Robin.

"Hey," Draco said as he noticed something in the pile of ashes. He kneeled down and picked it up before blowing off the ashes covering it. It was a playing card. "The Joker card, wonder what that means?" Draco asked. Robin stiffened when he heard the word Joker and then walked over to Draco and snatched the card away. He was clutching it tightly, nearly bending it as he stared at the harlequin figure on it. Shadow quirked an eyebrow but then manages to snatch the card out of Robin's hand.

"Robin, this is evidence," Shadow said in a warning tone, "You almost damaged it." He handed the card to the police.

"Robin, are you alright?" Starfire asked.

"Dude, you look pretty freaked out," Beast Boy pointed out.

"It's nothing," Robin bristled, turning away and towards his bike. "Let's just find this Orphenoch before anyone else gets hurt." He put on his helmet and raced away. The other Titans watched before the ones in Robin's group began to follow. Cyborg, Renia and Jinx rode in the T-Car as Terra got on a rock and flew after them. Draco and Mortuary were about to mount their bikes when Shadow's hand clutches Draco's shoulder.

"Shadow?" Draco asked, curiously.

"Watch Robin," Shadow told him. "There's something wrong and I'm worried about him," Draco nodded and put on his helmet before riding off with Mortuary. He was then approached by the officer who had found the victim.

"There's something else you must know," the officer said before he began his explanation.

* * *

Robin rode quickly into the night with the T-Car, Mortuary, Terra and Draco following. Something was definitely up with their leader. In the T-Car, Jinx, Renia and Cyborg were having as discussion about Robin's behavior.

"Did Robin seem a little freaked out when he saw that card?" Jinx asked from her place next to Cyborg. "I mean, it was just a card."

"Robin doesn't talk to us much about his past," Cyborg said as he steered the car after Robin. The headlights were on bright. "But from what I know, back in Robin's hometown, Gotham, there was this criminal called the Joker."

Jinx shivered. Back in the HIVE Academy, she had learnt about the Joker. He was one of the most infamous psychopaths known on Earth. He was Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime and would literally kill for a good joke.

"Do you think the Joker is in town?" Renia asked.

"I doubt that," Jinx snorted. "He's dead." There was news that the Joker had died when he tangled with the Batman, Robin's mentor, for the last time. That had been before the time when Robin decided to move to Jump and then met up with what would later become the Teen Titans. "It must be someone trying to copy him. Besides, we all know it's an Orphenoch."

Terra was flying alongside the two Knights behind the T-Car and talking with them too.

"So, how do you think this Orphenoch did it?" Terra asked. "Tentacle? Strike to the heart?"

"With the victim turning into a pile of dust, I don't think we can find out how it was done," Mortuary told her.

"I did smell something weird at the scene, through," Draco said, "but I couldn't make anything of it."

Robin was up ahead. That Joker card had stirred up some bad memories, memories he had hoped to forget about. He had only been a child then when…the communicator on his bike alerted him and he activated it. "Robin here." Shadow's face was on the screen.

"_Robin, the police officer who found our victim told us that before he disintegrated…he was laughing_," Shadow said. Robin's eyes widened. Laughing? But that was the M.O. of…But he was dead! "_Robin!_" Robin heard Shadow call again. "Are _you alright? You seemed to have blanked out for a second._"

"I'm fine!" Robin said tensely. "Have you found anything?"

* * *

Shadow was in the air with his group, using his SNK-Phone to scan for any Orphenoch signature. They had picked up on Draco for awhile and no one else. "Nothing, yet," Shadow told him. "Whoever this Orphenoch is, he's a slippery."

"_Right, I'll keep searching_," said Robin.

"Robin," Shadow said suddenly, "Don't try to fight this Orphenoch alone."

"_I know what I'm doing_," Robin told him. "_Robin out_." He signed off. Shadow was growing worried. Something had to be bothering his friend. Starfire flew up next to him.

"Is Robin alright?" Starfire asked worriedly about her boyfriend. Shadow didn't know what to tell her.

"I'm not sure," Shadow said. "Starfire, was he exhibiting any strange behavior before?"

"He was," Starfire nodded. "He woke up screaming from what I believe was a nightmare," Starfire said. "He refused to divulge anymore information."

"He's exhibiting a lot of fear, though," Raven commented. She had a link with Robin and his emotions were not exactly stable right now. Shadow had felt that too. That card had meant something. The Joker…wasn't that an insane criminal in Gotham? Shadow knew Robin had history with the Joker but from what he'd heard the Joker was dead. Now, there was this Orphenoch who seemed to cause its victims to laugh insanely before their untimely demise. There couldn't be a connection, could there? What were the odds?

In this business…anything was possible.

Pluto had taken a sample of the victim's remains and returned to the Tower's lab to analyze it. Maybe they could find a clue in there. Right now, they had a dangerous Orphenoch on the loose.

* * *

The girl backed away from the figure in front of her. From the way she was dressed she was a hooker who had been waiting for a customer. When she had been approached and offered to have fun with this guy, she turned to run when she saw his face. He had chased after her and now had her cornered like a cat would corner a mouse.

"Please…let me go…" the girl said as she stepped back but it only led her to a dead end. "Don't hurt me. Leave me alone…"

"But you said we were going to have some _fun_," the man said, his yellow teeth gleaming as he grinned. His eyes were wide and manic and he stared at her like a piece of meet. Looking over at the wall which was illuminated by a streetlamp, the man's shadow began to change. The girl screamed out before she coughed as a strange gas invaded her lungs. Her screaming soon turned to loud and insane laughter.

* * *

Robin was not in the best of moods the next morning. He was shut up in his room brooding again. Starfire wished to help, but he turned her away. He had done it gently, but it still hurt the Tamaranian girl deeply. She so wanted to help the one she loved, but how could she when he would turn her away? The other Titans were trying to figure out what was going on.

"So, obviously this Orphenoch has a thing for the Joker," Shadow spoke as he looked at the card. "Most likely it's someone who either worked for the clown or was a fan. It's trying to copy the Joker by making its victims laugh as it kills them and plus it's an Orphenoch which makes it even more dangerous."

"Just a copycat then," Terra said. It didn't make things better. Copycats could be even more dangerous than the criminals they emulated due to their obsession and fixation in wanting to follow their idol's footsteps.

"What if it's the Joker himself back from the dead to reclaim vengeance?" asked Beast Boy while making zombie movements.

"Impossible," Draco denied. "There were reports of recovering his body and sending it to a morgue. An Orphenoch Gene activates immediately after death. I should know." Mortuary and Jinx nodded since they had witnessed it happening before.

"Yeah, you're right," Beast Boy sighed.

"What about Harley Quinn?" asked Raven. "Reports said she was his right hand girl. No one's heard from her recently."

"It's a lead anyway," Cyborg shrugged.

"But not much since we have no idea where to find her," Jinx said pessimistically. "She could be hiding out or dead."

As they were talking, Starfire walked into the room slowly while looking like she was about to cry. Silkie was at her feet but even the mutant silkworm's attempts at cuddling were ineffective.

"Starfire?" Shadow asked in concern as he noticed his 'sister', looking down. "What's wrong?"

"It is Robin," Starfire sniffed. "He has locked himself in his room again. He will not even talk to me. It is worse than when he obsessed over Slade!"

That was true. By nature, Robin was obsessive about his work. When he focused on his work, nothing else mattered, not even the people closest to him. He had good intentions but was like a cold and hard statue. He was meticulous and single minded. At certain times it was helpful but sometimes it hurt the people around him.

Pluto then came into the room, with a piece of paper in his hand. "I ran a chemical analysis on those ashes. Here's what I got." Cyborg hadn't had time to analyze the remains so Pluto did it for him. Shadow took the paper and read through the results.

"A laughing gas?" Shadow asked.

"Well, that's the main composition. It's supposed to trigger fits of uncontrollable laughter but there something else inside that I recognize as the same chemical Orphenoch secrete when trying to activate dormant Orphenoch Genes," Pluto explained. Draco's Orphenoch abilities had been studied a while back and it would appear that his own claws were coated in the same chemical that would activate an Orphenoch Gene. "The guy that was killed didn't have the gene so…"

"He crumbled to ashes," Draco finished. It was like a lottery. The odds were not always good when trying to create a new Orphenoch and it almost always resulted in death and instant cremation.

"We need to find this Orphenoch," Mortuary said seriously, his eyes glowing green with necroplasm, "And stop it." There were nods of agreement and murmurs.

"I got the paper," Blackfire said as she came in with the morning paper before slapping it onto the coffee table. "Looks what's on page one."

Raven picked it up and read the headline, "It says here that they found another pile of ashes and women's clothes. They also found a lone Joker card at the scene."

Mortuary growled, "That thing did it again."

"And right under our noses too," Renia stated.

"Looks like we need to tell Robin," Shadow said as he got up.

"I shall accompany you," Starfire volunteered.

* * *

Robin was in the gym. After leaving his room he decided to do some training to get his mind clear. Right now he was pummeling the sandbag with powerful punches and kicks. He was pounding on the thing hard that he barely noticed that someone had come in.

"Did the sandbag make you angry too?" Shadow said as he leaned against the doorway. Starfire was with him.

"What do you want?" Robin asked as he wiped the sweat off his brow.

"We got another murder," Shadow said. "We need you to help investigate."

"Go without me," Robin said, which surprised Starfire. "I'm too busy working on some leads."

"Are you really?" Shadow said as he approached the Boy Wonder. The two co-leaders stared at each other with cold intensity as Starfire watched on in concern. "When we found those man's remains, you reacted badly when we found the Joker card."

"It's nothing," Robin denied. "Now, can you leave?"

"We cannot," Starfire said, placing a hand on his shoulder. If anyone could get him to open up, it was Starfire. "You are hiding something. When you do you push others away." Robin turned away from her gaze as he shrugged her off.

"I'm not hiding anything," Robin said. "Now, leave me alone."

"We can't do that," Shadow said.

"Why not?" Robin demanded. "I need my space!" he said harshly.

"Because this case is bothering you and we need to know why. Obviously it has something to do with the Joker and we need-" Shadow's sentence was broken when Robin hit the sandbag hard, creating a loud thunderous noise. Starfire jumped in shock.

"Don't say that name," Robin growled. His body was trembling and he was sweating. The Joker…what had he done to Robin?

"He did something to you, didn't he?" Shadow asked. Robin looked away, saying nothing.

"Robin, what has this Joker done to you to make you shy away?" Starfire asked, almost pleadingly. Robin remained quiet.

"Let's go, Starfire," Shadow said, growing fed up. "We have work to do. Let's just leave."

"But…" Starfire began to protest but seeing the intensity in his eyes made her relent. She cast Robin one last look before floating after her friend.

As soon as they left, Robin fell to his knees and wiped the tears away from his masked eyes. He was trembling as he held himself. "No…not again…it can't be…"

* * *

"Another Orphenoch," Slade concluded as he read the paper and threw it onto the floor without a care. Copycat was with him. She telekinetically picked up the newspaper and read through it.

"Pile of dust found in clothes. Suspected to be remains of victim. Name Carrie Sutherland, age 20. Occupation…possibly a prostitute," Copycat said as she scanned the page. The picture of Carrie's clothes was in the front and judging by how little clothing Carrie wore before her unfortunate demise, it was clear how people would come to that conclusion. She wore something to attract men for sex and money. Disdainfully, she threw the newspaper aside. "Well, that's what you get when you sell your body and become some whore. You never know if your next client will be your last." She then said, "Another Orphenoch, huh?" They had enough Orphenochs to deal with already. One of them was a member of the Teen Titans. "You think it's one of Occultus'?"

"Maybe," Slade said, "Maybe not."

Copycat quirked an eyebrow, "What do you mean, Slade-sama?"

"Occultus doesn't appear the kind to condone something like this. When he wishes to make a statement using his Orphenochs, he usually does it at a much larger scale," Slade explained. Copycat nodded. Asakura and the Spider Orphenoch had been prime examples of masters of massacre and so were some of the others. "He likes to make it fast, make a statement to show the Orphenoch race's power. Murder like this seems more…mundane."

"Maybe this Orphenoch is working its way up," Copycat suggested as she tilted her head to the side. "Sooner or later we may see a larger body count. Stuff like this, bodies turning into clumps of dust, would definitely scare a lot of people."

"Too bad it isn't me," Slade said, gripping his fist. "Copycat, I want you to track down this Orphenoch, identify it and, if you can, bring it to me."

Copycat bowed, "Consider it done, Slade-sama."

To Be Continued…

So who is this new Orphenoch? Stay tune for more and please give me some good guesses.


	63. PT063: Traumatic

Part 63: Traumatic

"So you feel that Robin is hiding something?" Tazuka asked as he moved one of his chess pieces.

"Hai, I do," Ryuki nodded as he moved one of his pieces forward too.

Ryuki had gone out to take Brimstone out for a walk when they encountered Tazuka at the park, who was just doing what he did best when he used to be human. The disguised Arrancar was now playing a game of chess with Ryuki. Brimstone lay down next to the Dragon Knight, receiving an occasional pat on the head every few minutes. Ryuki was playing as the black side while Tazuka played white.

"Checkmate," Tazuka announced as he moved one of his pieces. Ryuki was surprised and checked the board to see that Tazuka had effectively trapped his King. He smiled.

"Good game," Ryuki acknowledged and his friend nodded. "So, what should we do about this? The Orphenoch running around has already killed two people, which we know of, and who knows how many before it even arrived here."

"Quite the conundrum," Tazuka said.

"Also, Robin is starting to act strange. I know he has secrets but if this Orphenoch is somehow connected to the Joker then he needs to give us information that can help us track this Joker copycat down."

"Don't you have an archive of super-criminals?" Tazuka asked.

"Hai, we do, but the Joker was erratic and unpredictable and this copycat is following in his footsteps. We need someone who has dealt with him before."

Tazuka looked thoughtful and then asked, "What makes you feel this is an Orphenoch copying the Joker? What if it's the Joker himself?"

Ryuki shook his head. "He's dead."

"So were you," Tazuka pointed out. "And so was I," he reminded, "Yet here we are, talking as if we were normal people."

Ryuki thought over Tazuka's words. He had a point, but then denied them by saying, "But the Joker can't be an Orphenoch. If he was then his Orphenoch Gene should have activated right then and there."

"But the Joker was also known to be unpredictable," Tazuka reminded. "What if he was just lying in waiting? What if his Orphenoch Gene took longer to become active? What if the Joker is this Orphenoch and not just some copycat?"

Ryuki thought over the questions. For some reason, the questions weren't so ridiculous after all. Just because his Orphenoch Gene had activated as soon as he had died, it took longer for it to manifest his powers. Could the Joker be the same? He had to tell the others his theory. "Tazuka-niisan, thank you."

"You're welcome," Tazuka smiled and then gave Ryuki a warning, "Tell Robin to be careful, alright?"

Ryuki nodded. If this was the Joker then he would go after Robin. Robin would know why. They still needed the information, though. "So, who else other than Robin knows about the Joker? Can you think of any?" Tazuka asked.

Ryuki tapped his chin and then his eyes opened widely. "Batman! We could ask Batman for the information."

"Good thinking, but would he give it to you?" Tazuka asked again, "And what about Robin? This would be considered going behind his back."

Ryuki frowned. "We can't think about that now. People are getting killed here."

Tazuka chuckled. "You haven't changed one bit, Ryuki-kun."

Ryuki's ears picked up on a familiar ringing sound and stood up, a look of seriousness etched on his face. Tazuka, though he could no longer hear the ringing, knew that look well. He offered, "I'll look after Brimstone for you."

Ryuki nodded, "Arigatou," before dashing towards the source of the ringing. He then entered a conveniently placed public bathroom and locked the stood in front of one of the mirrors. He pulled his Zodiac Dragon Deck out of his pocket and clutched it tightly in his hand as he held it out in front of him facing the mirror over the sink. His belt appeared and strapped itself around his waist. He then let out a single, "Henshin," before he slid the deck into the empty slot in front of his belt. "Empowerment of the Zodiac Dragon!" he called out and in a bright flash of red light was donned in his armor. The mirror in front of him rippled like water as he dove right through.

* * *

Renia was in her room, reading one of the many books she had that Rorek, her teacher, had given her. It was about the nature of the Pactio.

"A contract between a mage and his partner," she read, "It is a symbiotic relationship where they can assist one another in battle. At times, the mage can be left defenseless while reciting a spell, which may take time. Therefore, the partner will act as the mage's sword and shield." She sighed. "I wished I could get myself a partner."

The first name that came up in her mind was Mortuary's. She blushed as she pictured herself kissing him to initiate the Pactio. Although he had let her down gently, she still held feelings for the necroplasmic gunslinger. Of course, she just looked like a little kid and he saw her as nothing more than as a kid sister.

As a homunculus, there was a possibility that she would never age and would stay this way for good. Rorek was trying to find a way to make her fully human as was she. Sure she loved being able to regenerate her wounds and her crystal powers…but all that just reminded her of how she wasn't really human.

After a talk with Terra months ago, Renia realized that she truly did have a soul. She wasn't the recreation of a dead person made by Alchemy. She wasn't the shadow of another or even a freak. She was just Renia…Renia the Crystal Alchemist.

The Locust Inzecter leapt onto her shoulder and chattered and she rubbed it between the antennae with a singer finger. Though a machine, that little thing had turned out to become one of her closest friends. Her eyes then turned back to the book as she turned to another page. This time it told her how sometimes partners would eventually develop a relationship and then…marry.

Renia blushed when she read that passage and shut the book, chuckling nervously. She was trying not to picture herself being married to Mortuary but with little success.

* * *

Mortuary was presently out in the obstacle course, armed with his Deathbuster. As a target popped out of the ground, he aimed and fired, destroying it with a single shot. Another popped out behind him and he spun around before pulling his trigger, destroying it. He ran through the course, shooting all of the targets that popped up either with his Necro-blasts or Deathbuster shots. He didn't miss a single one. He was doing this for when they faced the Orphenoch.

Orphenochs. Ever since the Templars were killed he had held a deep hatred for their kind. However, he was also starting to realize that maybe not ALL Orphenochs were evil. Ryuki was an example and he had befriended the Ifrit Orphenoch. However, he was still worried about the 'what-ifs'. What if Draco turned against them? If that ever happened, Mortuary would be prepared.

Another target popped up and Mortuary's quick reflexes enabled him to get it with one accurate shot to the 'head'. It was over as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"How did I do?" he asked Terra who was at the controls and had monitored his training exercise. She threw him a towel and a bottle of water.

"Well, you got all of them," Terra said, "But…"

"But?" Mortuary asked as he took a sip.

"Don't you think the way you're fighting is a bit too violently? We're not looking to kill our enemies."

"Speak for yourself," Mortuary frowned. "When I get to this Orphenoch, it's gonna end up like the dust under my shoes."

Terra sighed. When concerning Orphenochs he was still so awfully vindictive. The Tower right now was on high alert, the crime scanners on waiting for anything. There hadn't been any major criminal activity other then the 'Mysterious Murders' as the media had started calling them. "Hey, Craig?"

"Yeah, Tara?"

"Do you think this Orphenoch is just someone trying to copy the Joker?"

"Maybe, I don't know," Mortuary shrugged, "But whatever the reason, it's going down. Why do you ask?"

"Robin's freaked out. He hasn't been leaving his room except to train and eat. And when he does he barely says a word to any of us." Terra frowned. "He's hiding something."

"We all are, Tara," Mortuary said. "We all got secrets we keep to ourselves."

"Well, Robin needs to tell us stuff about the Joker," Terra crossed her arms. "If this copycat is doing stuff the Joker does, then we have to be prepared."

"He will when he's ready."

"But _when_ will he be ready?"

Mortuary couldn't answer that. Robin was just as secretive as he was when it came to things dealing with his past. He only trusted Terra with this kind of information and also Draco. After their adventures when they had crossed over several dimensions, they had develop a close partnership. Although they disagreed on many things, they often put those aside and worked together as a unit to defeat their foes.

They did have conflicting views when dealing with Orphenochs though. Things had been quite tense since the incident involving Yuka the Crane Orphenoch. She had been sent by Occultus but then could not go forward with her orders. Maybe…just maybe…not all Orphenochs were bad as Draco had proven.

But right now, there was one bad Orphenoch out there that needed to be taken care of. He cocked his gun and said to Terra, "Set the course up again and this time I want those things to shoot back."

Terra said, "Okay, fine…" She sighed. Looks like Mortuary was going to have another trip to the infirmary.

* * *

Draco rolled out of the way of a spear strike from the monster before he got up in a kneeling position and shot a fireball at his adversary. It used the powerful shield attached to its arm to block before it charged straight at him. The monster possessed the physical characteristics of a bull and wore thick armor for skin. It was armed with a spear and a shield and looked pretty tough.

Well, maybe in the past a monster like this would've given Draco a lot of trouble, but not today. As the monster came at him he used the Power of Scorpio to turn into sand. The monster passed right through his sandy body as he shattered. It looked around in confusion as the sand reformed itself into Draco. A blade popped out of his Dragauntlet as he rushed at the monster from behind. It received several slashes in the back before it turned and bashed Draco away with its shield. Draco flew backwards but was able to land on his feet. He raised a fist and then opened his palm. "Freeze!" he shouted out before firing a freeze ray. It raised up its shield but the ice froze it and began creeping up its arm. Draco then used a blast of telekinesis to shatter the shield and also its forearm which had been frozen. Shards flew through the air as the monster bellowed in pain.

Now without its defensive weapon, Draco decided to go on the aggressive. He charged at the beast and began raining punches on its body. The armor began to dent and crack under the bombardment of fists before Draco landed a rather powerful kick to its torso to send it flying across the ground. Draco then teleported and reappeared behind the monster and waited for it to get in range before he used a high kick to send it into the air. It went up, and up and up, bellowing loudly as Draco stared at it. It the started coming back down.

"Time to finish this," Draco said as a bright light flashed in his hand before his Keyblade appeared in it. He then leapt up and cried out, "EXTREME SLASH!" before swinging his weapon down. He sliced the monster right in half and then landed back on the ground when it exploded just above him. He then stood up, satisfied that he had finished off his opponent.

He was about to turn and leave when he heard clapping and froze when he heard the clapper speak, "Nice battle, little brother."

He growled as he looked over his shoulder at his sister, "Copycat…"

Copycat raised an eyebrow and teased, "Oh, where's the love, otouto?"

Her question was replied with another question, "Why did you help Asakura?" followed by another, "Do you now how dangerous he was?"

"I did," she said, "And believe me, I remembered. He actually allied himself with the Gamemasters before he killed their leader, Striker."

Draco whirled around and glared at her, "So why did you let him out of the Mirror World? Didn't you know what he would do once he got out? I left him there for a reason!"

"It was unexpected that he turned into an Orphenoch," Copycat sighed. "How was I supposed to know?"

He retorted, growling, "For what he'd done, he should've been left to rot in the Mirror World."

Copycat was surprised at his words. But then after all these years in this war, she didn't really expect anyone to stay so naïve or optimistic, at least not for so long. She relaxed and her eyes went over to his weapon. "Nice weapon. It's called a Keyblade, right?"

Draco hadn't noticed but he was still holding the Keyblade. In a flash of light he banished it and crossed his arms. "So? What of it?"

"It's just…that weapon is quite remarkable." She paused, "But I can't remember how you even got it." He froze. "How did you get you get the Hyper Inzecter and your Hyper Mode?" She continued, "I've had lapses in memory before but nothing too severe like. I feel like a part of myself is lost and that weapon of yours is the key." Draco swallowed the saliva in his mouth nervously and she could feel that she was getting closer to the truth. Soon, she would know what had happened to her when she'd been sent flying across dimensions with him due to the Hyper Inzecter. "And, finally, where did you get that ChronoLiner thing?"

"How do you know about the Keyblade!?" Draco shouted out, surprising Copycat. Why was he so tense? Was he hiding something from her?

"Slade has spy equipment he lets me borrow from time to time. I just saw you summon that Keyblade and decided to see what was so special about it." She sighed, "But it looks like I won't be getting those answers, at least for now." She didn't want to fight. There was business to attend to. She then turned to walk away.

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to try and attack me like you do before?" he asked, bewildered by her behavior. Usually she would just attack him and ask questions later. She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him again.

"Slade-sama wants me to do something for him," she said and then added, "Oh, and say 'hi' to Tazuka for me. I really missed him too." With that, she once again turned on her heels and walked away.

Draco was worried now. She was starting to remember things. But he had locked those memories away with the Keyblade, hadn't he? If those memories ever resurfaced, then…

He didn't want to think of the consequences. He stared down on his hand as the armor was fizzling out. It was time to leave.

* * *

"You're going to call Batman, aren't you?" Raven asked. She was in the Smart Brain Special Ops room with Shadow and both were standing in front of the console. They were being patched into the Justice League's Network.

"Robin won't cooperate with us or tell us anything about the Joker," Shadow told her.

"But this is just a copycat," Raven said, not getting where Shadow was going with this.

"Exactly," Shadow said, "Which is why it is necessary that we get a hold on Batman and ask him about the Joker's Modus Operandi." He was waiting for someone to receive his call. "Where are they?"

"Maybe they're busy. You know how they handle nearly all global and intergalactic trouble," Raven reminded.

"At least there should be someone waiting for us," he said. Then, Mr. Terrific's face came on the screen. "Finally," Shadow hissed.

"This is the JL Watchtower. Who's calling?" Mr. Terrific asked.

"Shadowcobra of the Jump City Teen Titans," Shadow said, getting to the point, "We need to speak with Batman." Mr. Terrific shook his head.

"Sorry, but Batman can't be reached right now," Mr. Terrific apologized. Shadow's eyes narrowed.

"Why not?" Shadow demanded, fists clenched. "This is important! We need to speak to him, NOW!"

Mr. Terrific looked surprised at Shadow's anger but then relaxed. "Listen, Shadow, right now Batman is on an important assignment chasing after a lead and not even the League can reach him."

"So, when and how can we reach him?"

Mr. Terrific answered, "You might have to go to Gotham and find him yourself. He's tricky and always stays in the shadows so he may be a little hard to find."

Shadow smirked, "Oh…I think I will be able to find him." He then turned off the connection and looked to Raven.

"You're going to Gotham City, aren't you?" Raven asked.

"Tell the others I have an urgent meeting to get to. They'll understand," Shadow said. He then wrapped himself up in darkness. He was going to make a stop at Gotham.

* * *

Starfire stood outside Robin's door with Silkie in her arms. She had her hand up to knock but then let out a dejected sighed as she pulled her hand back and walked away.

Earlier, she had attempted to invite Robin to go out for a walk just so he could relax. He refused, strongly, before shutting the door in her face. He told her he was too busy and needed to work. This thing regarding the Joker copycat was having effecting Robin…just like Slade.

She had been quite hurt when he had pushed her away while he was obsessing over Slade. All she wanted was to help hut he would just ignore her and tell her that he could handle things alone.

They were a team, didn't he know that? He shouldn't be doing things alone. He should be able to confide in her, at least.

She wanted to comfort him, with a kiss or a hug, but in his current condition and his cold behavior he was very much unreachable. Maybe her sister could give her some advice? She had always done so in the past.

* * *

Gotham, it was always so dark even in the day due to the early fog rolling in. Then again, it was _Gotham_, home of the Dark Knight…The Batman. The Gothic exterior was his home and he became part of its gothic appearance.

A hired thug of Rupert Thorne was running in terror from something. In his bag were drugs he had been selling to kids in the slums. The kids would then begin stealing and robbing people to just get more of this highly addictive substance. It would boost their strength, eliminate their fears and morals, turning them into the perfect little criminals to boost Thorne's business.

The Dark Knight was none too happy. The thug looked up to see the shadow of Gotham's protector flying overhead and ran faster. He tripped over a garbage can and dropped his bag. Right now, the bag and the drugs meant nothing to him. Not even the loot inside the bag was his priority. Right now, he wanted to get as far away from the Bat.

He picked himself up and kept on running. Sweat of terror beaded on his face as he entered an abandoned building. He felt he had lost the Bat. He should've taken notice of the red eyes looking down at him from the rafters.

Batman picked up the bag and frowned. He looked around to see where he'd lost the thug. This was one thing he hated abut Thorne. The man could even get away with murder. In his hand was evidence that could put Thorne away for good but he also needed a confession from the thug. But, where was he?

He then heard something.

"Oh, no! Please! Let me go! Who are you!? Who are you!?" It sounded like the thug and he was being attacked by something. Batman followed the screaming and saw the thug

scrambling out of an abandoned building. He ran in Batman's direction, still looking over his shoulder and accidentally bumped into the Batman. He fell on his rear and Batman picked him up by his collar. The thug felt relieved upon seeing the Batman, which was something Batman was unfamiliar with when dealing with the criminal population.

"Oh, thank God!" the thug cried. "Please, Batman! Lock me up! I'll do anything! Just don't let it get me!"

The Batman looked down on the thug and then dragged him over to a lamppost before cuffing him. He then turned his attention towards the building and heard footsteps coming out. The thug turned hysteric and tried to pull away from the lamppost in terror but the cuffs held him there.

The dark figure walked out and turned his red eyes towards Batman. The thug paled when he saw those red eyes again. The figure then walked into the light, limited as it was, so that Batman could see him. Batman finally recognized him.

"Shadowcobra," Batman said, seeing the young man pull his collar down to reveal his face.

"Greetings, Batman," Shadow said. He cast the thug a look of pure evil and then he just passed out. Shadow grinned. "Ah, I love it when they do that."

"What are you doing here?" Batman asked. He didn't like anyone else interfering in_his_ city. Gotham was _his_ turf. He had plenty of help already.

"I'm here for some information," Shadow said, getting straight to the point with narrowed eyes, "About the Joker."

Batman growled at the mere mention of the name and turned around. "Follow me." He fired a grappling hook and it pulled him high into the air. Shadow then followed the Batman as he began roof hopping and swinging from one building to another. The police would come to find the thug with the drugs. It was a gift from the Batman.

* * *

Both Cyborg and Pluto were in the garage, working on the many vehicles in there, mainly their own. Cyborg was coating his 'baby' with some spray on Soul Metal that Pluto had provided him. It was artificially created, duplicating the Knights' own Soul Metal armor and highly durable like the real thing. It would take a lot more than a few bashes to dent the T-Car now. Also, the seats had been replaced with Soul Fiber and the wheels with Soul Rubber. Cyborg had asked Pluto why all the stuff had to have the word 'soul' in their names and Pluto had told him, "We put our heart and soul into making them. It seemed like the right term for it."

Pluto was upgrading some of the software and hardware on his own baby, the Blue Hound Mark II. The previous Blue Hound had been destroyed in a fight in one of their visits to Tokyo (see Volume 2) and it had taken him months to rebuild. It would've taken him sooner to rebuild it if he hadn't been distracted by his alien girlfriend and lover, Blackfire.

He considered himself the envy of all Sci-Fi geeks. While most of them could only fantasize and masturbate about the thoughts of making love to an alien female, he was actually doing it. He would howl to the moon about her and how great she was.

The Blue Hound Mark II had been built specifically for comfort as he and Blackfire had 'tested' it numerous times in the backseat. It was during those times that he was grateful to possess not only the brains of a (mad) genius but the looks of a male supermodel.

His eyes wandered over to Beast Boy's moped. He remembered how Cyborg had told him about a little upgrade he'd made on the T-Car to make more effective for battle. The only elaboration the cybernetic teen had given was, "If you thought the T-Robo was great, you ain't seen nothing yet!" Pluto just couldn't wait.

Things were becoming dangerous for the Titans and all of them needed upgrades. Slade had the stolen OMEGA Gear and was quite powerful, evident by their last encounter. Draco was barely able to hold him off.

When Pluto was done with the moped, Beast Boy would be eternally grateful to him. Now, if he could only find that wrench.

* * *

Both Batman and Shadow landed upon a tall building where you could see the entire city of Gotham from it. It was quite a view but Shadow was not interested in sightseeing, at least not today.

"Why do you want to know about the Joker?" Batman asked firmly. "He's dead."

"I know that, but right now in Jump City we have a killer who has a similar Modus Operandi," Shadow said. "All of his victims died laughing, literally." Batman's frown deepened.

"So you think it might be a copycat," Batman said.

"It might be a copycat, but I have reason to believe that there's more to this than it seems," Shadow said. "And I think you know something."

"Even if I do, why should I tell you? Dead or alive, the Joker is still my business," Batman crossed his arms.

"This concerns Robin…Tim," Shadow said. Batman immediately stiffened.

"He didn't send you, did he?" Batman asked. Shadow shook his head.

"I may be 3rd in command of the Titans, but I am also leader of my own team, the Knights," Shadow said. "With or without his permission, I will go out on my own for the good of my team."

Batman could see similarities between himself and Shadow. Maybe he could give him the information. "He's been having those nightmares again, hasn't he?"

"Nightmares? Yes, he has mentioned them, but had not described them to me. Starfire is worried as well as the others. He's locked himself in the room when this case just came about. It all started when he saw that 'Joker' card."

Batman's eyes narrowed at the mention of the word 'Joker' but remained silent.

"I don't like clowns, never did and never will, but this Joker is on a whole different level." Shadow went on, "The Joker did something to Tim, didn't he? That's why you killed him."

"I didn't kill the Joker," Batman said.

"Then if it wasn't you then…" Shadow then realized it. "It was Tim." Batman didn't answer but his silence confirmed Shadow's conclusion. "What did the Joker do to Tim?"

"Aren't you the mind reader?" Batman retorted. Shadow hissed.

"I prefer not to go sneaking around a person's mind," Shadow said. "Right now, I need you to tell me EVERYTHING!"

Batman relented, "You care about Robin, don't you?"

"And so does Starfire, which is why I am doing this."

"Very well," Batman said. "It all started a few years ago when Robin was 14. He went on patrol alone and…"

* * *

Beast Boy was sitting in the common room with Terra. The two of them were watching cartoons when the television suddenly cut out. "What?" cried Beast Boy. The TV flickered back on, but the show was different. It now looked like the backdrop for a circus. Suddenly a man appeared on the screen. He had a clown-like appearance, including bleached white skin, red lips, and green hair. He wore a purple suit with a flower attached. No matter who you were, everyone knew who he was.

The Joker…

"Hello, my fans," he said giddily. "Your old pal Joker here with a little message for your pals, the Teen Titans. I challenge you little Titans to find me." A large timer lowered behind the Joker showing a flashing 24:00. "If you can't find me within the next 24 hours, I'll make sure everyone in your precious town goes out with a nice big smile... Toodles!" The Joker began laughing insanely as the timer began counting down.

"ROBIN!!" Beast Boy yelled out as he ran towards the alarm button and smashed him palm onto it, "EMERGENCY!!"

* * *

Shadow had listened intently to Batman's story and his eyes widened. It all made sense now. The terror, the nightmares, locking himself in his room, pushing the others away…

Shadow let out, realizing the truth now, "He was tortured."

"His mind was nearly destroyed by what Joker did by the time I got there. I was too late. Joker turned Tim into a little duplicate of himself. However, when the Joker ordered Tim to kill me, Tim came through and…Joker was electrocuted and I confirmed that he was dead. I then sent Tim to an old friend of mine to be treated psychologically and he eventually got better."

"But he never really did get better, did he?" Shadow asked. That kind of trauma could not be forgotten anytime soon, no matter how much someone tried. He knew that for a fact.

Batman continued, "He still wanted to continue being Robin but I wouldn't let him. We had a fight and he then left."

"And then he met the others and started the Teen Titans," Shadow finished. He paused for a second before saying, "Tim never killed the Joker."

"What?" Batman demanded when he saw Shadow looking at him and he felt like the Snake Knight was looking deep into his soul.

"Tim never really did kill the Joker, did he? The Joker didn't die from electrocution, did he?"

Batman sighed. "How did you guess?"

"I can 'feel' when someone is lying. Comes with practice. I know that the Joker was electrocuted but that did not kill him, did it?"

"No," Batman shook his head. "I only told Tim the Joker was dead. He was actually comatose and put in Arkham. He was in there for 3 years on life support."

"For all the things he'd done, they should've pulled the plug," Shadow said with a cold edge in his voice.

"Well, the doctors of Arkham believe that their inmates are not responsible for their actions and can be cured, the Joker included. I had no choice but to let them do what they felt was best."

"But then the Joker really did die when the life support failed so they bagged up his body to be sent to the morgue," Shadow finished up. "But his body disappeared." He then added, "And what you found at the scene was ash and the clothes of some of the staff and personnel in Arkham Asylum."

Barman was surprised. How did Shadow know about _that_? "How did you find out?" Batman asked, hiding his emotions. In fact he was impressed by Shadow's deduction skills.

"It was just a suspicion, but from what you told me, it is now confirmed," Shadow crossed his arms. It all made sense now. Batman decided not to pry. He would find out more eventually. As he had observed, Shadow was really good at keeping secrets and would not blab even if he was being tortured.

Batman then said, in a soft fatherly tone, "Shadow, as his friend, please keep him safe. If this is really the Joker, then I'm afraid that…" his words were interrupted by Shadow's communicator beeping. "That sounds urgent."

Shadow flipped his SNK-Phone open and stared at the screen. He hissed and closed his eyes. "It is…"

* * *

Blackfire and Jinx were in the hex caster's room and having some girl-talk about their respective loves when they heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Jinx said and the door opened to reveal a pathetic looking Starfire holding Silkie. She would usually just float right in but her feet were planted on the ground. Blackfire didn't like seeing her little sister like this.

"Star, what's wrong?" Blackfire asked. As if she didn't know.

Starfire sat on the bed and laid Silkie down in her lap before crying, "Oh, sister, I am worried for Timothy deeply." Starfire sniffled, "He will not even leave his room when I call him."

"So, the bird-boy is nesting," Blackfire shrugged. "It's not the first time, right?"

Starfire remembered the times before in the past but then shook her head, "No, this is different. It feels like he doesn't even trust me."

"Typical guys," Jinx sighed. "Not willing to open up. Thank goodness my man doesn't have that kind of problem." Blackfire elbowed her lightly. "Oh, sorry."

Starfire shook her head as she petted Silkie, who gurgled happily at her touch. "It is alright. I know you do not mean anything by it." She paused, "It's just so frustrating when he does this."

"Well, for me, it usually takes me beating Pluto up before he can actually talk to me," Blackfire said. "He's not a touchy-feely kinda guy, you know."

Jinx admitted, "And, well, it took me awhile too when I wanted to know more about Ryuki's past." Ryuki was able to talk to her easily about the positive aspects but it was harder just talk about the more painful parts of his life, like losing his best friend and the many lives he had failed to save. Most of all, he had a hard time just talking about when he'd lost control of his Orphenoch side. Not one of his proudest moments. "But, it's not just a guy problem. We girls don't talk much about our pasts either."

Blackfire totally agreed with Jinx. She then began talking to Starfire in their native tongue.

"_Starfire, have you told him about…_" Blackfire began and Starfire shook her head.

"_No, I have not_," she said. Her own past had been painful too and it was surprising how she had turned from a savage warrior into the kind gentle girl she was now. She did still have a mean streak. Kitten saw it first hand. "_But I will soon._"

Suddenly, the alarms blared as the light flashed red.

* * *

"Dudes! It was the Joker! He was on TV!" Beast Boy yelled out as he flailed his arms around in the panic. All the Titans, except for Shadowcobara, had conjugated into the living room, responding to the emergency alarm. Robin stiffened at the announcement.

"That's impossible," Mortuary said. "The Joker's dead."

"I saw him too," Terra said, backing Beast Boy up.

"There's just one way to solve this," Pluto said. "T.I.T.A.N., playback the transmission!" Pluto had programmed T.I.T.A.N. into recording all TV programming everyday for 24 hours each day and then saving them into large file folders within the supercomputer. T.I.T.A.N. complied and replayed the message for all to see.

The other Titans were shocked to see the Harlequin of Hate but the reaction of Robin was much worse. His eyes were wide as dinner-plates as his skin turned as pale as a ghost. His body was shaking as he backed away.

"Robin?" Starfire said, noticing as Robin was shaking in fear and terror with his eyes fixated on the face of the Joker. "Robin! You're shaking!" she exclaimed and the others tore their eyes away from the screen and straight at the cowering Boy Wonder. He was usually so confident but right now…he looked like a scared little child.

"No, it can't be!" Robin let out, almost hysterically, "He's dead! HE'S DEAD!" The Joker on screen let out a maniacal laugh and Robin immediately turned towards the door and ran. However, his exit was blocked by a barrier of darkness as black shadow chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around him, trapping him. Robin struggled, not wanting to face the Joker on screen when Shadow phased out of the floor.

"Robin, calm down," Shadow said.

"Let me go! LET ME GO!" Robin demanded loudly, struggling even harder.

"Those chains won't break so easily. Stop this now before you hurt yourself," Shadow ordered.

"What's wrong with Robin?" Beast Boy asked. "He's freaking out!"

"He's scared," Raven said plain and simple as she could sense the fear coming off Robin in waves. She could drown in that kind of fear.

"Robin, please…control yourself," Starfire begged. "Calm down."

Shadow said to Robin, "Tim, I know what the Joker did to you." Robin's eyes widened and focused on Shadow. "But we need you to be our leader. So, you need to trust us. Tell us what he did to you…or _I_ will."

Robin had no escape but the truth. He didn't want to tell them but right now he had no choice as they were all looking at him. Robin relaxed and Shadow loosened the chains holding him and then reabsorbed them into his own shadow. He cast Shadow a glare and then stood in the centre of the Titans' attention, to tell them about the most traumatic time in his past.

What they heard…it chilled them to the bone.

"Dear Azar…" Raven let out. She remembered seeing something like this in his mind during the 'Haunted' incident but never got an explanation. Tears were streaming from Starfire's eyes as she stepped forward to hug Robin and comfort him. The others held feelings of either shock or anger directed towards the Joker. This was no man…it was a monster.

Jinx could sympathize with Robin. She too had been tortured in the past. Though the time Robin spent being tortured had been a lot shorter than hers, it still didn't make it any less traumatizing. That kind of trauma could change someone.

Beast Boy decided to try to calm down the tense situation and said, "Well, I guess this explains why you freaked out when you saw those clowns at the carnival, huh?" He had tried to make a joke, but nobody felt like laughing. Neither did him as his ears drooped.

Renia wasn't sure what to think. Robin didn't seem like someone who had gone through such horrible torture, but people never appeared as they seemed. Robin did seem pretty reluctant to talk about his past. Well, now she understood why. To go through something like that…for two whole weeks…must've been horrible.

"But…" Robin spoke weakly. "The Joker's dead…Bru-Batman told me."

"He didn't die when he was electrocuted," Shadow relayed, "Just comatose. Arkham Asylum put him on life support for who knows why."

"So…he's alive," Robin realized." He clutched his head, "My God, this can't be happening."

"It gets a lot worse," Draco frowned. "I think that the Joker and this Orphenoch are one and the same."

The others looked at him with shock written on their faces.

"Oh, man…" Beast Boy groaned. "That _is_ bad news."

"Draco is right," Shadow said. "Joker died recently and when his body was being taken to the morgue, it vanished, leaving only the clothes of some staff and ash. Sound familiar?"

Mortuary nodded, "Evidence of an Orphenoch attack."

Blackfire grimaced, "As if we didn't have enough problems.

All eyes turned towards Robin. They needed him to lead them, now, more than ever. He then opened his mouth and said…

To Be Continued…


	64. PT064: Echoes from the Past

Part 64: Echoes from the Past

Robin held his head down and said, miserably, "I'm sorry, Titans…I can't." The others were shocked to hear such words coming from Robin. Usually he'd be excited about going on a mission, but now…he didn't sound like the Robin they knew.

Shadow frowned and replied, "I'm sorry too." He sent into Robin's mind, '_Robin, I thought you were our leader. I expected you to be able to face the Joker. You've faced a lot of psychotic villains, Slade included. You barely bat an eye at a dragon or flinched when facing demons. But, when it comes to a glorified rodeo clown, you just give up? I'm disappointed in you._' Robin heard every word in his head but gave no response. Shadow was right, though his words were harsh.

Shadow looked at all the Titans and said, "Listen, we all have 24 hours to find the Joker before he executes his plan. Judging from his message, I suspect that he has a device that will release his deadly 'Joker Gas', and since he's an Orphenoch now, that gas may also turn every person in this city into." He ordered, "Pluto, you'll stay here with Blackfire. We need you to scan for where that transmission came from and also find the location of the device. Blackfire, I want you to guard Robin. The Joker might come for him."

"Got it," Pluto nodded. "But T.I.T.A.N. can handle _one_ Orphenoch," the Dog Knight said confidently. "But, they're your orders, Scaleface." Shadow smirked.

"May I volunteer to stay as well?" Starfire offered. Shadow gave her a look and she in return gave him a pleading look. She wanted to protect the one she loved. She also had a copy of her Pactio card just incase things got a little too extreme.

Sighing, Shadow said, "Fine." He then said, "They'll be two teams. One team will track down the Joker and the other will track down his device. The team to find the Joker will be…" His eyes scanned the group, "Me, Raven, Draco, Jinx, and Mortuary." He added, "And the team to track down that device will be Terra, Beast Boy, Renia and Cyborg. You 4 will shut down the device." He finished and they all nodded in response. "We all have less than 24 hours to stop the Joker so there is no time to waste. Titans, let's go!" the Titans all headed out of the room. Shadow cast Robin and Starfire one last look before heading out with the others.

* * *

Libra stood atop a building looking over the city. One of the many JumboTrons in the city had displayed the Joker's message. It had the desired effect of putting everyone in the city into a panic. People were evacuating their homes, trying to save what little possessions they had and their families. He couldn't really blame them. Humans were naturally afraid of death, but when they were told that they would die in less than 24 hours then panic would set in and followed by chaos.

Libra knew he couldn't interfere. He had done so several times and had paid for it, but he felt that he couldn't just let these people suffer.

He sighed and vanished. Sometimes being a neutral party sucked. It meant that he couldn't interfere even if he wanted to.

* * *

Starfire was walking Robin towards his room. The Boy Wonder sighed and said, "You're disappointed in me, aren't you?"

Starfire shook her head and replied, "It was surprising and upsetting to see you decline from a mission, especially a mission to stop the one who had wronged you."

"Starfire," Robin began, "If you could understand what he did to me….He tortured me, physically and mentally. He warped me into his little toy, modeled after him."

"Much like Slade did."

Robin fell silent and said, "Yeah, but Slade would never do anything like the Joker." Starfire knew he was right. After hearing about what the Joker had done to her beloved Robin, she had enough righteous fury to go and find the Joker herself and administer divine justice in the name of her beloved. It took all her willpower, but she had to stay and protect Robin. The Joker was not known to give up on anything. He was obsessive, like Slade, and 10 times as psychotic without any qualms whatsoever.

Starfire and he entered his room and sat on the bed. "Robin, why have you not told us of this before?" she asked.

"I…I just couldn't, Star," Robin said, clenching his fists on his knees. "I just, couldn't. It was too painful and well…" He began to tremble and then she wrapped her arms around him to calm him down. "Thanks, Kori."

"Timothy," she said, using his real name. "You have not been totally truthful with us about your past. I do know the need to keep secrets, but I thought you would have at least trusted me enough to tell me." Robin looked away but Starfire took his chin and turned him to face her. "But, I have not been so truthful myself either. There are a lot of things about myself I have yet to share as well."

"What do you mean, Kori?" Robin asked.

"Timothy, I told you before that Tamaraneans can transfer knowledge like language through lip contact," she reminded and he nodded, learning about that fact when they had been to Japan. "Well, did you know that Tamaraneans may also transfer knowledge to other beings through the same process?"

"They can?" Robin asked, surprised. Starfire closed her eyes.

"What I am about to show you and allow you to learn may shock you, but my past has not been, as you earthlings say, a bed of roses." Without warning, she darted forwards and kissed him.

Of course, to Robin, this wasn't just a normal kiss. When their lips had made contact, Robin saw images in his mind.

He was seeing her memories…all of them, up until she met him and the Titans and onwards.

When they broke apart, Robin was gasping to breathe.

"Starfire, why?" he asked, regarding her memories. He knew she had loved him but he never thought it had been since the day they met. Also, he saw a painful part in her childhood.

"Before I was captured by the Gordanians and was about to be taken to the Citadel," she began her explanation, "I was originally taken as a slave along with several of my people. I had only been a child and was forced by the Gordanians to work. When I grew to maturity, they attempted to…" she couldn't say it, but he'd seen it in her mind. They had molested her and then had tried to rape her. "I was finally able to escape and release my people along with the other slaves before returning to Tamaran. There I found that my parents had died and my sister and brother were nowhere to be found. I led another attack against the Gordanians but was captured once more to be given as a prize to the Citadel. The rest, you know, is history."

Robin had come to realize that all of them had traumatizing lives. He had seen her memories and not all of them were pleasant. Her words had also confirmed that those memories were true and just as a painful. Starfire spoke, "Timothy, what have you learnt from my memories?"

Sensing his distress, Brimstone padded into the room and rested its head on Robin's lap. The Boy Wonder then began rubbing the demon dog's head.

What had he learnt from her?

* * *

Shadow was flying through the air with Raven by his side, in his Zodiac Armor, as he scanned the area they were in for any signs of the Joker.

"I heard what you said to Robin in his mind," Raven said, a bit disapprovingly, "You were a bit harsh."

"But I was right," he retorted. Raven sighed. He was right. She did agree with some of the things he'd said, but he could have worded it all out a bit better due to the circumstances.

"Yeah, but you could've at least been a little more sympathetic. This Joker did do a number on him," Raven reminded her fiancé.

Shadow sighed and said, "We all have to face our worse fears. When we do we can finally move on. I've done it and so did Draco and the rest of us. Now, it's Robin's turn. If he can face Slade and Trigon, he _can_ face the Joker."

"Even so, the Joker did torture him. That kind of trauma lasts forever," she said.

He looked forwards, "I'm going to fly up ahead and do a psychic scan. Maybe I can find the Joker first."

"We're a team, Shadow," she said, cautiously, "Don't go off on your own."

He gave her a smile, "I won't, luv." He then flew up ahead.

On the streets, Draco and Jinx were having trouble going through the crowds. People were panicking and for good reason. The Joker was a known psychopath and his infamy was notorious. With his message being transmitted to all televisions, it was complete pandemonium. Police were trying to do crowd control but they could do little to alleviate the panic and chaos.

"How are we supposed to find the Joker in this mess?" Jinx asked, hands on her hips. She watched as people scrambled for their belongings as they were making their way out of town. "It's just chaos over here." On her shoulder, the Scarab Inzecter chattered in agreement.

"Just like how the Joker might like it," Mortuary said. "He takes pleasure out of causing pain. He sees it like a joke."

"I've always thought clowns were funny. Looks like there are some exceptions, huh?" Draco remarked as he looked into his DRA-Phone. "Pluto still hasn't given us anything new." Mortuary looked at his tracker too.

"Tracker's still blank when I tried to find the Joker, _if_ he is even an Orphenoch," Mortuary said, casting Draco a look. The tracker was only detecting Draco, the only Orphenoch in the immediate area.

"Can't you boost the signal or something?" Jinx asked impatiently.

"Well, I could, but then I'd fry my tracker," Mortuary huffed, holding the Harker Tech Orphenoch Tracker at her. "These things aren't easy to make or come cheap."

"Well, if you were looking for Draco, I bet you could!" Jinx glared. "Was it his DNA you used to make it? I mean, you did need a DNA sample, right?" Mortuary looked away. "Hah, I knew it! You were making it specifically to track Draco, weren't you?"

"Minna, yamette kudasai (Everyone, please stop)!" Draco cried out. "We're on a mission here! This no time to be arguing!" Jinx and Mortuary crossed their arms and looked away from each other. Sighing, Draco checked his DRA-Phone again. "Pluto should've found the source of the signal by now. What's taking him so long?"

* * *

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Pluto cursed as his fingers flew over the keyboard at impressive speeds. He was in the Smart Brain Special Ops room in the Tower and sitting in front of the console. He was using the equipment to scan for the source of the transmission and had gotten nothing but a blank. "How is this even possible!? I'm a freaking genius! Signals don't just vanish like that! There has to be some residual waves or something to get a lock on!" Pluto had been ordered to stay in the Tower to find the Joker and his Joker Gas device. So far he had gotten nothing, nada, zilch! He gripped his fists and they crackled with electricity. The stress and frustration was getting to him.

Blackfire walked in and said, "Puppy, you need to calm down." She hated seeing him so stressed. She had confidence in his skills and intelligence but right now it would seem like he could blow at any second.

"There's no way a clown can beat me!" Pluto growled as he scanned the entire city. "No way and no how!"

Blackfire pondered and suggested, "Maybe he has a jammer or a cloaking device?" Pluto blinked and looked up at her, eyes wide.

"WHY didn't I ever think of that!?" he yelled out before jumping out of his seat and engulfing her in a hug. "You're the best, babe!" He kissed her cheek. Blackfire smiled as she hugged him back. He then activated the communications link and spoke into his microphone, "Guys, Blackfire and I just figured out that the Joker must've used some sort of jammer to jam our scanners. That's why we can't get a lock on him. He may be even using a cloaking device to mask his location. Maybe if I can find some sort of electromagnetic energy signature being concentrated somewhere, I might be able to find him."

"_That's good. Keep us posted_," Shadow replied, his face appearing on the screen and Pluto's visor. "_How's Robin?_"

Blackfire replied, "He's with Starfire. She's guarding him right now."

"_We can't let the Joker in the Tower. If we don't find him, he may be on his way there. Keep a vigilant eye. Shadowcobra out_." He sighed off.

Pluto sighed as he sat down on his chair. "Man, this Joker guy must be one bad hombre."

"You can say that again. This guy is just more warped than Slade and Copycat," Blackfire agreed.

"I bet you that he and Asakura would get along just fine or try to kill each other," Pluto joked to try and lighten the mood. He then sighed, "I guess I can understand how Robin feels. What the Joker did to him made him feel powerless."

"And he hates feeling powerless, huh?" Blackfire said.

"That's right," Pluto nodded. "I mean, he's the only one here who doesn't have any kind of super powers or enhancements. I can relate."

"You can?" Blackfire asked curiously.

Pluto explained, "Before I got my Zodiac Powers, all I had was my genius IQ. I wasn't much of a fighter but I was able to hold off bullies. Kids usually stirred clear of me because I was so smart and looked a bit weird to them."

"I can relate," Blackfire said. She was the only black-haired Tamaranean with purple eyes so she received plenty of stares and not because she was royalty.

"And I couldn't do anything to change their mind. That's why I started to become a flirt and a Casanova," Pluto added and then continued, "It worked. I had an identity. Girls would clamor over me and I was the envy of all the boys."

Blackfire smirked. Pluto, she knew, was still a flirt but he was now only using his lines on her. She liked hearing them, no matter how cheesy they were. They made her feel special. "But…I didn't feel like myself." He then continued, "Again I felt powerless since I had become a different person. Then came the accident and…" he gritted his teeth, "And there was nothing I could do to stop it. My mind goes blank whenever I saw my mother in that coma. I can't even think straight or find a way to help her."

"I guess you and Robin have that in common. Sometimes you both just feel powerless," Blackfire observed. She knew Pluto had issues. He had talked to her about them. Pluto wiped a tear away and decided to scan for any EM wave signatures. It would take a while to recalibrate the scanner but Pluto here was a genius. Shadow and Draco acknowledged it, despite the Snake Knight's reluctance to admit it.

"Okay, time to find this clown and bust him," Pluto said as his fingers began flying all over the keyboard rapidly. "I'm calling Cyborg too to give him the heads up."

* * *

"Cloaking and jamming tech, huh?" Cyborg inquired through the radio. "Yeah, I figured as much. Don't worry, Plutes. I'm scanning for any EM wave signatures now. Cyborg out." Cyborg, Beast Boy and Renia were in the T-Car while Terra flew above them on one a boulder via geokinesis.

Beast Boy was riding shotgun and asked, "This is gonna take all night, isn't it?"

"Well, we were given 24 hours to find this clown," Renia answered. "So I guess, yeah."

"Aw…man…" Beast Boy groaned. "There goes my beauty sleep."

"Like it would work anyway," Renia joked. "Worry about your beauty sleep later, BB. We got a job to do."

"She's right, grass-stain," Cyborg added. "Keep your eyes and ears opened. We gotta find that device or else people are going to die laughing, literally."

"Yeah, I got that," Beast Boy gave him a thumb's up. "I didn't forget."

Renia leaned back in her seat and said, "Y'know, it's funny."

"What is? The fact that Robin won't come along with us?" Beast Boy shuddered. "That Joker did a number on him. Heck, I know I'd be scared."

"Well, there's that, and also why you're all following Shadow," Renia stated, "I mean, Cyborg's second in command. Isn't he supposed to be in charge when Robin can't?"

"Well…" Cyborg began, "You know Shadow has a lot of leadership experience. He **is** Commander of the Deathtron Secret Police if you remember, one of them at least."

"You got a point, but why follow a guy who has a lot of secrets?" Renia asked. "I mean, how can you trust him?"

"I guess, even with all those secrets, we know we can trust him," Cyborg shrugged. "Plus he's our friend. And, well…he's scary!"

"Scary?" Renia quirked an eyebrow. Shadow didn't seem too scary to her. Then again, maybe it was because she was a Homunculus so that left little reason for her to fear anything.

"If you were there, you'd understand too," Beast Boy told her. "And I thought I knew what scary was when we met Raven." Shadow did make quite an impression on them. Last Halloween, he'd been in charge of the decorations, making the Tower into a REAL haunted house.

"Well, even if Shadow wasn't leading, we still have a job to do. That device might be guarded too and if Joker's an Orphenoch, he has some working for him too," Cyborg said. They had been told of what an Orphenoch was capable of. Siring was an ability they all shared even if it did have a high rate of failure. Despite that, there was still a small chance for an Orphenoch to sire someone with the gene.

Renia contemplated. On her lap, the Locust Inzecter looked up at her. She knew that little device wanted to fight. She patted its head with a finger and said, "When we get there, we van bust some heads. I promise." The little Inzecter seemed to have understood and bounced excitedly.

Terra floated down and flew alongside the T-Car. "Got anything?" she asked. The Cutter Inzecter was clutching to her shoulder, clicking its mandibles. "Because Cutter here can't wait until we get to fight."

"Well, Pluto thinks the device is cloaked, so that's why we can't get a reading," Cyborg told her. "He did say we should find any EM wave readings instead just incase. If we find that, we find the device."

"Good," Terra nodded. "Because I don't want to see the city go into mass hysteria."

"Too late," Beast Boy said. "People are already evacuating the city." He pointed ahead, "And it looks like we're in the middle of it." There was a traffic jam in front of them with people desperate to get out of the city. Police were trying to calm the situation down and direct them out safely. It didn't seem to work.

"OK, I guess this Joker really has one nasty sense of humor," Renia said.

"You got that right," all three older Titans said in unison.

* * *

After hours of searching, Pluto's work had finally paid off as he was finally able to pinpoint the two signals. "Yeah, I got them!" On the map, one signal emanated from the amusement park. The other signal was situated at an old abandoned toy factory. They appeared to be ideal places for the Joker to set up shop.

"That's great!" Blackfire said excitedly. She had full confidence in her boyfriend's abilities, despite his numerous failures, and it appeared that her encouragement had paid off coming from the smile on his face.

"OK, now to call the others!" he tapped into the communications link.

"Hello, Pluto, sister," Starfire greeted. She entered the Special Ops room to see Pluto hard at work at the console diligently. She could see the display of the entire city's map and two red dots flashing. "So, you have found the locations of the Joker and his device?"

"Sure did!" Pluto grinned as he looked at the red haired princess. "The Joker is going down! No way can he hide from the greatest genius in the world!" Pluto may not have been very modest, but right now he had every right to brag.

"Glorious!" Starfire cheered. "I shall go tell Tim immediately!" She then flew back to Robin's room to tell him the good news. It was nice to see her smiling. Maybe she could get Robin to relax more.

'_Was that Kori?_' Shadowcobra's voice came through the com-link. '_She sounded happy._'

"Oh, she just got some good news, but I think Pluto can tell you that," Blackfire spoke.

* * *

"_Shadow, I got the coordinates and sending them to you guys now_," Pluto reported through Shadowcobra's SNK-Phone. The coordinates appeared on the viewing screen of his phone. Shadowcobra was surprised, but then again Pluto had grown to become more competent than when he originally met him.

"So, Pluto knows where the broadcast came from?" Raven inquired. Shadow smirked at her.

"Yes, he does." Shadow added, "The others are going to meet us there."

* * *

"Brace yourselves!" Cyborg called out as he hit the accelerator. Renia was pressed up against her seat as the T-Car went fast, REALLY FAST! Luckily, they were in an area where traffic was pretty much nonexistent. The people living in this area must've cleared out of town fast.

"Cyborg, is this really necessary!?" Renia yelled out, clutching the upholstery for dear life. Her Inzecter hopped into her jacket. "You're going WAY too fast!"

"Hey, we're running out of time, so yeah!" Cyborg yelled back. "Beast Boy, don't you dare get slobber on my new paintjob!"

Beast Boy morphed back from a dog and pulled his head back in. "Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted…" he sighed.

"Hey, guys!" Terra shouted. "Wait up!" She was chasing after them on her boulder. "I can't go that fast!" Well, unless she was in her Cutter Speed Mode armor but she didn't have that luxury at the moment. The Cutter Inzecter was clutching to her jacket by its pinchers so that it wouldn't fly off.

* * *

Copycat leapt from rooftop to rooftop, looking for anything that might lead to the Joker. She had brought her CAT-Phone along to keep in touch with Slade and the others.

When Slade had sent her out, Copycat could see that the city was in an uproar due to a message from a clown. Well, said clown was infamous and his message created the appropriate effect of causing panic, chaos and pandemonium. She knew Slade didn't like it one bit. This was _his_ city. The Joker should just return to Gotham and stay out of Jump.

So far she had nothing, until…

"_Shadow, I got the coordinates and sending them to you guys now_," Pluto's voice came through. Apparently, she had hacked into the Titans' communications link and was listening in on them, spying on them, listening to their every word and watching their every move. The screen on her phone displayed the map as well as the coordinates.

She purred under her helmet as her eyes glowed red, "Excellent…" In an instant, her form vanished as she teleported. If anyone was going to get the Joker it would be her and she would stop his device. It would be fun to cause Joker's little 'joke' to backfire.

All this was for her beloved 'Slade-sama' who had become her father and mentor. Not to mention, Rosey and Cathy, two of the most important girls in her life.

* * *

Brimstone was studying Robin curiously with his glowing yellow eyes as the Boy Wonder continued to hold himself. Kori's life story had somehow struck a cord in him. Despite all the hardships in her life, Starfire appeared so innocent and full of life. He finally realized that it had just been a mask. Then again, he had seen her before when she had been just a savage warrior, roaring, growling and snarling as she nearly destroyed the city in an effort to remove her handcuffs. He had moved to Jump to get away from Bruce. Bruce wanted him to stop as soon as he finished his therapy sessions. However, Tim was just as stubborn and after an argument between them, Tim packed up and left. They hadn't kept in touch much except through Alfred who relayed message between the two.

Silkie had crawled into his room, obviously looking for its mistress and followed the scent into Robin's room. Brimstone motioned for the mutant worm to come closer. Both pets had gained an understanding and become friends, despite them nearly trying to eat each other at some point during their first meeting. Brimstone had been just a small puppy back then but now he was the size of a full grown Doberman. The others who had gone to Azarath knew how big a Kaiser could be when they saw the Alpha that Draco had defeated

The door slid open as Starfire flew into his room and hugged him. Surprised by this, he hugged her too. He then looked at her in bewilderment. "Starfire?" he asked, "What's going on!"

"Oh, Pluto has found where the Joker and his device are!" she cheered. "Now they are going to confront and stop him."

Robin frowned. No way was it going to be this easy. It was the Joker they were dealing with and if he knew the Joker like he remembered than the Joker had hidden the real 'punch line' to his 'joke' and was waiting to launch it.

He just hoped his friends would realize that before it was too late.

* * *

"You sure this is the place?" Draco asked, uncertainly, as he stared up at the building.

"Pluto said the signal led to here," Shadowcobra told him. He couldn't understand why Draco was being so apprehensive. Then again, the sign was quite intimidating. It looked like a clown, after all.

All 5 of them (Shadowcobra, Raven, Draco, Jinx and Mortuary) were standing in front of an old abandoned toy factory. It had been left for years and looked like something out of the Wicked Scary series. Paint was chipped off and graffiti 'decorated'. The eerie and dark atmosphere made it look like the perfect place for Joker to set up shop with the taste he had, the clown face staring at them with an unnatural large lopsided grin.

The factory had been closed down for years. Apparently, there was a scandal. Parents had complained about dangerous toys that had been a health hazard to children. There was media coverage on the issue as well. With all the complaining parents and bad publicity, sales dropped and eventually the factory had to be closed down for the sake of the children. Many people lost their jobs as a result of this but they had recovered by finding new ones.

Shadow was not a clown fan. He'd had several bad birthday parties in the past when his mother had hired a clown. The makeup, big red nose, colorful costumes and big feet just seemed so…unnatural to him. It had imprinted upon him as a phobia that lasted throughout most of his childhood. Now, he was no longer afraid of clowns but instead loathed them with a passion. That day when they had gone to the Black Clown, he was half tempted to beat up the clown passing out balloons as well as destroy the clown on the sign. He knew his brother Devlin would've done just that. The boy was also violently afraid of clowns.

One day, he would buy this property and refurbish it into something a little more pleasant. Maybe provide new jobs for people. As a business man, he could not ignore possible future business ventures

"I don't know, but it seems too easy," Jinx said. "The Joker can't just leave himself unguarded." It had to be a trap.

"I agree," Raven nodded, "We better keep our eyes peeled." She scanned the area for anything. The Joker might just jump out and surprise them before they knew it.

"Right, let's split up then," Shadowcobra said, earning a look from Jinx and Draco. "What?"

"Split up? You sure about that?" Jinx asked. "I don't think that's a good idea in this place."

"We'll cover more ground that way," Shadowcobra told her, "Or are you scared?"

"No, but…" Jinx gulped.

"We still have our communicators, but if it makes you feel better, we'll split up into two groups. I'll go with Raven," Shadowcobra said.

Mortuary muttered with a roll of his eyes. "Big surprise…"

"And you three are together. Keep your communicators on," Shadowcobra finished. With that, he and Raven entered the factory.

"Perimeter search?" Mortuary suggested.

"Good idea," Draco nodded in agreement.

"Hey, you!" someone shouted at them. "You kids shouldn't be here!" The trio of Titans turned to see who had addressed them. At the same time, Mortuary's Orphenoch Tracker began to alert him.

* * *

Beast Boy, Terra, Cyborg and Renia drove into the amusement park. It was closed for the night and from the looks of it no one was around.

Then they found a pile of dust lying with the security guard's uniform. They were in the right place.

"He's been here," Renia said as she cupped some of the ash and let it flow through her fingers. She dusted her hands off. She had analyzed the ash and it was organic. This was proof enough for Ryuki's theory.

"Looks like the Joker really is an Orphenoch, huh?" Beast Boy shuddered. They had rarely fought Orphenochs, but they knew those monsters were tough. He briefly remembered when they tangled with and fought the Ifrit Orphenoch/Draco. They weren't exactly your run-of-the-mill monsters. These monsters used to be humans. Orphenochs briefly reminded Beast Boy of werewolves and vampires from some old horror movies he'd seen before.

"We better find where that device is, and fast," Cyborg said. Nearly 7 hours had passes since they received the challenge. "Then we can shut it and the Joker down." They were going to do it, for Robin. He had been through enough because of the Joker. They were his friends so it was like their sacred duty.

"Music to my ears," Renia grinned, rubbing her hands together. She herself had fought Orphenochs in her Locust Inzecter armor and she was confident that this would be a piece of cake like all those other times. Just one strong punch in the chest and they would crumble down to ashes.

"Just don't get cocky," Terra advised her 'little sister'. "We don't know what we're dealing with." Terra was being cautious. She had heard stories about the Joker who was also known as the 'Clown Prince of Crime' and 'Harlequin of Hate', and all of them were scary. The Joker was insane, but not on the same level as Slade. At least Slade could foresee the consequences of his actions. The Joker, on the other hand, didn't seem to even care. They had not faced the Joker like Robin had and without him they only had a vague description of what they might face.

"Come on," Renia retorted, "What can happen?"

Famous last words, Crystal Alchemist.

* * *

Tazuka walked though the empty streets with his hands in his pockets. It was silent and desolate, much like the Hueco Mundo. He could occasionally sense some sort of spiritual energy, but it was weak. Thankfully, he had no need to eat souls. The Gigai he was wearing actually absorbed the spiritual energy around him, like how a plant would during photosynthesis.

He had seen the broadcast on TV but didn't flee in a panic like all the other citizens in the city. He could still see the police though, trying to do crowd control with limited effect. Humans could be so hysterical. Did they not have faith in their heroes? Guess not. Tazuka, on the other hand, had faith in his otouto and his friends. If anyone could stop the Joker, they could.

He knew that when the device went off, he would be one of the people immune to the effects. He couldn't die laughing since he was already dead to begin with.

He had predicted that one of the Titans would be facing a great challenge. He couldn't see who, but he knew that this experience would make that Titans grow, proven if they survived first.

* * *

Meanwhile, a figure was headed for the Tower. Its eyes were locked onto the structure as it began to hum a sadistic tune. The figure then said in a childishly sinister voice, "Little JJ…daddy's back." He then began to hum a tune, which could cause a cold chill to run up a young child's spine.

To Be Continued…

Alright, our players are in their places and all the pieces are in check. What will happen next? Stay tune for the next exciting chapter, my readers! You'll love it.

OK, I know Starfire's race can transfer knowledge/language through kissing (lip contact) so I theorize it might be a psychic ability through touch or slightly empathic. I mean, you can't just learn a foreign language through kissing just like that without some kind of transfer process. So, I thought that maybe Tamaraneans can let others see their memories through kissing as well, maybe not languages and skills but maybe some memories, images and etcetera.

So, any ideas of what may happen next? Be glad to hear them. Read and Review and make the review nice, long and good.


	65. PT065: Masked Rider Titan

Part 65: Masked Rider Titan

Flashback…2 months ago…

"So, are you sure this will work?" Shadow asked as he looked over Pluto's shoulder. The Dog Knight was working on his current project. All over his table were blueprints and schematics with Smart Brain's emblem in the corner.

"I will be if you stop looking over my shoulder," Pluto grumbled, "This is a delicate procedure. I don't need someone breathing down my neck."

"That is exactly why I am here looking over your shoulder and breathing down your neck. You have a tendency to cause 'accidents' with your experiments and inventions."

Pluto snorted. "Well, not this time."

"It took a long time and a lot of work to get all this data, Pluto," Shadow said, giving him a cold stare. "Don't waste it."

Pluto gave him a thumb's up and grinned. "You know I won't. I just hope he won't mind it that we took one of his belts and decided to modify it. I mean, this is one serious piece of gear. All the gadgets and stuff are amazing, even if they aren't as advanced as the stuff we got back at Smart Brain."

"Well, it's a given seeing who his mentor was," Shadowcobra said. He asked, "How about his communicator? Did you modify it yet?"

"Did it yesterday," Pluto said, holding up a device before it was pulled a way by a shadow hand. "Hey!"

"Let me see," Shadow said as he looked over the T-Com. "Looks alright. Everything is in working order," he said as he inspected it. "I'm impressed. You were actually able to modify it without causing it to go haywire." It was roughly yanked back into Pluto's hand via telekinesis.

"Well, I'm not some incompetent mad scientist anymore," Pluto muttered as he went back to work. "I deserve some respect."

"I do respect you," Shadow admitted. "It's just your track record hasn't been as good up until now." Shadow listed, "The explosions, failed experiments, mutations…" he continued, "I still don't get it how you get your supply of plutonium."

Pluto gave him a grin, "Well, we all gotta have our secrets, right?"

"Very much so," Shadow sighed.

"Got the DNA sample?" Pluto asked. "I need it so that he'll be the only one who can use it."

"Right here," Shadowcobra said as he handed the sample over to Pluto. He checked his watch, "Well, I'm off. I have a date with Raven to get to and I must get ready."

"Have fun, boss," Pluto waved. He then got back to his work. On one of the blueprints, written in bold capital letters, were the words "**TITAN GEAR**".

* * *

Present Day… 

"Hey, you!" someone shouted at them. "You kids shouldn't be here!" The trio of Titans turned to see who had addressed them. They had come to the old abandoned toy factory when Pluto had detected a large amount of EM Wave energy, suggesting jamming technology that blocked their sensors from the place. An EM scanner soon solved that problem and led them here. The broadcast must've come from here so Raven and Shadow both entered, leaving Mortuary, Draco and Jinx outside.

The man who'd addressed them was large and muscular, dressed in tattered jeans and a black shirt. He had numerous tattoos on his muscular arms and his face was expressing a deep scowl at the three teen heroes. His head was cleanly shaven and he had a nose ring. At the same time, Mortuary's Orphenoch tracker was alerting him of a new Orphenoch signature…right in front of them.

Draco, naïve as usual, bowed and apologized, "I'm sorry, but my friends and I are here to investigate a lead. You see, we're the Titans, and-"

The man's scowl turned into a very malicious sneer, "Oh, I know who you are. The boss told me you kids would be snooping around." His eyes flashed white.

"Wait…" Draco realized. He knew those eyes. Those were the eyes of… "You're an-"

Mortuary shouted, "He's an Orphenoch!" before whipping out his Death Buster and pointing it at the man who soon shifted into his Orphenoch form. The Orphenoch was large and muscular, covered in a thick armor-like hide. He seemed to have grown larger as well, at least by a foot. His head had large ears and his nose resembled a small elephant's trunk with small tusks on the side.

The man had turned into the Elephant Orphenoch.

The Elephant Orphenoch trumpeted and charged straight at the three teens who reacted by leaping out of the way. The stampeding Orphenoch crashed into the wall as a result, leaving a large gaping hole.

"OK, that was close," Jinx said as she let out a breath of relief before hearing the trumpeting again. "Oh, dear lord, not again…" The Elephant Orphenoch rushed straight out of the hole once again, ready to run the trio of Titans over. Jinx threw a hex blast but it was only sent stumbling a few steps back before resuming his charge.

Mortuary engulfed his hands in necroplasmic flames before throwing them at the monster. It didn't seem fazed before it smashed a fist into Mortuary, sending the necromancer flying. Mortuary flipped through the air and landed before coughed up some blood. He took out his gun and fired at the Orphenochs. The shots bounced off the Orphenoch's tough armor as it charged at Mortuary again.

Its trajectory was interrupted when a sheet of ice formed under him, causing him to slip right past Mortuary. Draco had done it and when the Orphenoch came at him, he pulled his hand back and threw it straight into the Orphenoch's face. With his superior strength already enhanced by the Ox Zodiac Power, the Orphenoch was sent crashing into the wall again.

They hadn't won yet as they could heat shuffling and a loud trumpeting sound as the Elephant Orphenoch bellowed.

It was time they finished this.

Jinx's hands clutched the Scarab Inzecter. "Let's do this!"

"Music to my ears, Jinx," Mortuary said as he took hold of his Zodiac Deck.

Draco hesitated for a second. He knew that they would have to kill this Orphenoch if he left them no other. It was for the good of the innocents they had and would hurt. Shutting his eyes, he took out his deck and called, "Henshin," before sliding the deck into his summoned belt. "Empowerment of the Zodiac Dragon!"

"Empowerment of Aries!" Mortuary called as he slid the deck into his belt.

"Henshin!" Jinx commanded before snapping her Inzecter onto her belt. "HENSHIN!" it echoed.

In flashes of light, Mortuary and Draco had turned into their Zodiac Knight forms as Jinx's armor swept over her body from her belt, completing the look as her visor flashed.

The Elephant Orphencoh charged right out of the hole and straight for the trio of armored Titans, The Z-Titans, and let out a loud bellow. His opponents charged right back at him.

At the same time, Copycat was watching the fight unfold from atop the roof. She decided to stick around to see the result. She doubt her brother and his friends would be defeated but knowing how merciful her brother was she knew this might be a tough choice he had to make, at least willingly.

Kill or be killed.

* * *

Both Shadow and Raven, though deep in the factory, could hear the commotion coming from outside. Raven grew worried. 

"You think they need our help?" Raven asked. Shadow shook his head.

"They can handle it," Shadow retorted. Don't worry. I k now they can handle it. They've been through a whole lot worse." He was illuminating their way with a light ball. The power in the place had gone out so maybe the Joker used an outside source of energy to power his jammer and broadcast.

Raven just had to take his word for it. Right now, the Joker could be here, waiting for them. It was like a strange and morbid version of hide-and-seek with the prize being the fate of everyone in Jump City. Fortunately, the evacuation was almost complete, save for the chaos it caused. It would take a long time for the city to recover, no doubt about it.

Shadowcobra, meanwhile, couldn't help but think that the whole set up seemed a bit too…easy. The Joker was just waiting for them and if they did he'd just give up. No chance. If the Joker was an Orphenoch as they theorized then he wouldn't be going down without a fight. His insane plus malicious tendencies wouldn't allow him to just give himself up. It was not his style, from what Shadowcobra knew from Batman. Each time he was captured, he would just break out to cause havoc. Sometimes it was just a small jewelry store robbery, or something much grander like mass murder.

To sum it all up, the Joker just loved...crazed attention. He was a clown who wanted to leave all his audience to literally die laughing.

Shadowcobra's ears could pick up a cackling sound echoing throughout the factory. "This way," he said to Raven. The cackling sounded close. He had his hand on his hip, ready to draw one of his weapons. He could very well use his powers but he didn't want to waste them on a clown. An Orphenoch…well…

They turned a corner into a dark hall and continued walking.

* * *

Cyborg followed the coordinates given by Pluto as he led his team to the device. It wasn't too hard but the amusement park looked really creepy at night and that was before they found a second victim killed in the same manner as the previous one. This had gone way too far. 

"It's up ahead," Cyborg said. They then stopped right in front of a large structure. It looked like a large cartoon bomb with Joker's face on it and sitting upon a pedestal. On the side of the bomb was the control panel and it displayed the amount of time they still had. They had about 16 hours before this bomb exploded and judging from the Joker's usual M.O. it was filled with his own patented form of laughing gas that would kill its victims in seconds, leaving their corpses with horrendously looking large grins plastered on their faces.

"OK, the Joker is really extravagant," Renia said as she looked the bomb over. She touched it with the palm of her hand but Cyborg hastily pulled her away. "Hey!"

"Don't touch it," Cyborg warned. "We don't know what can set it off." Renia pulled her hand back.

"Relax, Cy," Renia replied. "I was just going to analyze this bomb's composition, the materials made, and what's inside." Renia could analyze the substance of an object through touch and mentally break it all down into their base components. It was the alchemist inside her. She could tell what something was made of down to its molecular level. She began to analyze the bomb. At the same time, Cyborg had opened the panel to try and disarm it.

Two shadowy figures were watching them and Beast Boy caught them near the corner of his eye. He tensed up. This didn't go unnoticed by Terra.

"Something wrong, Beast Boy?" Terra asked.

"Someone else is here, watching us," he said to her.

Terra didn't doubt Beast Boy's instincts. She yelled out, "Show yourselves!"

The two figures then walked out of their hiding places

"Well, sorry, but the boss won't like it if you guys shut him down," said one of the figures as his eyes began to glow. Terra's eyes narrowed.

"Orphenochs," Terra growled as she rolled up her sleeve. "Thought so." Both thugs then roared as they morphed into their Orphenoch forms. One thug had turned into an Orphenoch resembling a walrus. His head was covered by a helmet with sharp tusks jutting down. Flaps of armor hung around his waist. His body color was grey. The second thug had morphed into an Orphenoch resembling a bull. He too had grey armored skin with LARGE fists and equally sharp and large horns on his head. Both Orphenochs bellowed as they charged at the three Titans.

"We have to hold them off while Cyborg shuts down the machine," Beast Boy said as he morphed into a large Kodiak bear and began wrestling with the Walrus Orphenoch

"Don't need to tell me twice," Terra agreed as she snapped the Cutter Inzecter on her armguard. Renia followed suit by snapping her Locust Inzecter onto her belt.

"HENSHIN!"

"CHANGE PUNCH LOCUST!"

"You're going down!" the Walrus Orphenoch roared as he charged for Terra

"Bring it!" the armored geomancer called as she charged for her opponent.

Renia eyed the Ox Orphenoch carefully as they circled each other. Renia knew that Orphenochs were tricky and were pretty strong as well. They also had their ability to pump a victim with their energy to try and change them into an Orphenoch. It was almost always fatal.

A loud slam echoed through the air as Terra and the Walrus Orphenoch used their impressive strength to try and out-muscle each other. The split second distraction was all the time the Ox Orphenoch needed before it charged with one of its giant fists raised, ready to crush her underneath them.

"Don't think so!" Reina giggled impishly as she reached to her belt. "Clock Up!"

"CLOCK UP!" her Inzecter cried before she vanished in a sudden blur.

The Ox Orphenoch was stunned for a moment before it felt like it was punched in the face several times before a large blow knocked it backwards to the ground.

"CLOCK OVER!" the Inzecter called before Renia appeared again.

"How do you like that?" the armored Crystal Alchemist asked as she giggled.

Another crash echoed as Terra punched the Walrus Orphenoch in the gut, causing it to stumble back. Acting quickly, the armored teen aimed and fired her shoulder cannons at the Orphenoch, causing it to stumble backwards even further after each shot.

The Ox Orphenoch was not going down as easily as Renia though. He maybe slow, but he had a tough hide. It then bellowed and tried to punch her before a blue beam of sonic energy knocked him aside.

"Booyah!" Cyborg cheered.

Beast Boy tried to help Terra and turned into a mountain goat. He charged straight at the Walrus Orphenoch only for him to grab Beast Boy by the horns and straight at the machine. Beast Boy hit the bomb, but luckily didn't detonate it. His hand, however, fell upon a random button.

"BB!" Terra shouted and then she summoned up a boulder before using her power to throw it at the Walrus Orphenoch, knocking him into his partner. The two Orphenoch fell in a heap.

Both Orphenochs struggled to their feet before sending glares at the Titans. Their glares turned to smirks before they suddenly turned and ran.

"What?" Renia blinked. "Just what the heck was that about?" She screamed, "Come back, you cowards!"

The sudden sounds of an alarm ringing echoed through the area, causing the Titans to turn around to look at the bomb. Next to it was a sheepishly grinning Beast Boy and a fuming Cyborg.

"What did you do?!" Cyborg cried out.

"I accidentally pressed a button!" Beast Boy defended. "It wasn't even a red one!"

The bomb began shooting light out of the metal before it seemed to swell under the pressure if the gas inside of it. The Titans believed that this was the end as the bomb went off.

**POP!! "HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!"**

The bomb did explode. However, it did not release gas, but colorful confetti and a recording of the Joker's laughter.

"Dude?" Beast Boy blinked. "That isn't funny."

"It was all a joke?!" Terra cried. She would've pulled her hair if it wasn't for the helmet.

"I can't believe this!" Renia frowned deeply behind her helmet.

"I don't believe it either," Cyborg frowned. His optic blinked as his eye widened in absolute shock. "Wait, this was a plan to separate us! He's after something else!"

"What is it?" asked Beast Boy.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the factory, Jinx (Now in her Scarab Armor's Speed Mode), Draco and Mortuary were dealing with the Elephant Orphenoch and now found out WHY he was called that. He had just turned the lower half of his body into an entire elephant's body like some sort of deranged looking centaur. His upper body was at the place where an elephant's head would be. He let out a loud bellow as he charged at the Titans, ready to use his large feet to flatten them. It stomped down on Draco but lucky for the Dragon Knight he was able to roll out of the way. 

Mortuary tried shooting him from behind but this only served to anger the large Orphenoch. He then used one of his hind legs to kick Mortuary into the gate. The monster hunter struggled to get back up. That hit hurt a lot.

"Take this!" Draco roared as he tried to freeze the Orphenoch. At first, he had turned into a large block of ice before shattering and charging for Draco. Jinx was able to push her boyfriend out of the way in time.

"We need a new strategy!" Jinx shouted as she activated the Clock Up system "CLOCK UP!" she then vanished into a blur and then Draco could see as the Elephant Orphenoch was sent staggering by several potent yet invisible hits. He then fell onto his side from a particular hard hit that echoed like a thunderclap.

"CLOCK OVER!"

Jinx reappeared but the Orphenoch still hadn't gone down for good as he rose back up to his full height again. She groaned. "Won't anything bring this guy down?"

"Final Vent!" Mortuary called, "CALL OF THE HERD!" His Gazelle herd started to relentlessly attack the Orphenoch. Hitting it hard and fast before Mortuary leapt up to deal a fatal looking knee strike to his face. The Elephant Orphenoch seemed affected but not by much as it survived the Final Vent. "Damn!" Mortuary cursed as he began shooting and then rolled out of the way.

"Jinx, look out!" Draco shouted as he pushed Jinx out of the way and was sent smashing into the factory when the Elephant Orphenoch rammed into him.

"DRACO!" Jinx shouted but then her eyes glowed pink as she fired a powerful hex blast into the Elephant Orphenoch before she threw a barrage of hexes at the monster. This time he was feeling each blow from Jinx as she wanted to kill him.

Mortuary joined in too, blasting at the Orphenoch with green encro-blasts. He then stopped, before asking "Hey, do you hear something?"

Jinx stopped her barrage. "What are you talking about?"

The Elephant Orphenoch finally got his second wind and let out a loud bellow before stampeding towards the two armored Titans. They prepared themselves for the stomping but then felt nothing. They did hear something as 16 missiles flew out of the hole into the factory's hole and then exploded when they impacted the Elephant Orphenoch. A large vehicle then sped out of the factory. It was the Jet Slinger and in it was a familiar black clad Knight…Zodiac Knight Ifrit. He must've taken control of Draco after he lost consciousness.

"I really don't appreciate getting thrown into a wall," Ifrit commented before he pressed a few more buttons. They missile trays popped out of the sides of the Jet Slinger as he aimed at the Orphenoch, locking onto his target. "And…fire," he said before pressing down on a button, letting the missiles loose again. The Elephant Orphenoch was being overwhelmed with fire power. It could not get away from the flames exploding on his body. The Black Dragon Knight decided to take advantage of this and leapt up from his vehicle. He reached down to his belt and drew a card before sliding it into his gauntlet.

"Final Vent!" he called out before Dragblacker flew up behind him. "DRAGON FREEZING KICK!" He plummeted down towards the Elephant Orphenoch who was just beginning to recover from the blasts. A blast of freezing energy engulfed him and froze him solid before Ifrit smashed into him, shattering him to pieces and thus killing him. The Black Dragon Knight grinned at his handiwork and dusted off his palms. "Should've done that ages ago," he chuckled.

"Don't you think that was a little overkill?" Jinx frowned from behind her helmet. She knew Ifrit was a part of her boyfriend but she really didn't like the darker personality of Ryuki. She knew what he represented.

"No, don't know the meaning of the word," Ifrit shrugged. "It got the job done, though."

"A little too well in my opinion," spoke Shadow as he and Raven exited from the factory. Shadow's eyes scanned the area where the battle had taken place and saw the frozen chunks of Orphenoch lying around. "Robin would not approve of us killing."

"Hey, it's kill or be killed, Snakey," Ifrit grinned under his helmet. Shadow rubbed his temples. Whenever Ryuki ever fell unconscious, Ifrit would come out and 'play'.

"So, found anything?" Mortuary asked.

* * *

Flashback… 

Shadow and Raven wandered around the dark factory, their only source of light being the orb within the Snake Knight's hand. They passed by a few conveyer belts and leftover toys, but found nothing to lead them to the Joker.

They then found a backroom with a large amount of TV and broadcasting equipment. Shadow scanned the area. No Joker and no Orphenochs.

…End Flashback

* * *

"The Joker's not here," said Raven, getting to the point. "He must've left as soon as he made that announcement." She grumbled. "It kinda makes sense, though. No villain, no matter how insane, would just stick around to get himself captured. Her communicator began beeping as did the others. They then activated them. "Yes?" Raven asked. Cyborg's face was on the screens and he looked distressed. 

"_The bomb's a dud!_" Cyborg shouted. "_The Joker wanted us out of the Tower! He's after something else!_"

"But what would a psychotic clown want which would require us leaving?" Ifrit questioned. There was silence before the answer came to them.

"Tim."

* * *

T.I.T.A.N. alerted them as the alarms blared, the lights flashing red, "WARNING! WARNING! PERIMETER BREACH! PERIMETER BREACH!" 

Pluto got up from his station and then looked towards Blackfire. He said, "Looks like we have an unwanted guest." He had received Cyborg's message.

"Come on, let's welcome him," Blackfire said, cracking her knuckles.

"INTRUDER IN TOWER! INITIATE DEFENCE PROTOCOL!"

They knew that the security system could handle one Orphenoch, but they had to make sure. Taking the elevator, they went down to the ground floor to give their 'guest' a proper 'welcome'.

Down at the ground floor, the door had a big hole ripped in it. The guns had also been destroyed and there were claw markings on the walls. The lights had also been taken out. Pluto tensed up. He didn't call on his armor. Blackfire was with him, blackbolts ready to blast their intruder.

"Get ready for anything, Blackie," Pluto said to his girlfriend, hands crackling with energy as his visor scanned the area. "It could be anywhere."

"There's two of us and one of him," Blackfire spoke cockily. "How tough could one clown be?"

They were suddenly frozen by a loud and insane cackling noise that chilled them to the bone.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA…!!!"

It echoed throughout the dark hallway.

"He's here," Pluto said, a trail of sweat running down his forehead. He didn't know why he was even scared. The Joker was just a clown. Nothing more. Blackfire's eyes glowed their signature violet color.

Then, 'it' struck.

There was a dark blur that immediately pounced on Pluto and smashed him into the wall. In the limited lighting, Pluto could see a pair of yellow eyes staring right at him and the owner of said eyes laughing like an insane hyena. The 'thing' was then thrown back when blackbolts impacted its body, sending it tumbling over the floor. Blackfire then asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Pluto said. "Invulnerable, remember?" Blackfire cast him a smile before they refocused their attention on their intruder.

Blackfire used her blackbolts to illuminate the area so they could see better, but they couldn't see any signs of their foe. Suddenly, Blackfire screamed as she was slashed in the back.

"Blackfire!" Pluto exclaimed before he was slashed in the chest too. It was a good thing that his soul fiber suit was durable. He then threw a bolt of lightning but the 'thing' was fast. It also kept laughing in a taunting manner. "Shut up!" Pluto shouted, sending lightning flying to strike their 'guest'.

Then, 'it' spoke.

"I thought you Titans would be tougher than this!" the thing cackled. "I must've thought wrong."

"Who are you?" Pluto asked, but inwardly he already knew the answer. He helped Blackfire up to her feet.

"I am known as many things! The Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate, Batman's Nemesis…" the 'thing' listed. "But you can call me…"

"Joker!"

The cackling continued as Joker then leapt down in front of the Dog Knight before throwing his fist directly into his face. Pluto staggered but survived. He reached for his deck but then he saw a foot smash into his visor, shattering it. Blackfire retaliated for him by blasting at the Joker but he was too agile and in the dark he had the advantage.

No more.

Pluto shouted, "Activate backup lights!" As soon as he said that, the lights came on in the hallway.

That's where they saw him, the Joker, as they'd seen him on TV. Purple suit, ghost white skin, blood red lips, styled green hair and a large grin plastered on his deviously fiendish face.

Pluto involuntarily shivered at seeing this madman in person.

"Wow, nice trick!" the Joker laughed. "A new type of clapper?"

"Get out of our home!" Blackfire roared.

"Well, can't really do that," the Joker said. "I need to pick up my little JJ."

"JJ?" Pluto questioned.

"Oh, it's short for Joker Junior, but I guess you know him as…Tim Drake." The Joker's grinned widened, if that was possible.

"You're not getting him!" Pluto said as his hands crackled with electricity.

"Well, I might as well take out the garbage!" the Joker cackled. "Here's the Joker's new standup show! One time only!" His eyes then let out an unearthly yellow glow as he changed. His clothes changed color, turning into a dull grey. His shoes also morphed, turning into hyena feet. His hands gained sharp claws with patches of fur on the back. The biggest change was his head, which had turned beastly, reminiscent of a hyena including the wild hair. The same grin was still plastered on the Joker's face except now it was formed by rows of sharp teeth.

They had been right all along…Joker was an Orphenoch…the Hyena Orphenoch.

The Hyena Orphenoch let out a combination of a howl and laugh before he lunged at the two Titans. Blackfire summoned the Fire Inzecter and snapped it onto her bracelet.

"HENSHIN!"

The armor, much to the Joker's shock, formed over her and deflected his slash. She then threw a fist at him, causing him to smash into the wall. Pluto stood next to her and slid the deck into his belt and in a flash of light changed into Zodiac Knight Pluto.

"Oh," the Hyena Orphenoch said, "Looks like I should've looked up more on you Titans." He sounded a little upset before he laughed manically again, "Oh, well!"

"You're going down, clown!" Pluto said, drawing his sword.

"So says the boy looks like a Batman rip-off!" Joker mocked. Pluto fumed.

"Hey, I ain't a Batman rip-off!" Pluto snapped. Blackfire palmed her face.

"Pluto, can we just take him out and be done with it?" Blackfire asked.

"Oh, right," Pluto shrugged.

"Well, I got a question for you kiddies," the Hyena Orphenoch grinned. "Ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light?"

"Huh?" the couple responded, confused by the question. Suddenly, the Hyena Orphenoch opened his mouth wide and let out a cloud of dark blue gas. The cloud was thick and obscured both armored Titans' vision. The couldn't see anything in front of them as they heard the Joker cackle. Luckily, they were in their armor so they wouldn't be killed by this gas or end up laughing like loons.

But, they didn't know what hit them as their entire world turned dark.

* * *

Starfire was with Robin when she received an urgent message on her communicator. She gasped. "The Joker is after Timothy?" 

"_Yes!_" Shadow said. "_Don't lose him! We're on our way!_"

Starfire shut her communicator before turning her attention on Robin who appeared shaken. "Oh, Timothy…" Suddenly, she was shocked by the loud blaring off the alarm.

"WARNING! WARNING! PERIMETER BREACH! PERIMETER BREACH!"

"He's here…" Robin breathed out, sweat rolling down rapidly, soaking his face and clothes.

"He will not get you, Timothy," Starfire said, strongly.

"INTRUDER IN TOWER! INITIATE DEFENCE PROTOCOL!"

Starfire gripped her fists. She would protect her beloved from this Joker. Robin was cringing. She then remembered the Pactio card she had and then knew what to do with it. She knew Shadow's magic was coursing through the card so she closed her eyes and summoned the power, "Adeat!"

* * *

The other Titans had arrived at the Tower. However, it had been completely sealed off. There was a powerful energy barrier around it made to repel anything from the outside and keep whatever was inside safe. 

Nobody enters, nobody leaves.

Shadowcobra hissed and took out his SNK-Phone. He tried calling, "Respond! Do you copy?" All he got was static. "Damn it!" Pluto was the only one with the deactivation codes. It was a security measure plus Pluto was the one who designed the new security system.

"Can't you just walk in?" Beast Boy asked.

"If I wanted to be torn apart molecule by molecule," Shadow retorted cynically. "Can't teleport inside either and we're completely cut off."

"So, what do we do?" Cyborg asked.

Shadowcobra's face was grim. "Now…we wait…and hope." He was going to add 'pray' but he wasn't such a religious person.

But then, he felt his connection to Starfire. He knew she would protect Robin and use the weapons she had been provided with.

* * *

Within Starfire's hand was a large glowing green energy claymore. She admired the weapon with awe, as did Robin. She could feel her own starbolt energy coursing through it. This was her magical artifact, the Starblade. She tightened her grip on the handle. 

She stood guarding the door. If the Joker came in, she would run him through. She didn't care about the heroes' code of ethics as of now. She was a warrior first and a warrior fights to the finish to defend what was precious to them. To her, Robin was precious and worth protecting.

Brimstone growled as he sniffed the air, baring his teeth. The runes on his skin began to glow as he snarled, ready to rip the intruder apart.

Robin just sat on the bed, clenching his knees to stop himself shaking. He was scared, but he didn't want to give the Joker the satisfaction of knowing.

"Junior, I'm home!" Joker/Hyena Orphenoch cackled as he drew closer to the door.

Starfire and Brimstone both tensed as the Clown Prince of Crime trudged closer to the door. The steps suddenly stopped and all was silent again. Suddenly, the door was suddenly slammed off its hinges as the Hyena Orphenoch came through.

"Knock knock!" the grinning Orphenoch cackled loudly.

"Eyyyaaahhhhhh!" Starfire cried as she charged with her sword at the ready.

"Oooh! Junior's little girlfriend!" the Hyena Orphenoch laughed. "Boy does he have taste in women!"

The blade slashed towards the Orphenoch's head, aiming to end the terror which plagued Robin once and for all. Of course, that plan failed when the blade was caught in the claws of the Orphenoch.

"Nice butter knife, toots," the Orphenoch laughed. He could feel the heat coming off the blade, but he was used to pain. "It will take more than that to put down this clown!"

"RAWR!" Brimstone roared as he slammed into the Orphenoch's gut and knocked them both into the hallway.

Brimstone clawed and chewed, trying to tear the Orphenoch's throat out. As he as fighting though, the Hyena Orphenoch brought back his hand and actually morphed it into a gray boxing glove.

"Bad doggy!" the Hyena Orphenoch growled before he placed a single punch into Brimstone's jaw.

The hellhound gave off a pained whine as it was sent flying from the punch straight into the wall. It was such a powerful impact that the dog was actually stick in the imprint he made.

"Brimstone!" Starfire cried. Her eyes turned to their glowing green form as her blade began to glow angrily in reaction to her emotions. "I will end this now!"

"Bring it on, toots!" the Hyena Orphenoch laughed mockingly.

Starfire gave off a battle cry before she lunged at the Orphenoch in her fury. First he terrified her love and then hurt one of her friends. She would end this now and remove the suffering that the Joker had put on the ones she loved.

The Hyena Orphenoch swung with another punch of his boxing glove/hand. Starfire easily dodged it as she flew above the Orphenoch and attempted to cleave him in two.

"Gotcha!" the Orphenoch laughed before his middle suddenly extended like a jack-in-the-box and he lay a head butt into Starfire's stomach, forcing the breath out of the Tamaranian. She heaved a gasp but fell to the floor all the same.

"Thanks for the memories, toots," the Orpheonch laughed. "But me and Junior have to get going." He stalked over to the bed where Robin was and the Boy Wonder sat frozen as his tormentor came closer and closer. "You and me, Junior, are gonna have so much _fun_!"

Starfire struggled as she got up to her feet, propping herself up with the Starblade. "Timothy!" she called out to him. The Hyena Orphenoch was already close, to his face, and was just playing with him. "Your belt! Use your belt!"

Robin wondered what she meant. His belt? Why? What was so special about it? He doubt he could use any of it now, shaking like he was.

"Your belt, Pluto has made modifications. Use it with your communicator!" She was suddenly knocked back when the Hyena Orphenoch pounced on her.

"Now that's enough from you," the Joker said, his sharp teeth bared. "So long, little star!" He prepared to breathe his corrosive gas when Robin got up, grasping his communicator.

"Leave her alone," Robin growled. "**Now**." The Joker laughed.

"Oh, so the little bird boy DOES have a backbone!" the Joker/Hyena Orphenoch cackled. "Why don't you make me?"

"I will," Robin said as he placed the communicator close to his face and spoke into it, "Henshin." He had heard the Knights and Inzecter users use that command so he guessed it might've been the activation code and he was right.

"_Standby!_" the communicator responded before he snapped it onto his belt buckle. "_Activation!_"

There was a flash of yellow light.

The armor was basically red and worn over a black bodysuit with yellow excel streams on the black soul fiber bodysuit. The gauntlets and boots were also red with yellow trims. The "T" on his chest was also yellow. His helmet had a yellow 'T' shaped visor and the look was finished off by a pair of sharp antennae.

This…was the Titan Gear.

The Joker stepped back a bit as he was genuinely shocked but then he grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. "Well, well…" the Hyena Orphenoch mused. "Looks like little Junior has a new toy."

Robin, in his armor, stepped forward to face the Joker. His friends worked hard to help him and he'd been a coward not to lend a hand. He was supposed to be the leader. The nightmares he had…all the fears…tonight they would end.

With a loud cry, Robin charged at the Hyena Orphenoch who let out a cackle as he charged right back.

Starfire watched as Robin landed a fist into the Orphenoch's muzzle, sending his staggering before he leapt up and smashed his knee into the Joker's chin. The Hyena Orphenoch glared and let loose a cloud of his toxic gas. Starfire stepped away so she wouldn't accidentally inhale it and watched as the gas melted anything it touched. Robin, thanks to his armor, was unharmed.

Robin ran through the cloud and executed a snap kick that smashed the Hyena Orphenoch into the wall. The Joker rolled out of the way as a fist came flying at him, creating a hole in the wall. This time, the Hyena Orphenoch/Joker began to panic. Robin was supposed to be a nervous wreck, scared and afraid like a little boy. He'd planned to get the boy alone while his friends went on a wild goose chase!

He hadn't expected for the boy to have a suit of armor on him!

As soon as Robin hit the Hyena Orphenoch the first time, his fears began to vanish. Even in his monstrous form, he could see only the Joker as a pathetic clown who fed on fear. Robin had been feeding the Hyena Orphenoch with his own fear. He gritted his teeth and then leapt up. He performed a tornado kick but this time the Hyena Orphenoch grabbed Robin's foot in his jaw and smashed him into the wall. He grabbed the armor Titan leaded by the collar and smashed him against the wall.

"You should've come with me, Junior!" the Joker howled. "Now it's time for your spanking!" The Hyena Orphenoch pulled back his hand and his claws extended. He then slashed it down on Robin. Robin screamed as the sparks flew off his chestplate. The Joker continued slashing at him.

Starfire, seeing this, decided to attack once more as she swung down her blade. She caught the Hyena Orphenoch by surprise as she slashed him in the back. The maniac could feel a hot burning pain in his back as he let go of Robin and focused on the sword-wielding Tamaranean princess.

"YOU'RE MINE!" the Hyena Orphenoch howled angrily before he charged at Starfire. Starfire gave the charging Orphenoch an uncharacteristic evil grin before pointing the tip of her blade at him. Her eyes glowed green as she let out a cry.

"HAH!" Starfire yelled before firing a beam from her sword. The Hyena Orphenoch was unable to dodge in time as the blast hit him. The beam sliced off his arm and it went sailing into the air before it burned with blue flames and disintegrated.

Robin took advantage of the Hyena Orphenoch's stunned state and grabbed him by the head before smashing it into the wall, burying it inside. The Hyena Orphenoch pulled himself out but then was met with two fists in the face, one armored and red and one orange and glowing with green energy. He was sent flying through the hallway and smashed into the far wall.

Robin shifted his attention towards Starfire and bowed his head in shame, "Starfire…I…" He didn't know what to say. Well, he did know but it was too simple. "I'm sorry."

Starfire gave her armored lover a smile. "There is nothing to apologize for, Timothy."

"But, I was so scared. I wasn't much help to the others or to you when you were fighting the Joker." He gripped his fists. "I mean, I'm supposed to be the fearless leader! I should be taking care of all of you, not the other way around."

"Robin," Starfire began, "You are only human. You have human emotions. It is normal for one such as yourself to be overwhelmed by emotion. My race thrives on emotion and aids us as battle, giving us our strength."

Robin sighed, "Batman always taught me to never show emotion."

"Well, he is not here," Starfire said tenderly.

Robin stared at Starfire through his visor. Despite the scrapes and bruises she'd received from the fight with the Joker, she looked incredibly powerful now, especially with that sword in hand. That was some weapon.

The Joker/Hyena Orphenoch laughed, "Oh, how pathetically sweet!" He bared his teeth and claws, "I wanted to hear you two laugh before you die but I think it's better that I just gut you to pieces!" His severed arm had already grown back and he began clicking his claws as he grinded his teeth.

"Starfire, your sword," Robin said before Starfire passed it to him. '_Now or never…_' Wearing the armor, he knew how most of the features worked since the visor was feeding him the information. He reached down to his belt, opened up his communicator and pressed a button.

"_Excel Charge!_" the communicator responded before he snapped it close. His Excel Streams and visor began to glow brightly.

"You might have gotten me once, but you don't have the guts to do it again," the Hyena Orphenoch laughed.

Robin ignored the sounds of the laughter as he felt the energy running though the system of his suit. The sword was beginning to glow yellow from the energy collecting in it. He was so sick of hearing that laugh. At first it was annoying, but after THAT night, it haunted his dreams for years to come. Tonight it was going to end one way or another.

"Let's see if you've got the guts to use that thing," the Hyena Orphenoch chuckled before he began running at the two teens.

"HRAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" Robin bellowed as he stabbed the tip of the blade into the ground. A line of yellow energy coursed through the ground towards the Hyena Orphenoch. When it hit him, it erupted into a cylinder of energy which suddenly pinned the Hyena Orphenoch in place.

"What?!" he cried. "How?! What is this?"

Robin raised the sword and glared at the Orphenoch in front of him. He took a stance and charged. As he ran closer, memories of his time there flashed through his mind. Each flashback took him closer and closer until he struck while reliving the moment that the Joker's reign of terror ended the first time.

"WAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!" the Orphenoch cried as the blade cut through him. The cylinder of energy collapsed as a formation of the letter 'T' appeared in front of the Orphenoch before it erupted into blue flames and began turning to ash.

It was finally over. The Joker was gone…for good.

Robin dropped his sword before moving his hand down to his belt. He unsnapped the belt and in a flash of light his armor vanished. He collapsed onto his hands and knees, panting as he was once again Robin the Boy Wonder.

"Robin!" Starfire cried as she flew towards him. "Robin, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Star," Robin said before glancing at the remains of the Joker. "I…killed him."

"You had every right to after all he's done," Starfire said. "Now, let us go and see if my sister and Pluto are alright."

"Oh, yeah," Robin agreed as Starfire led him away. Brimstone followed them soon after.

* * *

Pluto began to come to as he felt someone slapping his cheek. He focused his eyesight to see Blackfire, out of her armor, and looking concerned. He too was no longer wearing his armor. He groaned. Despite his apparent invulnerability, he still could feel pain. That was one thing his powers didn't protect him from. "Ow…" he groaned. "What hit me?' 

"The Joker did," Blackfire said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded. He looked out at the door to see the energy barrier surrounding the Tower. He could also see the other Titans standing outside the perimeter of the barrier. Pulling out his DOG-Phone, Pluto entered the deactivation code. The barrier then vanished, allowing full access into the Tower.

"How are you doing?" Shadow asked.

"Aside from the Joker breaking in and kicking our butts, everything is OK," Blackfire reported.

"And Robin and Starfire?"

"Right here," they heard. It was Robin. Starfire was with him. She had some scrapes and bruises on her but nothing that wouldn't heal. Brimstone was with them too and when the hellhound caught sight of his master, ran over and pounced on the Dragon Knight.

Shadow gave Robin an even stare and said, "I'm surprised you gathered the nerve to come out of your room." He asked, "So, what happened to the Joker."

Robin sighed, "I…killed him."

There was silence and Shadow's eyes fell on the belt grasped in Robin's hand, the communicator still attached to the buckle. "I see you've discovered your belt's latest feature."

"Yeah," Robin nodded. "Thanks." He then looked all his friends, his teammates, in the eye, "Look, I'm sorry for chickening out on you. I mean, I'm supposed to be leader but when I saw the Joker again…I just…couldn't."

"Fear can be paralyzing," Shadow reasoned.

"But what do we do now?" Beast Boy asked. "I mean, Robin killed the Joker."

"If he's an Orphenoch, we just collect his remains," Shadowcobra said coldly, arms crossed. "Plain and simple."

"I don't think Batman would like that," Jinx said.

* * *

"The Joker is finally dead?" Slade asked as Copycat approached him. She removed her helmet and held it hanging in her hand. 

"Yeah," Copycat confirmed, "Apparently your old apprentice Robin was the one who finished him off."

"Interesting…" Slade said with a smirk in his voice. "How did he do it?"

"He got this new Gear," Copycat explained, "Kinda like your OMEGA Gear and Cathy's ALPHA Gear."

"So, he has finally the means to fight me as an equal," Slade said, his hand stroking the case which held his own OMEGA Gear.

"Should I do anything?" Copycat asked.

"No," Slade shook his head. "For now, let's watch out for Occultus."

"Not to mention the Orphenoch King," Kat added with a nod. Her shadow formed a pair of red eyes and a demonic grin that matched her own.

* * *

The night was dark in Gotham as the people went along their own ways. Crime was silent since Batman had taken down the drug ring which was trying to get a foothold on the city. The Dark Knight in question was currently standing atop a rooftop across from his former partner and the Zodiac Knight of the Snake. 

"So the Joker is gone for good now," Batman spoke.

"Save for the ashes," Shadowcobra commented as he threw a canister over to the caped crusader. Batman easily inspected it and found ashes inside.

Robin had been silent since meeting up with Batman. They had not separated on the best of terms and they hadn't spoken to each other much since. He was wondering what his former mentor was going to do once he learned that Robin had ended the Joker's life.

"So who ended it?" Batman asked.

"Me," Robin answered simply.

Batman looked at the teen, his expression not changing at all. He watched Robin for a while before he turned his attention back to the ashes which were filled the canister.

"The Joker became an Orphenoch and came to Jump for Robin. Unfortunately for him, it ended up turning into his downfall," Shadowcobra said.

"I see," Batman nodded.

Shadow looked between the two former partners, father and son, and took his leave. "I'll leave you two alone." He then vanished into the shadows under his feet.

"This should have ended that night," Batman frowned.

"Bruce, why did you lie to me?" Robin asked, wanting to know the truth.

"I was trying to protect you, Tim," Batman answered, "The Joker tortured your mind and your body. If you knew that he was still alive…" Batman trailed off.

"You could've told me anyway, Bruce," Robin said. "I'm not a kid anymore."

"I can see that," Batman sighed. "So, did you really…?"

"Yes," Robin nodded. "I did." He asked, daringly, "What are you going to do about it?"

"Tim, I lost the right to take care of you that night," Batman spoke. He was toneless as always, but to someone he personally trained, there was more than enough emotion in his voice. "All you did was lay a ghost down to rest."

"Bruce?" Robin blinked with some surprise. He was half-expecting to face some kind of punishment for ending a life.

"The Joker's life ended that night," Batman insisted. "What you faced was his shadow, a remnant. I don't go after those who put down ghosts."

Robin nodded firmly.

"Remember though," Batman continued. "Orphenochs are human too and deserve their lives. Occultus is the true threat in the end." Batman must've found out about Occultus through one of his investigations when Orphenochs started becoming an issue.

Robin nodded. In other words, he was getting off since it was self-defense. If he killed another Orphenoch then he had better have one heck of a good reason next time. He might not be as lucky as he was now.

"I see you've changed your uniform again," Batman admired. Robin was now clad in a full black bodysuit with matching gloves and steel toed boots. A red bird emblem rested on his chest. His black cape now sported deep red lining as well.

"I thought it was good time for a change," Robin said. He was no longer a little boy.

Batman nodded to the Boy Wonder before he turned and leaped off the side of the building. The sounds of a grappling hook were heard before the Dark Knight could be seen swinging off into the distance.

"Thanks, Bruce," Robin whispered to himself.

To Be Continued…

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Kamen Rider 555/Faiz which inspired me on the creation of Robin's Titan Gear. Also, thanks to Paladin, an awesome writer, helping me with this fic all the way.


	66. PT066: Howl of Memories

Part 66: Howl of Memories

It was nearly noon when Mortuary was in his room and at his desk making adjustments to his best friend, the one and only Deathbuster. As Cyborg and Pluto were the main tech guys in the house, no one but Mortuary knew more about guns and other weapons of the like. Mort learned about different types of weapons from his adopted father who came from a long line of monster hunters. Mortuary didn't put this knowledge to use until Orphenochs became his primary target, when the Templars were massacred. Mortuary often thought back on his time with the Templars. They were a test squad for new types of troops, but Mortuary often wondered who this 'One' person was who contracted him to lead these test troops. Mortuary's thoughts stopped as an instant message screen popped up on his computer monitor.

IceQueen: Hey there, fearless leader.

TheSkullMan: Ash?

IceQueen: Yeah, dummy. Who else?

TheSkullMan: Well, what is it you want?

IceQueen: As blunt as ever I see. See, the thing is that we need to meet up cause I've got some info you need to see.

TheSkullMan: About?

IceQueen: Occultus, we found out where he's hiding. I've got the rest of the team with me, but I'll understand if we don't fit into your schedule. I mean you are one of the famous Teen Titans now.

TheSkullMan: A guilt trip is it? OK, fine, I'll grab Tara.

IceQueen: It's a date.

TheSkullMan: Yeah, sorry to burst your bubble there, missy, but we don't do that anymore, remember?

IceQueen: Whatever, just come. We'll be at the harbor, warehouse 6at 8.

Mortuary just leaned back in his chair and sighed. "This is gonna be a long day."

* * *

"OK, that's the last of them," Pluto said after placing the heavy equipment down. He wiped the sweat off his brow as he surveyed the area. "Not too shabby if I do say so myself," he grinned to himself.

Over the past few months Pluto had turned the basement into his own private laboratory. When asked why he couldn't just use the Tower lab or his room, his only excuse was that he needed adequate space for some new inventions. And the result was the old junk being thrown away to make way for newer junk, Pluto's junk.

There were several machines Pluto had invented, failed prototypes that he had stored away to modify later but never got to them. There was the Turbine Accelerator and the Shrink Way. There was also a large containment unit for his hefty supply of plutonium. No matter how much anyone tried they could not stop him from getting plutonium so they just stopped trying and no longer bothered. At least he stopped putting it in the fridge which meant they no longer had to deal with mutant food or mutated mold.

Blueprints and schematics were pinned up on the wall as well as notes and equations. Despite his bumbling appearance, Takada was a genius. If only he had common sense to go with that.

There was a large computer set up with a monitor as big as the one in the common room. This was his private control console where he would direct all of the machines. Like everything in the Tower, it was connected to T.I.T.A.N., the AI he had created to automatically manage the Tower while no one was around or awake. It meant that none of them would be required to go on monitor duty, plus T.I.T.A.N. could process information better, despite its initial failure the first time it came online when it tried to kill them due to giving the AI not enough of the required data. At least he'd learnt from that debacle like he did the others.

He'd moved all the inventions and equipment he had left in the Tower lab and his room down here. He didn't move his car down here but he did have Motor Majin, his robotic bike, in it. There was a bed in the corner just incase he was too tired to return to his room.

He looked around at his new lab. With all this space, he could build bigger and better inventions. The only restriction was that he had to have some sort of supervision.

The final finishing touch was a framed photograph of his mother. He frowned sadly as he gazed on the photo. She was alive but still in a coma and despite Shadow's healing abilities he could not revive her. She was stuck in life support which was being paid for by Smart Brain, which led to his employment in the company.

His computer alerted him of a new e-mail message. "Hm, must be fan-mail again," he said to himself before he opened up the message to read. His eyes scanned it and then widened with shock. "No…"

* * *

As the Dog Knight was going through his second lab, Ryuki was in his room considering his own decisions.

"Should I give it to her?" the Dragon Knight asked himself with a shy. "Would she even say yes? Or will she say no?"

Draco was in his room, lying in bed as he absently stared at a ring held between his thumb and forefinger. It was a simple golden band but it held a lot of meaning. There was a similar golden band held in his other hand. He remembered the day he'd received both rings.

* * *

**Flashback…**

"You wanted to see me, okaasan?" Ryuki asked as his head peaked through the door.

"Yes, Ryuki-kun," his mother said. "Come in." Ryuki then walked through the door and into his mother's private studio which was located in the mansion. This was where she would draw up her designs and bring them to life. He saw lengths of fabric decorate the wall and mannequins wearing what would soon become great masterpieces in fashion. To the whole world, she was Emiko Narukawa Hasuma, genius fashion designer extraordinaire. Of course, those people never got to know Emiko Narukawa Hasuma, mother.

Emiko sat on a simple stool, hands folded on her lap. Ryuki sat down on another stool, across from her.

Ryuki was curious as to why his mother wanted to see him now, like this. He knew she had seen and found out much over the years. The last confrontation he remembered like this was 3 years when his mother wanted to know why his grades had been slipping and why he had numerous injuries on his body. That was the day he revealed himself as Zodiac Knight Draco. He knew his sister would be here, sooner and later, and despite their animosity swore a truce until all this was over. It was for the sake of their mother but when it was over, the evil Cat Knight would be up to her old tricks again and Ryuki would be ready.

"Why did you call me here to talk about, okaasan?" Ryuki asked, warily. He could never be sure what his mother could be thinking about and he dreaded that it could be something bad.

"I wish to talk to you, about your relationship with Jinx," Emiko admitted. Ryuki eyes widened with fear. Did Emiko not accept Jinx due to her criminal past? Did she want him to leave her? Ryuki knew he couldn't do that but could he defy his mother?

"What do you mean?" he asked, carefully.

Emiko gave him a leveled look. No emotion. It was all business. "You both have grown quite close and I think now is the time to speak with you about your father and I."

Ryuki blinked. His mother never talked about his father much. It caused too much pain for her. The only stories he knew came from his grandparents. Why now?

"Ryuki-kun, as you know, your father and I grew up together. We knew each other since kindergarten. Back then, we were quite close. We went to the same schools and made the same friends. We were inseparable." Emiko continued, "By the time we reached Junior High School, I had this massive crush on him. However…" she paused. "However, your father was the biggest idiot I ever met. He was totally oblivious to my feelings despite the clues I've been giving him for years. Not only that, he had his eyes on another girl."

Ryuki bit back a comment. How could his father had done such a thing?

Emiko continued, "I couldn't really blame him. I mean, I was too scared to tell him how I felt to his face. I guess it was partly my fault that I never grew the nerve to just tell him. But, we were friends for so long and I didn't want to lose that. So, I watched, painfully, as he pursued this other girl."

Why was she telling him this?

"Then, one day, I met with an accident when your father was on a date with this girl," Emiko said. "He left her and came to see me in the hospital. I needed a blood transfusion but unfortunately my parents were away. So, your father, offered his own blood. They tested him and he was compatible."

Ryuki continued to listen with great interest.

"I woke up a day later to see him asleep on a chair, leaning over the back, like he'd been watching over me. When he woke up, he was smiling, with tears in his eyes. I didn't want to see him like that but then I too began to cry. You see, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to tell him how I felt. That was the day your father told me how he felt."

Ryuki waited for the conclusion.

"He told he'd always loved me since we met. He was just shy. It wasn't that he was clueless, it was because he was unsure of his feelings for me. He'd always had feelings of friendship for me and it frightened him to see those feelings changed. He went after the other girl because he didn't want to think of me like that, but my accident forced him to rethink his decision and to finally tell me how he felt. I too revealed my own feelings.

"We began to officially date and realized that our friends had been betting on us to get together for quite some time, actually." Emiko giggled. "I guess everyone could plainly see that we were meant for one another."

Ryuki smiled.

"So, when your father and I turned 18 and were about to go to college, he proposed to me," Emiko finished. "Now, this is why I've asked you to come here." She reached into a pocket in her clothes and pulled out a small velvet box. Ryuki stared at the box and wondered what it was before he got the idea.

"Okaasan…is that…?" he began to ask as Emiko opened the box for him to see the content. There, lying on a small satin pillow, were two golden wedding bands.

"These were our engagement rings," Emiko said. "I want you to have them."

"But-but I couldn't," Ryuki said. He couldn't. They were a precious memento. They were a symbol of love his mother and father had worn on the day they got engaged.

"Yes, you can," Emiko said seriously as she closed the box and handed it to her son, who accepted it shakily. "I told you once before that I approve of Jinx and I wish for her to be my daughter-in-law. It's only proper that when you ask her to marry you that you give her one of these rings." She closed the box and handed it to her son. "These are the symbols and declaration of the love your father and I shared and I wish to pass them on to you."

Ryuki gazed down on the box curiously. He then said, "Arigatou, okaasan," before enveloping her in a hug.

"Take care of yourself, my little Ryu-chan..."

…**End Flashback…

* * *

**

That had been before he chased after Scorpios/Asakura and ended up being killed as he was buried under rubble, only to resurrect as an Orphenoch. Sighing, he replaced the rings back into the box and then removed his own glove to stare at his own hand.

He could not give Jinx one of those rings. It wasn't because he didn't love her, far from it. He was absolutely crazy about her. It was because of his love for her that he couldn't show her the rings.

He was dying, he knew that. His DNA was starting to breakdown even more if the last few tests were any indication. He was relying on a DNA stabilizing serum but eventually that would start to fail too.

He couldn't give her one of the rings. If he'd died then it would be all that was left of him for her. He couldn't leave her that kind of pain. If he was going to die, he hoped that nothing would hold her back and she would move on.

He let out a tired sigh as he held up the box. He then placed it on his bedside table.

Just for fun, he had written down his friends' Kamen Rider names. The girls were easy to name since he named them after their Inzecters.

For Jinx, he named her Kamen Rider Scarab.

For Terra, he named her Kamen Rider Cutter.

For Blackfire, he named her Kamen Rider Fire.

For Renia, he named her Kamen Rider Red Locust (Punch Locust sounded weird to him).

Robin's name was also on the list. His Titan Gear resembled the Gear used by Faiz/Xander, Delta/Shinji and Kaixa/Selene. Since they were named after their Gears, the name Kamen Rider Titan seemed to fit him.

Today, he, Pluto, Blackfire and Jinx were going out on a double-date, to just hang out as two couples. He actually looked forward to spending some peace and quiet with Jinx. Blackfire and Pluto would obviously separate from them for some privacy. He knew them that well.

Sighing to himself, he stood up and went to his closet to get ready for the date.

* * *

Later…

The sounds and sights of the fair were in full swing as the four Titans arrived at the seaside fair which was going on. It boasted all sorts of rides, snacks, and attractions that would blow people's minds.

Draco and Pluto were there with their respective girlfriends, Jinx and Blackfire. The girls had heard about it and wanted to go. Jinx had never had a normal day at the fair and Blackfire had heard a lot about cotton candy from her sister. Despite knowing a lot about Earth, the elder Tamaranian hadn't tried the strange treat that Starfire recommended with a bright smile.

"Come on, Baby!" Jinx laughed as she dragged Draco over to the midway. "You can win me a unicorn!"

"Jinxy-chan," Draco sweatdropped with some laughter. He was going to do that for her anyway so she really didn't have to ask him.

"So, Yoshi," Blackfire smiled seductively as she dragged a finger across his chest. "Little sister told me about this wonderful treat called cotton candy. If you get me some…I think I can make a trip on the Tunnel of Love a little more love filled. What do you say?"

Pluto trembled slightly from Blackfire's seduction. All she really had to do was ask, but the way she could get his hormones churning without even trying was something that made her special. She wanted cotton candy? Well, she was gonna get some come hell or high water!

"Right away' mi'lady!" he grinned eagerly. "Let's go!"

"My hero," Blackfire giggled.

The two couples spent the entire day having fun at the fair.

Draco got Jinx a stuffed purple unicorn at one of the game stalls. All he had to do was knock down a few cans with a ball. He did it on the first try. Pluto, however, got hit when the ball he threw bounced off the back wall and hit him in the face.

The Haunted House was fun but they were kicked out when Blackfire accidentally blasted one of the props to pieces. Then there was the hall of mirrors where they enjoyed a good laugh while looking at the reflections. The hall of mirrors reminded Draco of the time he nearly lost Jinx. He tried to hide it.

They went on a few rides too and while getting snacks Blackfire got the soft sugary treat that Starfire had told her about. It was sweet and delicious! She actually gobbled the whole thing up.

Feeling daring, Blackfire wanted to try out the roller coaster. Pluto blanched as he gazed up at it, an unhappy memory in his mind and a horrible sensation in his stomach reminding him of what roller-coasters usually did to him.

"So, you wanna ride?" Blackfire asked Pluto as they looked at the rollercoaster.

"I think I'll pass," Pluto said, feeling queasy. He just had a large hotdog and didn't want a repeat of the last time he'd ridden on a rollercoaster.

"Baby?" Jinx asked her boyfriend, hoping he would be brave enough to ride with her. He shook his head. He wasn't in the mood.

"Not right now, Jinxy-chan. Gomen," he apologized. Jinx frowned.

"Come on!" Blackfire said. "Let's get on! We're not missing this!"

"Right!" Jinx said as she ran after Blackfire to ride the rollercoaster.

As Jinx and Blackfire rode the rollercoaster, both Knights sat down on a bench just to relax and started to talk.

"You had fun today?" Pluto asked his younger friend, the Dragon Knight.

"Hai, I did," Draco smiled but then noticed the troubled look on Pluto's face. "Something wrong?" he asked before jokingly adding, "Upset stomach or something?"

Pluto shook his head and said, "No, it's nothing like that." Mentally, he said, '_Should I do it? It's my mom we're talking about here. I know Leo would understand, but…_' Pluto turned serious, "Ryuki…Leo…" Pluto began, "We've known each other for awhile now, haven't we?"

"Hai, I guess we have," Ryuki answered. "Over three years."

"Remember how we met?" Pluto asked.

"How could I forget?" Draco responded.

The day Draco first met Pluto was when Ryuki accidentally found his way into the Mirror World as Zodiac Knight Draco Blank Mode and saw a giant spider. Pluto later intervened and defeated the monster. When Draco tried to question him, Pluto irritably shrugged him off. That was before they were chased out of the Mirror World when Dragonzer, before it was contracted to Draco, attacked them.

Pluto had actually ordered Draco to hand over his deck, forget the whole thing and just return to his normal life. However, Draco stubbornly refused and kept the deck until he eventually contracted Dragonzer with Eri's help and instruction since she'd seen her brother do it. At that time was in possession of her own deck but hadn't made a contract with a Zodiac Beast yet.

Their second meeting hadn't gone so well. Pluto was about to be killed when this time Draco intervened, empowered by Dragonzer, and defeated the monster. However, Pluto then told Draco that the Knights were enemies and proceeded to give him a beating.

Pluto had the tip of his lance pointed down on Draco throat and was about to finish him off when Shadowcobra got in the way, resulting in a three-way fight that only stopped when their time in the Mirror World ran out.

"So much has changed since then," Pluto said, looking down on his hands. "But…there are some things that remain the same." He clenched his fists tightly.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, concerned for his friend.

"It's my mother," Pluto admitted. "Her condition is deteriorating. The doctors can only keep her stable but eventually she'll…expire."

Draco became silent. He could somehow see what Pluto was going at with this. Pluto's wish as a Knight when he won this war was to revive his mother from her coma and maybe even use the wish to bring his father back from the dead. It was a long shot but it was what both he and his sister, Eri/Venus, had promised from the day they got their decks and became Zodiac Knights.

Pluto was desperate now, and his only option was…

Pluto didn't want to do this, but Draco beat him to the punch. "By the Code of the Zodiac Knights, I challenge you," Draco challenged, eyes cast on the ground.

The girls would soon leave their ride only to discover their boyfriends gone.

* * *

Pluto couldn't understand why Draco would challenge him out of the blue like that. As much as Pluto wanted to revive his mother, he suspected that Draco wanted the wish to become human again.

"You know you can back out," Pluto said to Draco as they stood in front of one of the message boards which had a reflective glass service.

"Formal Zodiac Challenge, Pluto," Draco said. "Once a challenge is made by the Code, there is no backing out. You taught me that."

Pluto remembered. He did. He looked at Draco. 3 years ago, Draco had just been a kid who got roped into this by accident. Now, he was a hardened warrior, a veteran. He had grown up and went through so much. The experiences he went through, both good and bad, had shaped him into the Knight he was now.

Draco glanced at Pluto, briefly remembering the first time they met and their first battle. He remembered how Pluto was once obsessed with defeating the other Knights in hopes of reviving his mother. Though Pluto hadn't told them, Draco had followed him and saw Pluto's mother. He could understand what Pluto was going through. He had lost a parent too.

They both brought out their decks in front of them, holding them out at the glass. Their belts formed around their waists.

"Empowerment of the Zodiac Dragon…" Draco began.

"Empowerment of the Zodiac Dog…" Pluto began.

"Henshin!" they cried in unison before sliding the decks into their belts. Their belts flashes as their bodies were engulfed by the energy. They then stood in their respective suits of Zodiac Armor. Without another word, they both dove into the rippling portal which would lead them into the Mirror World. There, no one would be able to interfere.

* * *

Jinx and Blackfire had enjoyed the ride greatly and were on their way to meet up with the boys again.

"OK, that was awesome!" Jinx said, fixing her hair a bit. "Too bad the guys missed it."

"It was OK, I guess," Blackfire said with a shrug. She was running her hands through her dark hair to straighten it out. They then reached the bench, but there were no boys waiting for them.

* * *

The two Knightriders sped into the area before braking. Their tops lifted up as their riders, both fully clad in their armors, dismounted from their respective vehicles.

Zodiac Knight Draco and Zodiac Knight Pluto both stood on the roof of a building, most likely a school, staring at one another.

"You ready?" the Dog Knight asked as he drew his sword. Draco nodded as his own blade slid out of the Dragauntlet.

"Hai," Draco nodded. He did issue the challenge.

"Give it all you got," Pluto said before he charged straight towards Draco, swinging his sword. Draco blocked with his Dragblade and sparks flew. Pluto swung again but Draco parried and then performed a strong front kick into Pluto's midsection. He then followed up with a right cross that sent Pluto sprawling. Draco would usually go and see if his friend was okay but he knew right now Pluto would not appreciate any sort of pity. They were enemies right now and enemies showed no concern for one another…even if they were friends.

Pluto sat up and sent lightning bolts at Draco and he got zapped in the chest. Sparks flew as the bolts continued to hit him and send him staggering. Pluto got up and charged and slashed Draco across the chest. He then sent a fist into the Dragon Knight's stomach and then attempted a slash but was pushed back by a psychic barrier. Draco then launched ice spikes and fireballs at him, forcing him to dodge them. Using the moment to his advantage, Draco then flew at Pluto and got him with a flying kick. Pluto was sent nearly flying off the building but his cape morphed into wings and allowed him to hover back onto their battlefield. He reached down to his belt and pulled out a card with a blue background and depicting a golden wing…The Survivor card.

Strong winds began to blow all around and Draco prepared himself, knowing something was about to happen.

Pluto's sword then morphed into a sword and shield combo, with the sword sheathed within the bat-like shield. The shield was equipped to his left arm. He then slid the card into the shield.

Draco was thinking, '_Takada…you sure you want to do this? Once you take a life…there is no turning back…is it worth it?_'

He got his answer.

"Survive!" Pluto announced and his armor then changed into its Survivor Mode, covering more of his body, turning sapphire blue with gold trim and sporting a new cape split in two. He then drew his sword, which then lengthened as he charged at Draco. Draco dodged under a swing and then rolled away as Pluto brought the sword down on him. Draco then decided to level the playing field as he too drew a card which depicted a golden wing on a red background. Flames began to dance around him as his Dragauntlet then morphed into a blaster shaped like a dragon's head and the 'jaw' opened. He then put the card into the 'mouth' and closed the jaw shut. He then stood back up.

Pluto was thinking, almost regretfully, '_Ryuki…you are my friend…but right now…you are standing between me and my wish. Show me what you can do, my friend._'

"Survive!" Draco called as the flames engulfed him and then changed him into his own crimson and gold Survivor Mode. He then got ready with his Dragblaster as Pluto rushed at him. Draco dodged the swings and then used a vicious uppercut to send Pluto staggering. Pluto got back into the game and swung again at Draco and the Dragon Knight rolled out of the way. At the same time said Dragon Knight had slid a card into his weapon.

"Sword Vent," he called under his breath as he kneeled and a blade appeared on barrel of his weapon. He stood back up and charged at Pluto again, turning it into a sword fight once again.

Their weapons clashes, sending sparks flying as they blocked each other's strikes. Pluto got a hit on the shoulder but he too got a hit when he stuck Draco in the chest. They then locked weapons but Pluto proved to be more determined as he was able to push Draco against the railing. He pushed harder, attempting to push the Dragon Knight over. Draco's feet dangled over the floor as he was forced to lean backwards on the railing.

"Can't…lose…" he struggled as Pluto continued to push. He pushed back. Summoning the Ox power, he then shoved Pluto back and then punched him hard in the chest to send him flying. "If you take a life now, you can never go back!" he shouted at Pluto. He was speaking from experience.

"We have no choice!" Pluto shouted back as he got back to his feet and slid a card into his sword before sliding it back into the shield. "Shoot Vent!" His card reader then turned into a crossbow and he fired at Draco. Draco was able to dodge the first shot but the second shot sent him to fall over the railing and on his back on top of the roof of a lower structure connected to the building where they had been standing on.

Draco drew a card, his Trick Vent, and slid it into his card reader. "Trick Vent!" he called as he stood up and two Draco cloned appeared flanking him. The trio then leapt up and back onto the battlefield.

Pluto was surrounded but decided to make it a fair fight. He drew a card and slid it into his reader. "Trick Vent!" he called out as two Pluto duplicates appeared too. The clones battled their counterparts as the originals battled each other once again.

Swords clashed as powers lashed out at one another. Neither party wanted to give up. This was their fate! They had to fight! They had no choice!

Pluto pictured his mother's face as he fought. Each strike brought up a memory of her for him and reminded him of why he became a Knight.

Draco could feel the emotions Pluto was putting into his strikes, but like Pluto he was not going to give up without a fight. He punched at Pluto who countered with a lightning bolt and a stab to his chest. Draco slashed at him with his blade and continued to attack his friend with the ferocity that would most likely have come from Ifrit.

The two Knights cried as they fought one another, never letting up…

Sparks exploded from their intense battle.

Only one of them would survive this fight to the finish.

* * *

Jinx and Blackfire, meanwhile, had been looking around everywhere for their boyfriends. They arrived in a clearing after being separated for awhile.

"Did you find them?" Jinx asked the alien girl.

"No," Blackfire shook her head. "Where are they?"

"You don't think they're…fighting a monster, do you?" Jinx asked, worriedly.

Blackfire replied, "I don't think we need to be worrying about a monster right now. I think we have to worry about _them_ more."

"Why?" Jinx asked. She knew something was up. She asked but she wondered if she wanted to know the answer.

"I accidentally read one of Takada's e-mails," Blackfire confessed. "And it said that his mom is getting worst."

Jinx gasped. "No…but that means." It finally clicked. "We have to stop them!"

"How?" Blackfire asked. "They are probably in the Mirror World where we can't follow them and they know it. All we can do now is wait."

Jinx still didn't like it.

* * *

Draco was growing tired. He was starting to feel the breakdown happening again. Ignoring it, he slashed at Pluto who leapt back only to be blasted by a fireball. Pluto's chest was scorched by the intense flames Draco had produced.

Changing tactics, Pluto sheathed his sword and morphed his arms into gattling cannons. Aiming, he fired multiple shots at the Dragon Knight in rapid succession, forcing Draco to use his teleportation powers to dodge. He switched weapons and morphed his arms into plasma blades. He slashed at Draco but the Dragon Knight was quick to slide a card into his card reader.

"Guard Vent!"

Dragonrizer roared as it flew into the battle zone, encircling Draco protectively after smashing Pluto away with its tail. The Dog Knight tumbled over the floor before he got into a kneeling position. He sent a wave of electricity at the dragon who then roared in pain. Pluto was then smashed by a telekinetic blast to his shoulder which shattered his shoulder guard. He drew a card and slid it into his own card reader.

"Blast Vent!"

Darkraider flew into the scene and the turbine in its winds spun, creating gale force winds that were pushing at Draco. His feet dragged against the surface of the floor but he was able to grip a card and activate it.

"Shoot Vent!"

Dragonrizer growled as it stood behind its master, catching him with its body. Draco was pressed against Dragonrizer due to the gale but was able to aim at Darkraider. He fired a targeting laser and Dragonrizer shot a fireball dead centre at Darkraider. The armored bat screeched in pain as it received the attack, halting the wind it had created.

Both Draco and Pluto looked at each other one last time before drawing their final cards. These cards bore their symbols, gold and flanked by wings in the background. They took one last glance at each other before activating the cards.

"SURVIVOR FINAL VENT!"

Darkraider screeched as Dragonrizer roared before their Knighs mounted them and charged right at each other with great speed.

* * *

The two then heard groaning and Jinx's eyes widened as she saw Draco, out of his armor, staggering onto the grassy clearing. He collapsed onto his knees and fell on the grass. "Ryuki!" Jinx screamed as she ran towards him. She saw he had a number of injuries on him, mostly cuts and bruises. "Are you okay? Speak to me!" She could see his Orphenoch flames starting to heal him.

Blackfire's eyes widened as she saw Pluto, without his armor as well, walking in her sights. He didn't sport the same wounds on him because of his invulnerability but she knew he was hurt too. He collapsed out of exhaustion before Blackfire ran towards him.

* * *

Both Draco and Pluto woke up in the Tower infirmary. The Dragon Knight's wounds had healed while Pluto had recovered from his fatigue. Right now they were under the scrutiny of their two girlfriends as well as at their mercy. They didn't look too happy with them.

"What were you two thinking ditching us like that!?" Blackfire yelled at Pluto.

"Yeah!" Jinx agreed. "We're your girlfriends for crying out loud!" Jinx grabbed Draco by the arm. He winced but Jinx ignored it as she dragged him out of bed for a private 'chat'.

Pluto was shrinking in his bed as he gulped at the glowing glare his alien girlfriend was giving him. Not much could scare someone who was invulnerable but right now Pluto thought that maybe he should've stayed unconscious.

Blackfire calmly reached up to a curtain which was sometimes used to separate patients and give them privacy should they need it. Without saying a word she pulled it along until she and Pluto were hidden from sight. Both Knights knew that they were in for it now.

Pluto & Blackfire…

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Blackfire shrieked as she glared at Pluto, her violet eyes glowing brightly.

"I didn't have a choice," Pluto defended. "Draco was the one who challenged me…"

"I don't care who challenged who!" Blackfire snapped. "The point is that you were fighting one of your best friends and got hurt! You could have died!"

"I knew the risks, but…" Pluto tried to speak.

"No! Don't start!" Blackfire shouted back. "I've heard about that wish and Zodiac War crap too many times to count now! I know what you want to wish for and I know that she's getting worse!"

"Huh?" Pluto blinked. "Did you-?"

"I did see that message," Blackfire nodded. "I know you want to save her, but I just don't want to lose you."

Blackfire started shivering as she began to cry. The tears were running down her face and made her mascara run. She was struggling not to, but she was fighting a losing battle with that.

"I just got my life turned around," she sniffed. "But you're the one who makes it worthwhile. You make me feel so happy and when you look at me I can forget about all the terrible things I've done. If I lost you I might as well be dead."

Blackfire then gave up her battle and broke down sobbing. Pluto was quick to take her into his arms and hold her and let her cry. It was breaking his own heart to see her cry and know that he was the source of her distress.

"I don't want to see you suffer like this," she sobbed. "I may have been banished from Tamaran, but my sister is empress so I'm sure we can find something to help your mother. We must have something."

Pluto felt his breath stop in his throat. Was it that simple? He was friends with aliens and they had completely different technology. Surely they had something that might help. Was he alone for so long that he really didn't know how to ask for help even when he desperately needed it?

As he pondered that question, he continued to hold his girlfriend who continued to cry into his chest.

* * *

Draco & Jinx…

"What were you thinking, Ryuki?!" Jinx snapped. "What on Earth made you challenge your own friend?"

"Well," Draco flinched under his girlfriend's gaze. "He told me that his mother's condition was getting worse. I figured if we fought and one of us won then the tournament would come closer to ending and if I lost then he would be that much closer to saving her."

"Baby, that's insane!" Jinx cried out. "You're life is already short enough. Why are you trying to make it shorter?!"

"But, Jinx, she'll die if we don't do something!" Draco cried.

"Then try to find another way!" Jinx snapped, her eyes getting watery. "God, I'm already scared I'm going to lose you to that damned Orphenoch flaw. We're trying to find the Orphenoch King, but I'm scared that we're going to be too late!"

"Jinxy-chan," Draco frowned. He could see that his girlfriend was on the verge of shedding tears. He was quick to take her in his arms and tried to comfort her.

"I don't want anything to happen to you," she sobbed. "I love you."

"I love you too, Jinxy-chan," Draco whispered as he continued to hold her in his arms as she sobbed into his chest. "Gomen."

* * *

Later that night, Mortuary walked out of his room and towards the common room. He was dressed in his civilian clothing which consisted of a black t-shirt, faded blue jeans, black and white sneakers, and black wristbands. He also had his Red Wolves jacket slung over his shoulder. As he exited the common room, he looked to see if anyone was around to see him leave. Out of one of the hallway doors Draco peered his head out to watch Mortuary leave. He decided to follow him since Mortuary had been acting rather unusual today. Just when he was about to follow again he didn't noticed the dark figure behind him.

"Hi, Leo," The figure spoke.

Draco jumped before turning around to see Renia standing behind him with a bright grin on her face "Jeez, Ren! You scared the hell out of me!" he shouted. Draco had recovered from his fight with Pluto but not totally unscathed. The tongue lashing he'd received from his girlfriend had not been pleasant. The angry look on her face and the words coming from her mouth were still deeply rooted within his memory.

"Oh, my bad." Renia said. She then decided to ask "What are you doing sneaking around anyway?"

"I'm following Mortuary. He's been acting weird today. Haven't you noticed?"

"Not really, no. I thought he just acted weird all the time." Renia paused for a second. "Well what do you think he's doing?"

Draco just shrugged, "Maybe he's going on date?"

Renia's eyes widened in panic, "He couldn't be! This is Craig we're talking about. He's pretty much as anti-social as they come." She was really hoping it wasn't a date.

"Well we're not gonna find out by just standing around. C'mon," Draco said as he dragged Ren by the wrist.

"Where are we going?" Renia asked

"The roof. We can watch him from there," Draco answered as he led on.

* * *

Mortuary walked out of the Tower doors and saw Terra sitting on the rocks by the water. Terra noticed him walk up behind her.

"Hey there," Mort greeted.

"Hey," Terra greeted back. "So ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Mortuary answered meekly, he was kind of nervous to run into his old team again.

"You'll be fine," Terra smiled to reassure him. She then summoned up a boulder from out of the water and beckoned to Mortuary. She stood on top of the boulder waiting for her former leader.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this flying rock stuff," Mort said as he climbed on.

"Alright, now hold on," Terra warned as she raised the boulder into the air.

Mortuary shut his eyes then wrapped his arms around Terra's waist. Terra turned her head back to look at Mortuary. After a few seconds he spoke up "You know how I am with heights."

Terra shook her head. "You know for a guy called 'Mortuary' you sure have a ridiculous fear."

"Just drive," Mortuary said in defeat.

Terra just chuckled and kept the boulder flying.

* * *

When Draco and Renia arrived at the roof they looked around to see any sign of Mortuary. They didn't see anything on the Tower grounds. Draco kneeled down to get a closer look but still couldn't see him. "How did he get off the island so fast?" he asked himself.

Renia looked around and saw something close by. When she noticed what it was her jaw dropped. She tugged on Draco's jacket and when he turned around he saw Renia's face in a state of shock. "What is it, Ren?" He asked in concern for his young alchemist friend, who simply pointed at what she saw.

"You said he might be on a date, right?" Renia asked.

Draco gulped, "Only one way to find out." It was then that Draco and Renia rushed to the garage and mounted the Jet Slinger. Renia cast an invisibility spell and they sped off after their fellow Titans.

* * *

Terra and Mortuary reached their destination. The area was too quiet and they started to suspect something was up. Both Titans opened the warehouse door as quietly as they could. As they walked in they noticed all the lights were off. Mortuary pulled out a small flashlight from his utility belt which he happened to bring along with him. He shined it around his and Terra's perimeter but still saw nothing. Suddenly a single light above them turned on. Terra and Mortuary were instantly back to back, ready for whatever came.

A shard of ice shot out at their feet but both Titans were able to dodge it easy. Mortuary didn't notice a new attacker was standing behind him. The unknown enemy tapped him on the shoulder. As soon as Mortuary turned around his face almost made contact with a fist. More fists kept coming and it was getting harder to keep up. Mortuary was ready for the next one as he caught his attacker's arm and threw him over his shoulder.

Terra was also being attacked by an unknown foe. The attacker had been shooting a mix of fireballs and lightning bolts at the Titans' geomancer. Terra was tempted to call her Inzecter but decided against it. That thing was only for dire emergencies. Terra could tell the attacker's position was atop a stack of crates so she made the ground underneath jut out and topple them. Terra's enemy jumped off the crates just in time and landed gracefully on the ground. Terra prepared for the next attack as her adversary jumped from out of the shadows and…..hugged her?

"Tara!" The attacker squealed and was revealed to be young girl about the age of 15.

"Cassy?" Terra asked as she looked down at the girl who called her name.

"The one and only," she (Cassy) answered back happily. On closer inspection Cassy had medium length brown hair tied up in two pigtails and her green eyes brightened up with delight. She was dressed in a black and red school girl uniform with a red skirt and black shirt. She also wore black shoes with red knee high socks and gloves. The Red Wolves symbol was visible on the back of her shirt.

All of the lights in the warehouse flashed on revealing two others; one female and the other male. The female in terms of appearance had long black hair that reaches to her lower back which has some blue streaks in it and blue eyes. She wore the same Red Wolves jacket as Terra. Underneath the jacket she wore a black tank top. She also had on black leather pants with a blue stripe on each side. Ashleigh also wore black boots and gloves that also had a blue stripe on each making the middle and ring fingers blue.

The male had short slicked back brown hair and brown eyes. Andrew also wore round glasses. In terms of clothing he wore a black collared shirt that had the Red Wolves symbol over the right breast with black slacks and shoes.

Mortuary looked down at the young man who had attacked him. He had parted blonde hair and blue eyes, he was a bit short but of a muscular build. The tattoo going down his right arm said "Dead by Dawn" as a warning to his foes. He was dressed in a black football jersey that had the Red Wolves symbol present on the sleeves. He also wore black shorts, red sneakers, and a red beanie.

Mortuary smiled as he reached out his hand to help the young man up. "Need some help there, Billy?" He asked.

To Be Continued…

OK, that's the chap. Mort and Terra go and meet their old crew but don't know they've been followed by the Knight of Dragons and the Crystal Alchemist. Wonder what will happen next?

The Draco VS Pluto fight was inspired by the fight between Kamen Rider Ryuuki and Kamen Rider Knight from KAMEN RIDER RYUUKI the series which inspired me to write this fic in the first place.


	67. PT067: Reunion of the Red Wolves

Part 67: Reunion of the Red Wolves

Mortuary smiled as he reached out his hand to help the young man up. "Need some help there, Billy?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess I do. Just like all the others time," Billy said as he smirked.

"So you actually did show up?" said the dark haired girl from before.

"C'mon, Ash, you didn't think I'd miss a chance to take over command again, did ya?" Mortuary retorted while helping Billy up.

"Fat chance of that, skull boy, you know why you're here."

Terra walked in between the two "Good to see you, Ash," she greeted her former teammate.

Ash smiled and nodded "Hey Tara, it's been a while. Good to see you're keeping the dunce alive."

Mortuary cleared his throat. "I believe you had something to show us?" He asked

"Right, let's get to it." Ash motioned to the boy next to her, "Show them, Andrew"

Andrew pulled out a small PDA-like machine which, when activated, showed a hologram of the globe. "It seems our old enemy has relocated to the small country of Zandia. It's a bit off the coast of Africa," he spoke up.

"And it was really easy for him to set up shop since Zandia's in the midst of a civil war."

* * *

As Terra and Mortuary were being briefed by Andrew, the Jet Slinger (still invisible) silently landed on the harbor. The two Titans dismounted from the vehicle as Renia's invisibility spell wore off.

"You sure you saw them come in here?" Renia asked.

"Hai, I did," Draco answered, "Now, come on. I think I saw them go into one of those warehouses."

"Right," Renia nodded as they two made their way towards the warehouse they'd seen Mortuary and Terra enter. They then hid behind several large crates. They poked out their heads to see what was going on.

The two Titans, within the limited lighting, could see their two friends surrounded by others. It didn't seem like they were in trouble. It was more like they were having a reunion.

"What are they saying?" Renia whispered.

"Shh," Draco hushed the Crystal Alchemist. "I'm trying to hear."

* * *

Andrew's PDA started to let an alarm as the screen flashed red. He then said to the others, "We've got party crashers here, and one of them has Orphenoch DNA!"

"Occultus' goons, no doubt," Billy cracked his knuckles. "So, Morty, Terra, you two ready to do it like old times?"

Mortuary got out his gun and grinned, "Just tell me where to point and shoot."

"Over there by those crates!" Andrew pointed and the Red Wolves got ready to attack.

Cassandra chanted a spell before sending one of her energy blasts flying at the crates, blowing it up. The two 'intruders' had to get out of the way fast or else they would've gotten blasted to bits. Unfortunately, now they were exposed.

One of those out of the frying pan and into the fire situations.

"Let's get 'em!" Billy shouted as he charged forward at the shorter intruder before throwing a fist. His target ducked and slammed their palms onto the floor, lighting it up with some sort of magical circle before crystal spikes rose up around him. Terra's eyes widened in realization.

"Guys, wait!" Terra shouted but unfortunately they didn't take the time to listen and charged straight into the fight. Well, all except for Andrew who just leaned against the wall to watch the show.

Mortuary lit up his hand with necroplasmic energy before slashing down on one of the intruders. However, when his wrist was caught, the eerie glow of his hands lit up his opponent's face to him. He then blinked, "Ryuki!? What the hell are you doing here!?" Before he got an answer, however, a solid block of ice smashed into Ryuki and slammed him into the wall. Ashleigh smirked slightly at Mortuary.

"Looks like I saved your butt again," Ashleigh boasted. "Just like old times." She then focused her gaze on the intruder and prepared several ice spikes to throw at him. Mortuary grabbed her wrists before she could throw them. She gave him an odd look. "Craig?"

"Stop it, now!" he ordered her.

Meanwhile, Billy was trying to break out of his crystal prison. However, that was a lot easier said than done since the solid crystals could absorb his punches. "Let me out of here!" he growled at Renia who responded by sticking out her tongue.

"Sorry, big guy," she mocked, "No can do." She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and then her glove tore as she transmuted her crystal hand into a shield to block a lightning bolt strike. She turned to see the teen sorcerer of the Red Wolves readying another elemental spell. "Nice trick," Renia said, impressed. She then morphed her shield into a blade, "But I prefer the up close and personal touch!" She then leapt at Cassandra and slashed down with her blade. Unfortunately, she met with a wall of stone that forced her back onto her rear. "Ow…" Billy chuckled.

"Not so tough are ya, short-stuff?" Billy said.

Terra, Draco and Mortuary all froze in horror at those words.

Bad choice of words, Billy.

Renia reacted the way she always did when called 'short'.

She exploded.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!!" she exploded as she changed into her crystal skinned form. Her transmutation circle formed right under her and expanded, turning the floor to solid crystal.

"Oh, crap!" Billy gulped as he felt his crystal prison getting smaller, ready to crush him. "Uh, guys? A little help here!!" He attempted to break the crystal with his fists but they kept regenerating, and fast.

"Renia, stop!" Terra shouted at the young alchemist who didn't seem to hear her in her haze of rage. "I SAID STOP!!" Terra shouted, slamming her foot down hard enough to cause an earthquake with her powers. The shockwave caused the crystal floor to crack. That finally got Renia's attention as the transmutation circle vanished following her calming down.

"Terra?" Renia questioned when Terra approached her. She felt the older girl's hands on her shoulders. "What's going on here?"

"Hey, I should be asking that!" Cassandra snapped.

"I think this was all a big misunderstanding," Andrew said, logically. "But first, maybe we should release Billy."

"I second that!" Billy shouted out. "I'm feeling a little cramped in here."

"Sorry about that," Renia said before snapping her fingers which then shattered the crystal spikes surrounding Billy.

"So, what's going on and who are you people?" Draco asked, referring to Billy, Andrew, Cassandra and Ashleigh.

Mortuary stepped forward and said, "Leo, let me introduce you to my old team: The Red Wolves."

* * *

After a lengthy explanation, Draco finally got to know about the Red Wolves and their names as well as their codenames.

Billy/Bruiser was the team's strongman who was able to increase his own physical strength by absorbing the emotions around him, moistly negative emotions, to use against his enemies.

Ashleigh/Snow Blood was the team's second in command and also Mortuary's former girlfriend. She seemed oddly cold but Draco hadn't known her for very long so he shouldn't pass judgment too easily.

Cassandra/Wyvern was the team's magic user and could cast elemental magic. She looked up to Terra like a sister and the two seemed to have a very close relationship.

Andrew/Falconer didn't exactly seem to have any impressive powers but he was the team's resident genius. When Draco had questioned him as to why he was known as Falconer, Andrew only responded by saying, "You'll see, soon enough."

"So, these two are members of those Titans you decided to join up?" Ashleigh asked Mortuary and Terra. Both nodded.

"That's right, Ash," Mortuary said. "And believe me they're almost harmless."

"_Almost_ harmless?" Renia parroted. "Please, since when have I ever been _harmless_?"

"But can you explain to me as to why the Titans have an Orphenoch on their team?" Andrew said, giving an accusing glare at said Orphenoch. Draco didn't like the way he was being looked at. "For all we know, he could be a spy for Occultus."

"He's not a spy," both Mortuary and Terra concluded.

"Believe me, Leo here can be trusted," Mortuary explained. "Kid's got a heart of gold."

"I'm not that good, Mort," Draco protested. He could still remember the blood on his hands and the memory of Ryuga still plagued him. He wasn't as good as when he'd started out this whole Zodiac Knight thing.

"So, why are you all here?" Renia asked.

"Well, we called Craig and Tara here to help us will a little mission," Ashleigh explained. Renia cast the cryokinetic a glare. She was Mortuary's ex and thus an obstacle.

"What kind of a mission?" Draco asked, interested.

"Why should we tell you?" Billy huffed, arms crossed. "This is strictly Red Wolves' business, not for kids."

"I'm not a kid," Draco growled, his eyes igniting. '_Not anymore_…'

'_Yeah, you tell 'em!_' Ifrit cheered.

Terra seemed to be in deep thought. She then spoke up, "No, they deserve to know and so do the Titans." The other Red Wolves, save for Mortuary, stared at her.

"Why? We don't need their help!" Billy cried. "We can handle Occultus on our own!"

This caught Draco's attention, "You're all going after Occultus?"

"Oops," Billy let out. His big mouth had just revealed part of their plan.

"Pretty much," Mortuary nodded. He gestured towards Andrew, "Falconer here knows where Occultus is hiding and we decided to take him down once and for all."

"But he has an army of Orphenochs," Draco reminded, "And his elite generals."

"Hey, we can take them!" Billy cracked his knuckles confidently.

"An army?" Cassandra said nervously. "That doesn't sound good."

"Relax, Cassie!" Billy said, placing a comforting hand on the spell-caster's shoulder. "Occultus won't know what hit him when we go in there and kick ass!"

"Unfortunately, statistics don't seem to be in our favor," Andrew said as he ran the numbers on his PDA. "Based on my calculations, our chances of victory are 30 percent, and this is without any unwanted variables."

Billy snorted, "Falconer, we've beaten odds like that before."

"Barely. But remember, Billy, that numbers don't lie."

Ashleigh listened to all this. Maybe extra backup would be a good idea. She then said, "Alright, maybe we should work with the Titans." Before any objections, mostly by Billy, were voiced out, she added, "We need the extra help. Mort already told me that the Titans have fought a lot of dangerous villains so they could be useful to our cause."

"So, you agree to team up?" Draco said excitedly. He was happy to make some new friends.

"We'll need to vote on this, though," Ashleigh said. "Red Wolves only."

"Renia, you and Draco should go back to the Tower, okay?" Terra said to the young homunculus. "We'll be back soon."

"OK, T," Renia smiled and nodded. "Come on, Draco!"

As Renia went towards the exit, Draco followed her but cast one last glance at the Red Wolves. '_So…those are his and Terra's old teammates. Quite an interesting bunch._'

* * *

"Are you guys seriously considering teaming up with those Titans!?" Billy yelled out at his friends and teammates. "We don't need them!"

"Billy, I suspect that the only reason you're angry is because that Renia girl trapped you in a crystal prison you could not break away from, even with the rage she was exhibiting. Even if you had absorbed her rage to add to your strength, those crystals were resonating and would still absorb your blows," Andrew said.

Billy didn't quite understand all the words but he could recognize the insulting tone in the genius' voice. He didn't take too kindly to it. "If you weren't one of my best friends I would so kick your ass."

"So, should we really team up with them?" Cassandra asked. "I don't really like that Renia girl."

"She has a bit of a temper, but she's okay," Terra assured her younger friend.

"Still we haven't met all of them so we can't pass judgment too soon," Andrew added. "Ashleigh?" She wanted to know her opinion.

Sighing, Ashleigh said, "Occultus is not someone we should underestimate here. No matter how many times we fight him, he always manages to get away. I say strength in numbers."

Mortuary then spoke, "So all in favor say 'aye'."

Terra, Andrew and Ashleigh: "Aye."

"All opposed?" he asked again and Billy and Cassandra raised their arms. "The ayes have it." Mortuary said.

"Great…" Billy grumbled.

"So, when do we meet these Titans?" Ashleigh asked.

"No time like the present," Terra said. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

Both Renia and Draco reentered Titans Tower, discussing their discovery of the Red Wolves' reunion, plans as well as a possible alliance.

"I still don't trust them," Renia voiced out, hands in her red coat pockets. Draco chuckled.

"That's because Billy called you 'that word'," Draco replied. He and the other Titans all knew that saying the word 'short' would cause Renia to go berserk so they avoided ever using that word or any similar words in her presence. "We all have a common enemy here, Renia. Occultus has to be stopped."

"I get that," Renia nodded. "And, if Terra trusts them, then maybe they ain't so bad."

Draco smiled in response.

"So, what do we tell the other Titans?" Renia asked.

Draco seemed to be in deep thought. "I think that it's best for Mortuary and Terra to tell them."

Renia grinned, "Occultus isn't going to know what hit him."

'_I seriously hope so,_' Draco, Ifrit and Yaminekoryu thought at once.

* * *

Copycat was watching the scene in the warehouse through one of the many hidden surveillance cams Slade had stationed all over the city to monitor it and the activities that went about. Nothing ever escaped his notice and this applied to his apprentice as well. She had Jasmine in her lap as she stroked the feline's fur. Her eyes focused on each of the Red Wolves and their abilities, taking note of them just incase she may face them in the future.

"A strongman, a genius, a cryokinetic and a spell-caster," Copycat mused as she saw their powers in action. She tented her hands under her chin. "So, Zandia…that's where Occultus is hiding?" If that was right, then it meant Grave was there too. Her lips curled into a cruel smirk. She wanted too much to teach Grave a lesson for humiliating her. She desired retribution and would get it with a little help from these Red Wolves.

Copycat heard heavy footsteps and recognized the person behind her, "Slade-sama…" She got up and smiled at her 'father' before bowing.

"What have you to report?" Slade asked, one of his eyes narrowing.

"Terra and Mortuary's old team, the Red Wolves, have arrived in the city," Copycat reported. Slade looked at the screens. The Red Wolves. If they were anything like Terra, then they could be easily manipulated. Unfortunately, they would also rebel against him. He hated rebels. Terra and Robin had been failures. Draco had been promising but unfortunately lacked enough evil to be completely taken in. Copycat, however…

Slade's eyes gazed tenderly at the young girl. At first she had been uncontrollable, disrespectful and full of rage. Now, the rage was still there but she could keep a handle on her temper as well as the only apprentice who's stayed loyal to him. He had no reason to give her severe punishment. That would only make her spiteful as he had learned from his experience with Terra nor did he threaten her like he did Robin. He had her loyalty through being a father figure and a male role-model.

The girl had even saved his life, an act that he would never have expected from Terra or Robin since they would leave him to rot. That was why he could call Copycat his daughter.

With Joey gone, pursuing a new life as a hero, Slade needed Copycat to get stronger. She had trained and practiced her powers so now she could retain powers she had copied for much longer. The weakness was still there but there was still time to get around that one.

The only thing that Slade couldn't get rid of was Copycat's kindness towards children. He knew he couldn't order her to hurt kids. His eldest, Grant, would have no problem blowing up a large inhabited building but Copycat did not like killing children. It was against her very nature. Said nature did bring in a good addition into their ranks. His adopted granddaughter, Cathy, had been rescued by Copycat and grew up quickly under his tutelage. He didn't want to admit it or show it to his underlings, but he deeply loved Cathy. He loved all his children, but his reputation would not allow him to display it publicly.

The villains they had recruited for Tartarus were being trained and he'd seen their progress. They were given the harshest training possible and punishment was used to motivate them. They were also motivated by their hatred for the Titans. Such a cause was worthy for them.

He still didn't trust Madame Rouge, a sentiment he shared with Copycat. Despite her show of loyalty now, she was still the surviving member of the now dead Brotherhood of Evil. He was wary of her, despite them being intimate on several occasions. That woman was quite flexible, even in bed, and one time he realized that he'd been thinking about it so hard that Copycat could hear it and ended up throwing up in the bathroom out of disgust. He made sure to keep his mind shielded since it had been a very uncomfortable week between the two.

Though Slade knew Copycat was loyal, he knew she partly stayed around due to her love for Rose. Though he'd been disturbed when he discovered his daughter was a lesbian, if it kept Copycat around then he would tolerate and accept their relationship. It did lead the three of them having the infamous 'Talk' about the 'Birds and the Bees'. That had been one subject that he'd wanted to avoid talking to with the kids. Hell, he had to do the same thing with Cathy, who he still saw as the same baby Copycat had brought into their home and lives.

"Slade-sama. Slade-sama!" Copycat called repeatedly. Slade had been so lost in thought that he hadn't heard her. "Are you listening to me?"

Slade stood stoically, his intimidating figure not showing any cracks to his armor. "Yes, what is it?"

"Should we go to Zandia and finish off Occultus?" Copycat asked, exasperated. "He's a huge threat to our plans."

"Why sully our hands when we can have the Titans and Wolves do it for us?" Slade replied. Copycat clenched her fists as her eyes narrowed.

"Because, I want to be the one to slash that smirk right off his face!" Copycat growled as she revealed her energy claws. "And Grave's **mine**!"

"You'll get your chance, my dear," Slade said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Have patience." Patience was one of the lessons he'd taught Copycat since in the beginning she was far too excited about going into battle that she would often disobey his orders. "You'll have your chance. Now, all we need to do is wait and watch."

"I don't wanna wait!" Copycat whined and hissed but then caught the glare Slade was giving her. "Gomen…"

"Well, if you feel so strongly about this…" Slade finally relented. Copycat smiled. "But only if you can get me some information he has as well. Might as well steal his plans while you're at it."

Copycat gave a huge grin and hugged her master. Slade looked around, making sure no one was watching. He had a reputation to keep after all.

* * *

Renia and Draco went up the elevator towards the top floor where their rooms were. As the elevator doors opened, they were greeted with a very angry Jinx.

"Where have you two been?" she demanded.

Both Renia and Draco exchanged looks and gulped.

"Well?" Jinx asked, tapping her feet.

"It was his/her idea!" Renia and Draco shouted, pointing at one another, "WHAT!?"

"I don't care whose idea it was!" Jinx snapped, causing Draco to go pale. "Did you know how worried I was? I tried to call you but you never picked up!"

"You did?" Draco asked and dug into his pockets. He then realized that he didn't have his communicator on him. "Oh, kuso!"

Jinx sighed. "It's late. We should all be in bed. We'll talk tomorrow."

"OK," Renia agreed, running past Jinx and then spinning around briefly to wave at Jinx and Draco, "Nighty-night!" before darting around a corner to her room.

"Goodnight, Ryuki," Jinx said as she turned to go to her room but she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Jinxy-chan, chotto matte kudasai," Draco said in an apologetic tone. Jinx turned and crossed her arms. "Gomen."

Jinx's expression was neutral and she pointed out, with arms folded in front of her chest, "This is like the second time you apologized to me." It had been several hours since Draco and Pluto fight with one another. Both Blackfire and Jinx were still a little angry with the two Knights over the impromptu brawl the two had whilst on a double-date of all things. "I'm still mad at you."

"I know," Draco nodded.

"I mean, what if something had happened to you and I didn't know?" Jinx asked. Draco knew what she was talking about. It was the flaw in his DNA. It was breaking down. The serum may have slowed it down a little, but it was still happening. He could feel as particles of ash fell from his fingers. "I don't want to lose you."

Draco looked extremely guilty. "I never meant to hurt you like this."

Jinx closed her eyes and turned away, "It's just, I know you want to be a hero more than anything. I've seen you risk your life for others, even sacrifice yourself, but is that truly the way you want to live?"

"It's the path I've chosen," Draco answered. "My life means nothing."

"Don't say that!" Jinx snapped as she spun around to glare at him. "Your life is not worthless!"

"But I need to protect people and-"

"How can you do that if you don't take care of yourself first?"

Draco fell silent. Jinx grabbed his hand.

"Come on," Jinx said. "Let's get some sleep."

"Hai," Draco nodded as Jinx led him towards his room.

* * *

"So, this is Titan Tower," Andrew said, admiring the structure after the Red Wolves stepped onto the island, "Quite impressive."

"It's kinda sticks out, don't ya think?" Cassandra pointed out.

"It's shaped like a 'T'," Ashleigh said, "Of course it will draw attention."

"Hope you're ready to meet the team, guys," Terra said as the large doors opened.

"If they can kick butt, then they're OK with me," Bruiser said.

"Welcome to Titans Tower," Mortuary greeted as the Red Wolves entered.

To Be Continued…

Well, the Red Wolves have been introduced. Next up is the meeting between the Red Wolves and Titans. Also, there is a traitor amongst them and you will never guess who.

And for info on the Red Wolves, here you go:

* * *

Codename: Mortuary

Real Name: Craig Smith

Age: 17

Biography: Young Craig Smith was born never knowing who his real parents are. Craig is actually a clone of an ancient sorcerer named Joachim Xell; Craig was the only perfect clone in what was dubbed Project: Xell. Craig was raised to have no concept of right and wrong he was only trained to carry out orders for his superiors. Craig's superiors are the secret organization called Dark Cronos whose soul purpose is to create clones of warlords, mad men, and sorcerers. Dark Cronos has only succeeded in cloning Xell, but unaware to Dark Cronos was that Craig could not fully control his power. During a training session Craig had totally lost control which ended in the destruction of the Dark Cronos lab with Craig being the only known survivor. He was found wandering in the near by woods by Vincent Harker. Craig had totally lost all memory of the incident and has since become Vincent's ward. Craig had it made by living with Vince, but he just wasn't into the rich life style so he decided to leave and work as a lab assistant for Dr. Herbert West at Miskatonic University in Arkham Massachusetts. In Arkham he also met Terra and decided to leave Dr. West for a while and form a team with Terra called the Red Wolves. Due to internal conflicts the Red Wolves broke up, afterwards Craig was sought out by a man who only calls himself "One" to form a team of monster hunters called the Templars. The Templars were getting very successful in their job until a powerful Orphenoch killed the entire team and left Craig fatally wounded, after being treated by Dr. West, Craig sought revenge. Craig believes that Zodiac Knight Draco was the Orphenoch that killed his team and tracks him to Titans Tower. Mortuary breaks into the tower and tries to kill Draco, but is stopped by the titans and is talked out of it by Draco.

Appearance: His uniform is a bulletproof vest (which can also protect him from other things) with skulls and crossbones on it that is worn over a black t-shirt, black cargo pants, a utility belt, black fingerless gloves and combat boots. As homage to his old team the Red Wolves, like Terra, he too wears the jacket. In terms of appearance he is a normal looking teenager except for the multiple scars on his upper body. He also has long black hair and shining blue eyes.

Personality: Mortuary is stubborn and determined and can hold a grudge for a long time. He can be reasoned with, however, but it takes a whole lot of effort. He cares for his closest friends. In a fight he can be absolutely ferocious.

* * *

Codename: Bruiser

Real Name: Billy Hughes

Age: 16

Biography: Billy Hughes was born into a poor family in the slums of Los Angeles. Billy grew up with absolutely no self confidence caused by the mental anguish of his fellow students and parents. One day while taking a beating from his father Billy absorbed all of his father's fear and anger into an energy that increased his physical strength. With this new found power he attacked his father and ended up killing him. After killing his father Billy decided to pack up and leave town as quick as possible. Billy decided to learn how to use powers at will and took up street fighting in Oakland. Looking to do some good with his powers elsewhere he moved to the east coast, met Mortuary and Terra and joined the Red Wolves.

Appearance: Has parted blonde hair and blue eyes, is short but of a muscular build. Has a tattoo that goes down his right arm that says "Dead by Dawn" as a warning to his opponents.

Uniform: Billy wears a specially made black with red lettering Red Wolves football jersey, black shorts, red sneakers, and a red beanie.

Personality: Brash but loyal. Will jump into a fight at anytime but only when ordered

* * *

Codename: Falconer

Real Name: Andrew Dorian

Age: 17

Biography: Andrew Dorian was born a technological genius, but unfortunately that didn't get him any friends in school and thing weren't any better at home. Andy's parents thought he was a freak because of how smart he was and when he reached high school his parents kicked him out of the house. Fortunately for Andy he got accepted to a very renowned tech school. When Andy started to learn more about super heroes he knew that he could use his talents to be one so he crafted a robotic suit of armor which was based off of his favorite animal, the falcon. Andy also invented a small army of robotic falcons that responded to his every command. While on a test flight of his armor Andy noticed a group of teens fighting a group of bank robbers Andy decided to help. After the battle Andy was approached by the group's leader, Mortuary to join the Red Wolves Andy accepted and took up the codename Falconer.

Appearance: Andrew has short slicked back brown hair and brown eyes. Andrew also wears round glasses.

Uniform: Andrew wears a black collared shirt with the red wolf symbol over the right breast with black slacks and shoes. Andrew's Falconer armor is chrome silver with red wings

Personality: Calm and collected, always sees things through and doesn't make decisions or suggestions until the time is right.

* * *

Codename: Wyvern

Real Name: Cassandra Lords

Age: 15

Biography: Cassandra Lords is like any other 15 year old girl except for the fact that she is one of the most powerful magic users in her age group. Her parent are also famous magicians on her fourteenth birthday her parents sent her off on a two year journey to help her discover and understand more of what magic is about (both of her parents had the same journey). While traveling through a forest she was attacked by a bat like monster until she was saved by a "gun slinging necromancer" and a "geomancer." She followed her saviors and was able to meet up with them at their campsite. Since then she has considered herself as Terra's sister and Mortuary's sidekick she often refers to Mortuary as "boss" and she was the last to leave the Red Wolves after Mortuary made her go back to her parents.

Appearance: Cassandra has brown hair that's in two pigtails and bright green eyes.

Uniform: Wears a black and red school girl uniform with a red skirt and black shirt, she also wears black shoes with red knee high socks and gloves. The Red Wolf symbol is visible on the back of her shirt.

Personality: Soft spoken, Cassandra is the most lighthearted of the team and always wanting to make the others happy. She is also somewhat absent minded which sometimes causes her spells to backfire.

* * *

Codename: Snow Blood

Real Name: Ashleigh Bailey

Age: 17

Biography: Ashleigh is the daughter of well known Druid Grove Master James Bailey. James strived to be in control of all Druid affairs, to do this he made a deal with a sorcerer known as McLeod to use mind control on the other Grove Masters. McLeod demanded the soul of young Ashleigh as a reward. James did not want to bargain his daughter's soul so he and Ashleigh fled to woods to live in hiding. They were there for months until McLeod found them during a harsh winter. James ordered his daughter to get as far away as she can, because even if she did die out in the cold McLeod would not have her soul. Ashleigh ran for miles until she found a cave, she quickly ran in. Ashleigh was not alone, inside the cave she found what looked like a human with wings coming out of its back. The creature had been frozen for centuries, and then suddenly the creature's spirit appeared and revealed that it was an angel. The angel saw that Ashleigh was in danger and gave her the power of "holy ice." With this power Ashleigh was impervious to the harsh cold and ran back to her father whom she found dead. After that day Ashleigh decided to avenge her father and has thus adopted the code name: Snow Blood. She got a lead that McLeod was in east coast America and followed him, after being attacked by McLeod's minions she was saved by the Red Wolves and then joined them. She once had a relationship with Mortuary, but they stopped when he became more and more obsessed with Occultus.

Appearance: Ashleigh has long black hair that reaches to her lower back which has some blue streaks in it and blue eyes.

Uniform: Ashleigh's jacket was modeled the same as Terra's underneath the jacket she wore black tank top she also had black leather pants that had a blue stripe on each side. Ashleigh also had black boots and gloves that also had a blue stripe making the middle and ring fingers blue.

Personality: levelheaded but sometimes short tempered. When she sends out the call to Terra and Mortuary she is reluctant to return leadership back to Mortuary, but does so.

* * *

A/N: Red Wolves are the creation of Zombi 138.


	68. PT068: News, News, and More News

Some events in this chapter takes place before Draco and Renia follow Terra and Mortuary to spy on their meeting.

Part 68: News, News and More News.

**Several months ago...**

Libra appeared in front of the home of one of the oldest and most powerful sorcerers on Earth. Though the place looked dilapidated and ready to fall apart without a moment's notice the God-Level Zodiac Knight was not fooled. It was merely an illusion to trick people who passed by that it was a condemned building. What Libra saw could be comparable to a palace, if not a very large mansion.

He carefully knocked on the door. It wasn't a simple knock but several carefully measured taps before the celestial being vanished.

"It is good to see you, Lord Libra," Libra heard as he arrived in a room with stone walls and bookshelves lined with ancient text books. They had mystical properties and not to mention powerful. Also, they were rare and one of a kind.

The man in front of him had an aged look but his body was still in peak physical shape with rippling muscles on his arms and torso. He was dressed in a purple vest, black armbands, black pants and matching boots. He also had an eye-patch covering his left eye but Libra knew that this was to limit his power rather than as a way to cover a horrible scar. His silvery hair was in a ponytail.

"As it is good to see you too, Master Sorcerer Cyclops," Libra greeted, bowing his head slightly at the immortal in front of him. Despite being a high ranking celestial, Libra was fairly new compared to the others. He had only joined them for 15 Earth years to become the new Libra, leaving his family and loved ones behind whom though him dead. Only a small number of people knew who he truly was under his mask.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Cyclops asked.

"The Legend Cards," Libra said, cutting to the chase, "Are they ready?"

Cyclops nodded and pointed towards an orb of magical energy which housed four cards within it, seemingly blank, for now. "They are nearly ready. However, I still need more time."

"Then, make haste, Master Sorcerer," Libra spoke, worry in his voice.

"You have seen the future," Cyclops said, more of a statement rather than a question. "You've glimpsed into the Book of Destiny."

"It took a lot of time for me to finally convince the Guardian to allow me to peer into the pages. Darkness will soon overwhelm, not just this world but many others beyond the dimensional walls."

"The End of all Existence," Cyclops spoke. "It is coming, isn't it?"

"And my children are in the middle of it," Libra continued, "And thus the Legend Cards must be prepared before eternal darkness ends all that lives."

Cyclops glanced at the four cards. They were blank but had colors: black, blue, red and white. "You already have candidates. You know that only Zodiac Knights can use these cards and once they are used there is no turning back."

"I know, and I have selected the 4 who will save all of existence," Libra stated.

"Are your children among them?" Cyclops asked. Libra did not answer but his silence spoke volume. "I see…"

"I shall give the cards to them, and tell them everything."

"The truth?"

"They deserve it."

"I see."

Libra looked at his friend, "You don't sound so surprised."

"You're a father, as am I," Cyclops stated, "I worry for Ekelo even if he is not my flesh and blood, I raised him as my own."

"And yet I chose to abandon my own flesh and blood."

"You feel regretful."

"Ay I do."

"Then, tell me, why you decided to make the choice, Lord Libra?"

Libra could not answer. In fact, he couldn't find a real answer.

"And what has Clockwork said about the upcoming darkness?" asked Cyclops.

"He sees nothing," Libra spoke.

"And Setsuna?"

"Also she sees a bleak darkness approaching."

"So the true end is indeed near."

"And the fate of all existence rests in the hands of 4."

* * *

**Present Day.**

"Tamaran?" Pluto asked. He had recovered greatly from his fight with Draco, which had taken earlier that afternoon. Though Blackfire had been angry and treated him quite coldly, she eventually calmed down and now both of them were in his lab, talking.

"Yes, my home planet," Blackfire nodded.

Pluto quirked an eyebrow in confusion. Blackfire had just told him something she referred to as 'great news', but he also needed to clarify one thing, "But…weren't you banished? You said it yourself. You did try to takeover the planet and get Starfire married off to a sentient pile of green slime, which sounds awfully like Jabba the Hut."

Blackfire had seen the Star Wars Trilogy with Pluto, and the 3 prequels, so she knew what he was referring to. She had to admit that there was a resemblance between the two. Well, except that Jabba had an actual face. She sighed, "Am I ever going to not be reminded of the worst mistake I ever made?"

"Sorry, babe," Pluto apologized. "But, do you really wanna go there? From what I've been heard, your planet is a Warrior World, and every person there knows how to seriously kick butt."

"Well, we are a warrior race," Blackfire proclaimed proudly.

"Makes me wanna see you in a Xena costume," Pluto muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." He then asked, "So, why are we going to Tamaran?"

Blackfire smiled, "My sis called Galfore and convinced him to let me return so I can get my banishment dissolved. I can go home!"

Pluto smiled brightly and grabbed his extra-terrestrial girlfriend in a hug that would put Starfire's to shame. "That's great, Komi!"

Blackfire had to smile at her good fortune. Though it had taken her close to a year to rake up the courage to apologize to her sister for all her wrongdoings; it felt good to actually get that off her chest. Also, she finally found a man worthy of her. Pluto may not be a Boy Wonder, but he was sure a wonder in bed. After all the other guys she dated out in the universe, she felt extremely lucky to have been loved by someone like Takada.

When Pluto had told her that his Zodiac Powers were only active if he had his deck on him, it scared her that she may break him if they were ever rough in bed. However, he had revealed to her that his invulnerability was really a separate ability from his Immortality Zodiac Power. It would explain how he'd survived the collision which had taken his father's life and put his mother in a coma. His sister had survived since he had been holding her protectively in his arms and shielding her with his body. He had also admitted towards inventing several dangerous machines before gaining his Zodiac Deck and escape from the disasters totally unscathed. The Immortality thing just added an entire new level to his abilities. When Blackfire had asked why he kept that secret, Takada just shrugged and answered that he never said it was part of his Zodiac Powers. Everyone had just assumed it was.

"So, when do we leave?" Pluto asked as he let go, "And what should I take?"

"Well, we won't be there too long. Maybe 3 days, tops," Blackfire said. "There is a ceremony or two to go through, but those don't take too long."

"That means I have to pack light," Pluto mused. "So, what's your planet like?"

"A wasteland, though Starfire still says it looks beautiful," Blackfire sighed. She admired her sister's ability to see beauty in everything, but sometimes she wondered if her sister was a little naïve.

"A…wasteland?" Pluto blinked. "OK, I'll just make a really good guess, but it wasn't always like that, right?" Blackfire nodded. "What happened?"

"It used to be a tropical paradise. There were trees and many form of plant life flourishing in Tamaran. Back when we were kids, Star and I would play tag but then…"

"But then…?" Pluto pressed on.

"The Gordanians attacked. Though we fought hard and drove them away, nearly all the plant life was eradicated. Sure, we still have a few plants but there were no more forests and jungles. Starfire cried for a very long time since she was going to miss all those beautiful flowers."

Pluto frowned. Hearing about the misfortune of others was one of the things that would guarantee his help in assisting others. Blackfire had just gotten the young genius to make her world one of his priorities. The only problem was that he didn't now what to do. There had to be a way for Tamaran to gain its original beauty. He then remembered something that he'd been developing. It was a plant growth accelerator. He then flinched as he remembered the last time he'd tested it out. He'd never seen Shadow's face go so red before. Still, he could work the bugs out before he tried it on Tamaran.

"So, who else is coming along?" Pluto asked.

"Well, Robin wants to keep an eye on my sister while they are processing the stuff to get my banishment dissolved," Blackfire told her Knight.

"And we'll be staying in the palace, right?" Pluto asked.

"Yes, but I think my room will have guards making sure I don't do anything funny," Blackfire frowned. She then smirked seductively, "And I do wanna do something funny in my room with my pet." She reached over and scratched the back of his ear. He began to shake his foot and his tongue hung out at the sensation. He was so much like a dog that it was quite humorous.

"But," Pluto began when Blackfire stopped scratching. "Wouldn't there be a lot of people who hate you because…"

"I'm under my sis' protection," Blackfire waved the warning off. "I mean, what's the worse that can happen?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in another room, Shadowcobra's to be more precise, someone else was receiving very surprising news.

"Your mother contacted you?" Shadow blinked. "I thought you told me she was dead."

"I told you she was in another dimension," Raven clarified.

Shadow blinked and then realized, "Oh, I guess I can see how I could make such a mistake. But, Azarath was destroyed. We were both there. That demon, Trigon, was using it as his new kingdom."

Raven shuddered at the mention of her father. "Well, most of the inhabitants of Azarath moved to a new realm, and rebuilt their entire civilization. It's called New Azarath."

"How creative," Shadow mumbled sarcastically. "So, why now?"

"Not many of my people believe that Trigon was defeated. They didn't think I could do it. They…" She trailed off, looking down to the ground sadly. Shadow knew that look. Her status as Trigon's daughter made many people scorn her, even if her destiny wasn't bad enough. If anyone was told he'd bring forth the end of the world, he'd experience the same sort of scorn, which he had until he was enrolled in the Deathtron Academy. Those had been the toughest years of his life.

Raven continued, "Well, anyway, they finally got the news and my mother wishes to see and talk to me."

"And you want me to come along as well?" Shadow inquired. Raven took hold of his gloved hands.

"I want her to meet my fiancé. Remember, you did propose to me."

Shadow remembered. It had been Raven's 19th birthday and being secretly a romantic, Shadow believed that a proposal on her birthday would be both special and romantic. Raven had worn the ring, even if she would hide it with a glamour spell. She had never taken it off once, and treasured it. It was a symbol of Shadow's love for her and a brand new future for her, one without the threat of an evil prophecy hanging over her head.

Of course, meeting your girlfriend's mother was going to be something Shadow needed to prepare for. He knew next to nothing to Azarathean culture, despite what Raven had told her. He needed to make a good impression. Also, he had to hide all traces of his demonic background. From the way Raven spoke of his her people treated demons, having them know that his family was entirely demonic would not be a good thing. He kept getting flashes of a lynch mob chasing after him with torched and pitch forks, or whatever Azarathen used as sharp and pointy weapons.

"I'm not sure if she's going to like me very much," Shadow said, feeling hesitant about this. "I mean, I'm not exactly human."

"Neither am I."

"You're half human." Shadow added, "I have _very_ little human DNA."

"So, you need to hide it, really well," Raven said. "Relax, nothing bad is going to happen. I promise."

Shadow still didn't look too sure about this.

* * *

Later that day, the Titans all gathered outside the Tower to see Pluto, Blackfire, Starfire and Robin off on their trip to Tamaran. They weren't going to take the Gaijoan Shuttle, but instead use the T-Ship to travel to the princesses' home world.

"Dude, I better warn you to make sure you know what is a toilet and isn't," Beast Boy cautioned his friend. Pluto blinked.

"O…kay…" Pluto responded. Frankly, he couldn't understand how anyone could mistake something as a toilet. Then again, this was Beast Boy.

"I do hope you remember to pack the bare essentials," Shadow said.

"It's all in the bag!" Pluto grinned. The suitcase he had look ready to burst, which it did, spilling out its contents. "Oops!"

"A portable DVD player, surround sound speakers and strobe lights?" Robin asked. "What are you going to do with those?"

"Hey, it's gonna be a long trip and I didn't want my brain to die of boredom!" Pluto defended as he packed his things back. "OK? I get easily bored during long flights!"

"He does, and ends up flirting with the stewardesses," Shadow pointed out, receiving a glare from the Dog Knight.

"Friends, we will be back before you even realize we are gone!" Starfire waved. She then hugged each and everyone of them, lingering on both Raven and Shadow the longest.

"You know, if we get a move on, we might be able to miss the asteroid field," Blackfire said.

"Right, let's go," Robin before climbing into the cockpit. "Oh, and Cyborg, you're in charge since Shadow won't be here either."

"You aren't?" Pluto asked the Snake Knight who shrugged. "Where are you going?"

Shadow glanced at Raven and quoted the title of a film, "Meet the Parents."

Pluto nodded in understanding. "Well, don't screw up!" He then quickly leapt into the cockpit, avoiding a vicious shadow claw swipe. "Hah! You missed!"

Shadow glowered at his teammate's obnoxious behavior. Still, he knew that the Dog Knight was right. You only got one chance to make a good first impression. If you screwed that up then there would be hell trying to fix it.

The T-Ship then ascended upwards into the air before taking off, flying through the skies and then leaving the planet's atmosphere towards a new world.

* * *

Later, in the same day, in Raven's room, once goodbyes had been exchanged, Shadow and Raven stood in the centre of a magic circle Raven had made.

"Well, here we go," Raven said, smiling. She was dressed in her whitest uniform and Shadow was dressed in a purple turtleneck, with matching black pants and coat. His hair was combed over so that the bangs would cover his birthmark and he wore glasses. Changing his appearance, his hair was now the same shade of blue which he'd sported the first day he'd arrived to the Tower nearly two years ago.

"Yes," Shadow said, holding her hands. "Let's go."

Raven chanted the spell, a white aura forming around her as a violent wind spun around the room. Shadow closed his eyes, focusing his own energy into the spell. The magic circle began to glow brightly and in a flash, the light engulfed the two. When the light eventually faded away, both Titans had vanished.

* * *

Later that night…Mortuary had called all the Titans to the Common Room to meet with his old teammates.

"So, you're all Terra and Mortuary's old team?" Cyborg asked, feeling slightly skeptical. He'd been originally skeptical about the idea that before Terra joined them that she'd be on another team of super-powered misfits, but here they were, standing at attention in Titans Tower.

"That's right," Billy "Bruiser" Hughes said, proudly. "We came here to pick up our old friends for a new mission."

"What kind of mission?" Cyborg asked.

Billy was about to speak but then Andrew "Falconer" Dorian took his turn, "We're all headed towards Zandia, to take down Occultus once and for all."

"Occultus! As in the guy who is controlling Orphenochs? THAT Occultus?" Beast Boy asked. He received a nod from Terra. "And you're going to the centre of it? That's crazy!"

"As much as I hate to admit it, Beast Boy's right," Jinx agreed. "It's a suicide mission."

"Which is why we need your help," Mortuary said. "Since Robin, Starfire, Pluto, Shadow, Blackfire and Raven aren't here, since they'd all left the planet or this dimension." His friends looked at him. "Don't ask…." He continued, "We need all the help we can get."

"Well, Cyborg's been put in charge of the team while both Robin and Cyborg are away," Draco pointed out. "So, it's his decision."

"But, I still want to go," Renia said, fists gripped eagerly.

"You sure you want to go?" Billy asked. "This isn't exactly child's play."

"Remember that I did beat you, Bruiser," Renia reminded. "I can do the same things to those Orphenochs."

"So, what's your call, Cy?" Beast Boy asked. "No way am I letting Terra go off without me."

"But what about the city?" Jinx asked.

"We have people who can fill in, right?" Terra asked. "Titans East, the other Titans worldwide. We got a whole network!"

"A network, you say?" Andrew leaned in, interested, "How intriguing."

"Look, we're wasting time here," Ashley "Snow Blood" Bailey crossed her arms. "We already know that Occultus is already close at creating the Orphenoch King. With this King's power, who knows what he can do."

"He wishes to have the Orphenochs annihilate humanity, and dominating the world as their ruler," Draco stated.

"How…?" Cassandra "Wyvern" Lords asked.

"He tried to offer me a place, but I refused, but he did tell me all that."

"So, what's it gonna be, Cy?" Mortuary asked.

Cyborg sighed, "How are we gonna get there without the T-Ship?"

Draco smiled as he took out his DRA-Phone, "I got that covered. I sure Ant can lend a hand. He does owe me."

"Who's Ant?" Cassandra asked Mortuary.

Mortuary answered, "Someone you can depend on in these kinds of situations."

To Be Continued…

Well, looks like we have three different journeys for my three main Knights. Draco is headed towards Zandia, Pluto is headed towards Tamaran and Shadowcobra is headed towards Azarath. What adventures will await them in these new places? Only time will tell.


	69. PT069: Destination Zandia

These 3 Arcs will take place at the same timeframe with the following characters.

The Orphenoch King Arc: Draco, Jinx, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Terra, Mortuary, Renia, Wyvern, Snow Blood, Bruiser and Falconer.

The Tamaran Arc: Starfire, Blackfire, Robin and Pluto.

The Azarath Arc: Raven and Shadowcobra.

The first arc will be the Orphenoch King arc, which will have the Titans and Red Wolves headed towards Zandia to stop Occultus once and for all. After this, I will do the Tamaran Arc and finally the Azarath Arc.

Part 69: Destination Zandia!

The remaining Titans and Red Wolves all exited the Tower to meet with Ant. Brimstone, Draco's pet demon dog also followed his master outside. When asked by his teammates further about who this Ant fellow was, all Mortuary did was smile mysteriously at his friends. They didn't like it when he kept secrets from them. That was one of the reasons that caused their team to disband, including Mortuary's obsession with Occultus.

Draco reached down and disconnected the DRA-Phone from his DRA-Cam. He sent a message to Ant and smiled. "Alright, everyone," he said to the collective teen heroes, "For those who are new to this, I hope you do not panic."

Bruiser crossed his arms, "Heh, like anything can scare us." He didn't seem too scared.

"Billy, trust me," said Mortuary. "You might wanna step back a bit."

Suddenly, they all heard a strange tune playing out of thin air. Draco smiled knowingly. He knew this tune well. Then, a multicolored portal began to form in the distance. At first the Red Wolves didn't know what to expect but then they saw railway tracks generating themselves out of the portal. The tracks stretched towards the island and in front of the teenagers.

"What is this?" questioned Snow Blood.

"I hope you can handle a little motion sickness," grinned Jinx.

"Huh?"

The tune grew louder and then something came out of the portal. It was long and made of metal. The Red Wolves gawked as it ran along the tracks at full speed.

"A train!?" Wyvern exclaimed.

The bullet train then sped towards the island before slowing down. The brakes activated and the mysterious train stopped right in front of the collective heroes. The Titans had seen the ChronoLiner before and even boarded it but for the Red Wolves, this was a first. Then again, trains that came out of glowing portals were a first to them and they had seen a lot of strange stuff over the years.

One of the car doors opened and out jumped a man Antonitis Fenton McCrown. He had long brown hair coiled into a braid with two bangs sticking out of his hairline. He had blue eyes. His clothing consisted of a red novelty t-shirt with a black blazer thrown over it, blue jeans and black leather shoes. He also had on a conductor's cap. Draco remembered him back when he and Ryan had come to his rescue when the Hyper Inzecter had sent him to another dimension before they banded together to save the Multiverse. Add Mortuary to the mix and they were an effective team. Antonitis, or Ant as he was known by his friends, had many strange and powerful abilities but most of the time they were limited in usage due to the amount of energy required. His most prominent abilities were the ability to change into any kind of warrior he wanted and the other ability allowed him to summon heroes from other dimensions. They came handy back then. He also owned the ChronoLiner, a special bullet train that could travel through time and space. It could take anyone anywhere and any-when in the Multiverse but you'd need a special ticket for that. However, this was an emergency so Ant was allowed to bend the rules a little.

Ant stood up straight and saluted, wearing a silly grin, "Antonitis Fenton McCrown and the ChronoLiner reporting for duty!" He relaxed his stance and smiled at Draco, "Hey, there's my favorite Rider. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Ant-san," Draco nodded. "We were hoping to ask you to take us somewhere."

"Hey, you can count on me," Ant replied and then he asked, "So, where's Desmond?" He was referring to Shadowcobra. Desmond was the Snake Knight's middle name.

"Oh, he had something to take care of," said Mortuary.

"Oh, well, I wish him the best," said Ant. "So, where are you all headed?"

Mortuary and Draco answered in unison, "Zandia."

Now Ant's smile faded and was replaced by a frown. "I see. So, you want to go there to finish things." It was more of a statement then a question. Both Knights nodded and Ant sighed. "Well, this is probably for the greater good so all aboard!"

"Wait, we don't have tickets," said Wyvern. Terra placed a hand to the girl's shoulder.

"You won't need one to board this train," said Terra, remembering the tales Mortuary had told her.

Falconer was admiring the train in astonishment, "Amazing. A machine that can travel through time and space." He made that conclusion from the train's name, the ChronoLiner. "Tell me, how fast can this thing go?" he asked Ant.

"Well, when you travel through time, speed isn't a matter," said Ant honestly, "But I can confidently say that it matches the Flash and Superman in the speed department."

"Fascinating."

"OK, if we're done gawking, let's go!" said Bruiser as he was about to hop into the train.

"Wait!" shouted Cyborg.

"What's wrong?" asked Draco.

"Are you all sure you wanna storm into Zandia? I mean Occultus must have his Orphenochs posted around the place," said Cyborg.

"Cy, this is the only way," said Beast Boy. "And if you're not coming, you can stay here. I'm not leaving Terra alone."

"Gar…" said Terra, smiling.

"You can stay here and hold the fort, big guy," said Renia comfortingly. "You don't have to come. I mean, we're practically an army."

Cyborg's lips were in a solid frown and he said firmly, "No, Robin left me in charge and the Titans, currently, are my responsibility. I'm coming along, whether you like it or not."

"Sweet!" Beast Boy grinned, happy that his best friend was coming along.

"But I warn you to prepare for anything," said Snow Blood.

"Oh, we are," said Mortuary, grinning. Snow Blood stared blankly at her ex's cocky attitude. If there was one thing she couldn't stand was that he was over-confident. "Ash, we can do this."

"You're not in command, Craig," said Snow Blood. "Not anymore, so don't presume you are." She then went to board the ChronoLiner along with Bruiser.

"Must've been a bad breakup," whispered Jinx to Draco. Draco nodded.

Soon all the Titans and Red Wolves boarded the train. One by one they took their seats in the passenger car. There were two rows of seats with a lane in between.

"Dibs on the window seat!" called Beast Boy before jumping into one of the seats. Terra took a seat next to him. All the teens took their seats. Bruiser sat next to Wyvern, Snow Blood sat next to Falconer, Beast Boy sat next to Terra, Jinx sat next to Draco and Renia sat next to Cyborg. This left Mortuary to sit alone in the back.

"I can't believe you brought your dog along," said Jinx as she watched Brimstone come onboard.

"I couldn't just leave Brimstone," said Draco, petting his demonic pooch on the head. "Besides, Starfire took Silkie if you remember." Brimstone barked.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jinx nodded in agreement.

"Everyone, this is going to be a bumpy ride at first so you better buckle up," advised Draco, remembering fully well how the launch would be.

"Actually," said Ant to Draco, "You'll be at the controls."

Everyone stared and Draco pointed to himself, "Me?"

"Why not? You did it before. Or did you forget?"

Draco did remember. Traveling through dimensions, sometimes Draco would be at the controls when Ant could not. This was just like those times. Smiling, Draco stood up from his seat. "Well, take me to the cockpit."

"Follow me," said Ant before leading the Knight towards the door which slid open for them to enter and then closed behind them.

"Now this is comfy," said Wyvern as she leaned into her seat. "So nice and soft."

"Not to mention roomy," added Bruiser who was sitting next to her.

"If you guys think this is great, wait till you check out the other cars," said Mortuary.

The door in the back of the car slid open and a pretty girl with short silver hair and green eyes girl in a tight white stewardess outfit came in rolling a tray with food. She then smiled brightly and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Andie! Welcome to the ChronoLiner. I hope you enjoy your ride."

"I'm enjoying it already," Bruiser said as he eyed Andie up and down.

"She's a robot," Mortuary informed, causing Bruiser to blanch.

"What!?"

"Actually, she's an android," said Falconer as he scanned Andie using his PDA. "Amazing design. She seems almost lifelike."

"Thank you," Andie beamed at hearing the compliment. "Now, who wants refreshments?"

* * *

In the cockpit there was a single chair with the control console in front. However, for Draco, he was going to give the boy controls he was more used to. He went to the console and pressed a few buttons. The chair vanished into the floor and was soon replaced by a motorbike that was attached to a treadmill and held steady by clamps so that it wouldn't run off when activated. This bike was known as the Chrono-Speeder.

"Sugoi," said Draco as he mounted the bike once more. He gripped the handlebars. "This sure brings me back."

"Good," Ant nodded. "So, you still remember how to work it?"

Draco grabbed a nearby helmet and placed it on his head. "It's like riding a bike. You never forget." He pressed a few buttons that was in front of him on the bike, entering the coordinates to Zandia. A viewing screen lit up in front of him that showed him the outside. The word ZANDIA appeared. Draco then entered the time of arrival as well as the how long the ChronoLiner would be traveling. He wanted to make the trip worthwhile.

Ant looked at the screen an asked, "Really? You want it to take that long?"

"This is a time traveling train, right?" asked Draco. "No matter how much time we spend in the ChronoLiner while it's running in the Sands of Time, the time in the real world does not change."

Ant nodded. Draco at least remembered that. If one were to travel through the Sands of Time, no time would actually be spent or wasted. One could get to one's destination quickly and enjoy a train ride at the same time with no worries whatsoever.

"OK, it's time to move!" said Draco, flipping down his visor. Ant went to the passenger car to take a seat.

The train began to move along the tracks as the tracks themselves generated in front of the vehicle while the tracks trailing behind vanished. The exit portal also vanished as a new one appeared in front of the ChronoLiner.

"Ikuzo!" shouted Draco as he accelerated. The wheel spun on the treadmill, moving the train further forward and faster. It soon vanished into the portal which then vanished after the tracks and train disappeared.

* * *

"Wow!" Wyvern's eyes widened when she looked outside the window. "Check it out!" She could see a massive expanse of sand and a strangely colored sky.

"Where are we?" asked Snow Blood, curious as well. She could see an endless desert plain and the sky was multicolored. Other than that, there were a few mountains and rocky structures. What unnerved her was how barren the place looked.

"The Sands of Time," Mortuary explained. "It is how the ChronoLiner can travel through time. There are portals that can be opened that link to different eras and worlds."

"Amazing," said Falconer, his interest showing. "So we can go to any era and world we want?"

"Well, within reason," said Ant as he sat down next to Mortuary, "There are rules about time and space we need to uphold. The time stream needs to be protected so we can't change events for our benefit. There are laws about that. Plus, who knows what changes we make in the past can effect the present and future. Actions like that can have dire consequences if we're not careful."

"So, Ant," asked Cyborg. "How long till we reach Zandia?"

"A month," answered Ant nonchalantly. Everyone, except for Mortuary and Falconer, stood up from their seats.

"A MONTH!?" everyone shouted.

"We can't wait that long!" shouted Bruiser. "We need to get there faster!"

Everyone shouted protests, except for Jinx. She knew what Draco was doing, or at least she could guess what it was.

"Billy," said Falconer to his friend and teammate, "Sit down and be silent."

"How? This plan can't wait and we can't wait a month," said Bruiser.

"Billy's right," Snow Blood agreed. She ordered, "Craig, get your friend to move this train faster."

Draco walked into the passenger car, "Actually, I preset it to a month. I can't change it." This resulted in Bruiser grabbing Draco by the front of his shirt and raising him up.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted you!" Bruiser growled. Falconer had informed them that Draco was an Orphenoch and most Orphenochs were loyal to Occultus.

"Let him go," Jinx threatened, her eyes glowing pink. "Now!"

"Billy," said Mortuary, his hands glowing with necroplasm threateningly, "Put Draco down. He has a reason for doing this."

Cyborg has his cannon aimed and ordered, "Drop him, nice and slow."

Scowling, Bruiser put Draco down. Jinx was at his side almost immediately. "Are you okay?" she asked with concern. He nodded.

"Daijoubu, Jinxy-chan," he smiled. He then addressed the group, "I know you're all wondering why I made it so that we reach Zandia in a month. But, before you judge me and my decision, hear me out." Everyone sat down. Draco explained, "We are now traveling in the Sands of Time, which means that time in the outside world is no longer an issue or relevant here. No matter how much time pasts here, time in the real world remains unchanged."

"Is this true?" asked Snow Blood skeptically. "So, even if we spend a year, or ten years on this train, no time will pass at all in the outside world."

"Actually, we'll reach our destination at the same time we left," added Mortuary. "This is a time traveling train after all."

"That sounds logical, I guess," said Falconer, who'd suspected that was the case from the start.

Bruiser felt foolish and so, with some urging from Wyvern, he apologized, "Sorry, man."

Draco smiled, "Daijoubu."

"So, what are we supposed to do in a month?" asked Beast Boy.

"Well, this is an important mission for all of us, so we need to learn to work together so that we won't have conflicts once we're there," said Draco. "So, we'll be training."

"And how are we supposed to do that here?" asked Snow Blood. "I doubt there's space in any of these cars for a proper training facility."

"You'd be surprised," said Ant with an enigmatic smile. He stood up, "Let me show you around."

* * *

"This is impossible," said Snow Blood and Cyborg at the same time as they gawked at the training area. It took up the entire space of the car it was housed in but that wasn't what surprised them. It was the face that the area looked like it was about 4 times the size of the car it was in. They remembered seeing all the train cars being the same size and Cyborg hadn't ventured into this car before.

"Nothing is impossible with 4th Dimensional technology," said Ant smugly. The training area had a large sparring ring and a fully equipped gym. "I trust you can all enjoy yourselves here."

"Oh, I will," said Bruiser, cracking his knuckles, "I'm gonna be building some muscles here."

"Don't you have enough muscles already?" Blood Snow asked with a sarcastic smile.

"You can never have too many," Bruiser retorted.

"Is there a library?" asked Falconer. "Because a month is a long time and I need to keep myself occupied."

"Yup," Ant nodded, "We also have a recreational centre in this train too. The purpose of this train was for the passengers to enjoy themselves as they travel through time."

"Wow, like a hotel on wheels," said Beast Boy. "Hope there's an arcade."

"He did say there was a recreational centre," said Terra. "There is no way they can't have one."

"You'd be right about that," Ant nodded. "Anyone for Goo Zombies 3?"

"Sweet!" Beast Boy cheered as he made a mad dash for the recreation car. He ran into the teleporter and with lack of a better idea to work it, asked for the recreation car. He vanished in a flash of light. Terra followed him and did the same.

"As Beast Boy just established, you can use the teleporter to get to the car you wish," said Ant, pointing to a platform. "Just say where you want to go and it will instantly beam you up there."

"I have to say this is some set up you got," said Snow Blood appreciatively.

"Well, meeting Draco had its blessings," said Mortuary as he watched the Dragon Knight talking to Ant. "So, you really are leading our old team, huh?"

"Remember that you left," said Snow Blood. "I'm going to back to my seat." She went to the teleporter and commanded it to send her to the first passenger car, which it did. Mortuary sighed.

"So, that was your ex, huh?" asked Renia.

"Yep," Mortuary nodded.

"Well, it's her loss," Renia beamed at Mortuary, "Obsessions aside, you're a great guy."

"I sometimes wonder if that's even true anymore," said Mortuary. "People change."

He then walked out of the car. He needed to take a walk around the train to gather his thoughts.

Renia sighed. As much as she loved Mortuary, she could tell that the Knight of Aries still harbored feelings for his ex-girlfriend. She may not be empathic, but she could tell from his expression.

"Hey," said Wyvern as she walked over to Renia.

"Oh, hi," said Renia. "Cassandra, right?"

"Yeah, but everyone calls me Cassie," Wyvern shrugged. "So, about what happened at the warehouse…"

"It's fine," said Renia. "You know you're pretty good with magic."

"Thanks," smiled Wyvern. "You're not so bad yourself. I mean you did trap Billy and not a lot of people can do that."

"You're welcome," acknowledged Renia. "So, headed to the recreation centre?"

"Well, Terra did go there," said Wyvern. "And we have a lot of catching up to do."

"OK, let's go."

The two girls walked towards the teleporter. Bruiser and Cyborg decided to stay to do some working out. Andrew had gone to the library. This left Ant, Draco and Jinx with nothing to do.

"Well, I better go to the cockpit," said Ant. Renia and Wyvern had just beamed themselves towards the recreation centre. "You know to see if everything runs smoothly. Ciao."

Jinx and Draco exchanged glances. "So…are you hungry?" asked Jinx.

"Starving, actually," said Draco rubbing his belly. "I think we missed dinner."

Jinx giggled, "Come on, let's go to the dining car."

* * *

In the passenger car, Snow Blood had reclined her seat and laid down for a nap. In the back, Mortuary was looking out the window at the Sands of Time.

"Zandia, here we come, and Occultus, we're coming for you…" spoke Mortuary under his breath.

To Be Continued…

Well, looks like we see the two groups traveling together. Hope their ride is nice and smooth but with these two teams together, there's gonna be issues.


	70. PT070: The Terminal

Part 70: The Terminal

2 weeks had passed since the two teams of heroes had boarded the mysterious time traveling train known as the ChronoLiner. It was currently en route towards Zandia. Sure they were taking a month to travel to small country, but there was an important reason for this and that reason was a whole month of intensive training to prepare them for the fight of their lives. In the Sands of Time, the time in the real world remained unchanged, not even by a nanosecond. Therefore, they would reach Zandia at the same time they'd left, and under the cover of darkness since they'd departed at night.

Currently, Draco and Mortuary, the heroes most familiar with the time train were walking through the ChronoLiner, reminiscing about their last adventure involving it. "This place brings back memories, doesn't it?" said Draco. They stood in the training area.

"Sure does," replied Mortuary. He remembered a few training sessions he had with an old friend from a different universe.

"Traveling to different worlds, fighting the Horrors…" Draco sighed. "Do you think Warren is doing OK right now?"

Mortuary thought for a second, "Knowing him, yeah. He's probably getting drunk right about now back on his world." Both he and Draco shared a laugh at this.

"Hai, it does sound like him," the Dragon Knight chuckled. "I just hope he's happy with his Titans."

"He told us he got Raven pregnant!" said Mortuary, stifling another laugh. "I'd say he's MUCH more than just happy."

"Well, he helped us save all the worlds. He deserves a chance at a family," Draco rationalized.

"True, especially after everything he told us about his life," added the Knight of Ares.

* * *

"I can't take it anymore!" wailed Bruiser as he sat down in his seat, clutching his head. Falconer was seated next to him and reading a book he'd retrieved from the library.

"What's the problem now?" asked the Red Wolves' tech expert.

"We've been on this train for two weeks, Andrew! Two weeks!" Bruiser exclaimed. "I think I'm getting cabin fever!"

Falconer quirked and eyebrow, "Cabin fever, Billy? Honestly, there's a lot to do in this train. How can you have cabin fever?"

"Look, all I'm saying is that I need to get off this train for a few hours," said Bruiser. He then asked, "By the way, where are the others?"

* * *

"I am the Queen of DDR!" Renia boasted as she finished playing on the DDR machine, with the highest score ever.

"Oh, yeah, right," Wyvern scoffed. "I bet I can get a higher score."

"Just try it," Renia challenged as she hopped off, "Let's see what you got."

"Sure, why not," said Wyvern as she climbed onto the platform and pressed the Start button. She chose her difficulty level and soon the music played. She watched as the arrows scrolled down the screen and began to dance, pressing her feet on the buttons under her.

After two weeks, both Cassandra/Wyvern and Renia the Crystal Alchemist had become close friends. Both shared their magical skills and even practiced together. Though Renia magic was based around her latent ability as a Homunculus to generate crystals and her alchemy, Wyvern's magic was based around the elements. So, in training, they had created very effective combos. Of course, they had a bit of a rivalry going on.

"Hey, girls," said Terra as she walked over. "How's it going?"

"Oh, hi, Terra!" Renia smiled.

"Hey, Terra," Wyvern greeted as she continued to dance. She never took her eyes off the screen as her feet moved to the music. Her points were climbing every second.

"Wow, you're getting good with that," Terra observed. Wyvern beamed and Renia scowled. Yes, Renia and Wyvern had a rivalry that was focused on Terra. To them, Terra was like a big sister and they wanted her to themselves.

"So, where's Beast Boy?" asked Renia.

"Watching movies in the theatre car," Terra sighed, "With Cyborg."

"And you're not there because…?" Renia questioned.

"They say it's a best friend thing," Terra shrugged. "Anyway, that looks like fun. Can I try?"

"Sure," Wyvern said, "I'm already done." The score on the screen had beaten Renia's. "Hah! High Score!"

Renia growled.

"Well, let's see if I can beat that next," said Terra as she climbed onto the platform. "OK, here I go." She pressed the Start button and started playing.

The two younger girls watched as Terra's steps were flawless. It would appear that combat practice helped with the geomancer's dexterity. The two girls, one a sorceress and the other an alchemist, were entranced by Terra's dancing.

When Terra was done, she posed and watched her score flash. "Still got it!"

"That was great, Terra!" said Wyvern excitedly. "Just like the old days."

"You know, come to mention it, you guys don't talk much about what happened in the past," Renia pointed out. Both Terra and Wyvern sighed sadly.

"Let's just say we broke apart under bad circumstances," said Wyvern. "It was…lonely when it happened."

"Wanna talk about it?" asked Renia. "I mean, if you want to."

"I guess it's time we do talk about this," said Terra with her arms crossed.

* * *

Snow Blood was in the hallway and looking out the window. Though she wasn't showing it, she was tired of only seeing sand and rocky mountains as well as a multicolored sky for two weeks. It may have looked beautiful when she had first laid eyes on it but it was getting a little old.

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Jinx who was walking by when she saw the Red Wolf.

"Oh, nothing," Snow Blood denied, shaking her head.

Jinx looked out the window and sighed, "I can't believe it's been two weeks since we've been on this train. I mean, I've lost track of time."

"Tell me about it," replied Snow Blood. "Billy is growing very anxious. He wants to get off this train."

"Well, Draco did set it for a month, so I don't see it stopping till we reach Zandia."

Snow Blood groaned. Two weeks. In the last two weeks she hadn't spoken to Mortuary much and had tried to avoid talking to him and even when they did speak it was always a harsh argument, reflecting what had happened that caused them all to split up. The wounds from their breakup were still fresh. "Great…"

"So, anyway, I was headed for the dining car for some tea. You wanna come with?" Jinx invited.

"Sure, why not. Maybe we can talk."

"I'm always up to a little girl talk," Jinx smiled.

"Good," Snow Blood smiled. "I need to have some with someone else besides Wyvern. She's a good friend, but I like talking to other people too."

"You and me both," Jinx smiled, remembering her old teammates Mammoth and Gizmo. "I mean, I like my friends but sometimes it feels nice to talk with other people."

"Tell me about it."

* * *

"Hello, you two," said Ant as he approached Mortuary and Draco, who'd just finished sparring.

"Oh, hey, Ant," said Draco.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Mortuary.

"Well, we're running low on supplies, mostly food and water, so we need to make a stop to stock up," informed Ant.

"Stock up, like in another dimension?" Draco blinked. Ant chuckled.

"No, I mean at the King's Terminal," answered Ant.

"King's Terminal?" Mortuary blinked.

"King's Terminal?" Draco echoed.

"Oh, I never told you guys about it, did I?" said Ant. "Well, time trains like this usually stop at a special terminal. The King's Terminal is one of those places. It's basically a train station but there's a lot to do there."

"Well, Billy has been complaining that he wants to get off the Liner," said Mortuary. "A little stop would stop his whining and give our ears a rest."

"Really?"

"Yep, and I'm afraid that if he spends another day here he'll kill someone." Mortuary nodded. "He doesn't have the strongest control on his temper."

"OK," Draco said to Ant, "Well, let's stop at the King's Terminal then."

Ant saluted, "OK, captain!" He then walked over to the teleporter and at his command was beamed up to the cockpit.

Minutes later, Ant's voice was coming through the PA system. "_OK, all passengers of the ChronoLiner. I sure hope that you've enjoyed your ride. Now, I am happy to inform you all that we'll be stopping for a few hours to stock up on supplies, so, if you wish, you can go out and venture when we stop. Next stop, the King's Terminal._"

"Well, let's see what this King's Terminal looks like," said Mortuary.

* * *

The King's Terminal looked like a modern railway station. It was the only building that had been sighted in the mass of the Sands of Time. Various trains which were similar to the ChronoLiner were parked on different tracks within red and white structures that looked like mechanical dragon heads. The ChronoLiner slowed down and then stopped at one of the platforms. The doors then slid open, allowing the passengers to exit.

"Sweet freedom!" shouted Bruiser as he ran out of the train and kissed the floor. "Finally."

"Billy," Andrew sighed in embarrassment, "You're making a spectacle of yourself."

"Wow," said Cyborg as he admired the station. "This is incredible. Who knew something like this existed in this place."

"You'd be surprised, Cyborg," said Ant.

"Sugoi," Draco was awed. "So, this is the King's Terminal?"

"Yep," Ant said, "Follow me." He then said to Andie, "Oh, and Andie, go get the supplies, OK?"

"Roger!" Andie saluted before skipping off in a different direction.

The collective group of heroes could see a lot of people walking around the terminal and were really surprised. They hadn't seen anyone else since boarding the train and now had discovered that humans also came here. Of course, there were also the strangest looking creatures walking around with them.

"What are they?" Renia asked curiously as a blue being resembling an armadillo or ankylosaurus walked past.

"They are called Imagin," Ant answered. "You can call them the people of the sand. They really don't have their own home dimension, but sometimes try to make one."

"How?" asked Cyborg.

"By connecting a time to a world that they had came from," Ant answered. "Recently, a bunch of rogue Imagin led by a guy named Kai tried to change a world and turn it into their ideal one."

"Nani?!" Draco gaped. "Ant-san! Shouldn't we have known about this sooner?"

"It's okay," Ant smiled. "Two time trains called the DenLiner and ZeroLiner have gone to deal with them and since that world hasn't become a sandy wasteland yet, I'd say they're doing okay.

"Then why are there Imagin hanging out here?" asked Jinx.

"The Imagin here are content with the life they live here, visiting other times, riding the trains, and granting a wish or two if they want a new body."

"So they're like the hobos of the trains of time?" asked Bruiser. He didn't notice several Imagin sending him glares as they heard his statement.

"So is there anything to do here?" asked Jinx.

"You bet," Ant nodded. "There are facilities all over the place for activities."

"Oh," Jinx blinked before she began to smile.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" asked Snow Blood with crossed arms and immediately Ant tossed the teens pamphlets.

"If you have any questions, read those. They provide all the information you will need," Ant said. "Right now, I need to meet the Station Manager. Bye."

The teens folded the pamphlets open. The pamphlets had a map and explained to them what they could find in the terminal and were surprised.

The King's Terminal housed a movie theatre, a mall with hundreds of stores, restaurants, an arcade, a hotel and even a souvenir shop.

"OK, so, what's the plan?" asked Mortuary. "Split up or something?"

"Well, we got a few hours to kill," said Draco, checking his watch. "OK, in 6 hours we meet up back at the platform, OK?"

Jinx, who was holding Brimstone by a leash, suggested, "Maybe we should find a place to take Brimstone here. I mean, I wanna do some shopping and I doubt we can do any with a dog with us the whole time."

Draco squatted down to Brimstone's eye level, "I supposed you're right." He scratched Brimstone between the horns. "Alright, let's go."

And with that, they went their separate ways.

* * *

Draco was exploring the terminal. The others had gone off to do their own thing. When looking around he saw a strangely familiar figure. He wore a black muscle shirt under a black leather jacket and black pants. He wore fingerless leather gloves, studs on the knuckles. On his feet he wore heavily strapped combat boots. He had stark white hair that went down to his shoulders and wore sunglasses over his eyes. He had a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. Upon further expectation, he was also carrying various weapons. He had a katana strapped to his left side and a gun holstered to his right side. He also had a large claymore strapped to his back, as well as a guitar case, which struck Draco as odd considering he looked like he was going to war.

Draco then realized who this was. "Warren? Warren!" he shouted.

The man, Warren, looked at Draco with a quizzical look. It was a rather familiar sounding voice but it had an extra edge to it. But, he could still recall the voice and its owner. Looking up, he saw a young man with short and spiky/messy black hair with red streaks in it. Despite that, he recognized the goggles and the green eyes. "Draco! Long time no see!" he replied.

"Warren, how did you get here?" Draco said as he approached his old friend.

"Ant called me and told me he was buying the drinks, next thing I know, I'm trapped in a place I don't know…" Warren answered. '_Then again, this wouldn't be the first time.'_

"Well, Ant-san told me that this is the King's Terminal where time trains like the ChronoLiner stock up and get their fuel. I brought the others too," said Draco.

"Others?" He then heard barking and a familiar demon dog pounced onto Warren, licking the man's face. "He's gotten big…" groaned Warren. He managed to get Brimstone off of him and stood back up.

"Yes, he has. And when I mean others, I meant Cyborg, Beast Boy, Mortuary, Terra, Jinx and the Red Wolves."

"Red Wolves? Mort's old team?" asked Warren.

"Hai!"

"Damn, what are the odds of meeting up with you all here?" said Warren. Both he and Draco heard someone running towards them. The former teammates looked and saw Jinx running towards them.

"Sorry, he got loose!" Jinx apologized. "Hey, who's this?"

"She looks just like the Jinx from my world…" said Warren. He nudged Draco's arm, "Lucky devil."

Jinx looked at Warren confused and quirked an eyebrow, "Say what?"

"Jinxy-chan, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine. Warren Smith, also known as Kamen Rider Wraith."

"Nice to meet ya," said Warren.

Jinx looked at Warren and her eyes widened in realization, "You're THAT Warren? Ryuki talks about you a lot. He told me about how you saved his life from the Yoma."

"Oh yeah, the Yoma…" Warren hesitated. Yoma were far from being his favorite demonic creatures. "By the way, how's Ryan doing?"

"Last I heard, he and Ember became famous rock stars," answered Draco.

"Good for them. So, how's everything in your universe?"

"Well, right now we're on our way to take care of the Orphenoch King," said Draco.

"And Occultus," added Jinx.

Warren realised, "Ah, taking the fight straight to them."

"This might also be a chance to stabilize Ryuki's condition," said Jinx.

"Jinxy-chan…" muttered Draco.

"The King's power might help you, baby. You're…" began Jinx.

"I know…" said Draco.

* * *

Ant looked out to the Sands of Time in which he saw a cross between a dragon and a castle with a bull headed train and white and red bullet train tackling something together.

"I see you've found those people," a man with a slight English accent told him.

"The DenLiner and ZeroLiner?" Ant asked as he turned to find a gentleman wearing a black dress suit with a slight gold trim. His silver hair was braided and the braid was slung over his shoulder. His eyes were covered by a pair of black shades as well.

"Yes, the crew of the DenLiner were on a case and requested assistance from an outside source." The man told him. "You may call me the Owner."

"Train?" Ant questioned. Each train had a different Owner.

"LegendLiner."

"Antonitis Fenton McCrown of the ChronoLiner."

"Thought it was the Time Ghost's"

"He gave it to me during a crisis."

"Hmm?" The Owner told him quirking an eyebrow.

"Horrors."

"Pests."

"Do tell."

Just then a young man walked in with a black British girl following him. He had stylized hair that he seemed to keep at least an inch long and consistently flat. He also had soft very intelligent eyes as well. He wore a brown tweed suit and sneakers. The girl with him had stylized hair and soft brown concerned eyes as she looked to her companion.

"Doctor?" the girl asked.

The Doctor ignored her as he grabbed the Owner with a very grim face.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here, Owner?" the Doctor asked him.

"Getting supplies," the Owner of the Legend Liner responded calmly.

"Where were you?" the Doctor demanded.

"None of your business, Doctor. I have my own fights to attend to."

"Break it up, you two," Ant told them as he got in the middle. "I know that you have problems to work out with each other but this isn't the time to be fighting."

"He abandoned us during the war," the Doctor accused.

"The Daleks are one group that you've been able to fight against, Doctor," the Owner told him. "Besides I'm making preparations yet."

"What?" The Doctor asked coldly. "Conspiring with the Daleks this time?"

"I don't need to tell you," the Owner told him as he walked away.

"What are you standing here for?" the Doctor asked Ant.

"Mech battle outside," Ant told him with some amount of drool.

The Doctor looked outside and noticed the trains.

"DenLiner and ZeroLiner?"

"Yep."

"Let's watch then."

* * *

Mortuary walked around the terminal as the unexpected return of his team started to bug him again. He was happy to see them again, but frustration was actually centered on one person: Ashleigh. She was the only girl in the world that he had actually loved. He knew why she was mad. Mortuary had broken up with her without giving her a reason. It was a reason he never wanted to admit.

As he continued his walk he came across a park with a fountain on the center. The thought of a park in the middle of a terminal kinda weirded him out but he's seen too many weird things to let it bother him too much anyway. To his surprise he spotted Snow Blood sitting on one of the benches with a gloomy look about her. Mort decided this would be the perfect moment to talk to her. These two weeks of silence were driving him insane.

Mortuary walked up to her. Catching her attention, he asked. "Mind if I sit here?"

She simply shrugged and he sat. There was a long moment of silence until Snow Blood decided to break it. "How are you holding up?" she asked him.

"I'm alright. You?"

"Good," she replied. "Anything you needed to ask me? I'm guessing there's something you want to talk to me about since you keep following me around."

Mortuary sighed. "Well for one thing I wouldn't mind knowing why you're avoiding me."

She let out a small chuckle. "Do you really have to ask? I mean, you left us without giving any reason and you left me wondering if I went wrong somewhere between us."

"I had a reason," he defended himself

"Yeah, but apparently none of us were good enough to know it." She stood up and began to walk away. "Whatever, if you weren't gonna tell us then you're not gonna tell us now."

Mortuary stood up and hung his head sadly. "I was scared," he admitted.

Snow Blood turned to face him. "Scared of what?" she asked

"Occultus. I was scared because out of anyone of the villains we came across I would never be able to beat him. So I felt that since I lost to him that night I decided to fight him alone, that I wasn't good enough to lead this team, or to be with you. That's why I left." His voice was trembling when he talked about it.

Snow Blood could tell that it took a lot out of him to say it. She walked to him and pulled him into an embrace.

He started to tear up. "I'm sorry, Ash. I'm so sorry. I wanted to be the best for you but I couldn't and I don't know if I can now."

She stroked his hair. "Of course you can. You're Craig Smith, you're unbreakable. I fell for you for a reason. You taught me what it meant to never give in and never give up. You taught us all that."

He pulled himself away so he was eye to eye with her "So this means we're cool then?" he asked smiling.

She smiled back "We'll work on it, we've got two more weeks." After a short moment of silence she pulled him into a deep kiss that's been way overdue.

"So feel like taking a walk?" he asked after reluctantly ending the kkss

She nodded. After they walked for a while she took a look at him and asked, "So, why the long hair?

He just laughed and they continued to walk.

* * *

Renia had witnessed the entire thing. Tears fell from her eyes. She wiped away her tears before she felt her legs again and ran off. She hadn't memorized the layout of the station, but didn't really care. She just wanted to be someplace where she could be alone and far away from Mortuary and Snow Blood. As she was running, she accidentally bumped into Terra who was with Beast Boy and Wyvern.

"Ren, what's wrong?" Terra asked worriedly when she noticed that the young Homunculus was crying.

"Terra…it looks like I do have a heart," Renia sniffled. "Because…I can…feel it..._breaking_." She sobbed.

To Be Continued…


	71. PT071: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Part 71: Wolf on Sheep's Clothing

Warren stood in the Holographic Simulator Room within the ChronoLiner. "Simulator Activate: Despair," said Warren. The area around him transformed into a decimated city. In front of him was a massive figure that stood at nearly ten feet tall and was very muscular. Its skin was pitch black and its eyes were glowing white. It lifted its massive fist and swung at Warren. He leapt up and avoided the strike.

"C'mon, D'Spayre! You're getting slower!"

"**DAMN YOU, SMITH! I WILL CRUSH YOU!**" He, D'Spayre, grasped his hands together and slammed them into the ground. However, Warren had dodged the strike once again, appearing behind D'Spayre.

"You tried that before, but you ended up dead!" taunted Warren. He drew his claymore and appeared in front of D'Spayre. "But then again, I'm a lot stronger than I was then." D'Spayre charged at Warren, but stopped short of delivering a killing his blow.

"**SMITH…YOU BASTARD…**" Cuts began appearing all over his body.

"Takes one to know one, D'Spayre," said Warren with a smirk. D'Spayre's body then fell to pieces. The Simulator Room returned to normal.

"SIMULATION COMPLETE. ENERGY OUTPUT AT 75 PERCENT," said the computerized voice.

"75 percent, huh?" said Warren. "Didn't even have to transform," he said with a laugh. He looked at the clock in the room. "Well, might as well get some coffee."

* * *

Warren leaned against his seat as he sighed, enjoying a cup of Andie's coffee. "Ah….I miss this stuff." He had woken up early to get some breakfast in the dining car.

The previous day, the ChronoLiner had stopped at the King's Terminal to restock and refuel. There, the Titans and Red Wolves had a day of fun to unwind after two weeks of training and being cooped up aboard the time train. Draco also managed to meet with an old friend, namely Warren, an honorary Teen Titan from a parallel universe. Upon first meeting him, the others gawked at how armed Warren was. They even wondered how he could carry all that gear on him, and a guitar. Warren just chuckle at seeing how similar the Cyborg and Beast Boy from Draco's universe were compared to his own. He was also surprised to see Terra, whom he knew as only a civilian back in his world. What surprised them the most was the fact that Warren was in a relationship with an alternate version of Raven from his world. Though the others took a little longer to trust him, Mortuary and Draco vouched for him due to their experience with the gunman/swordsman. He could be trusted. He'd saved their lives so many times when they'd been traveling together all those months ago.

The door into the dining car slid open and Draco walked in, yawning. "Hey, Draco!" Warren waved.

"Ohayo," Draco waved tiredly. From his viewpoint, Warren could see something that looked like a love bite peaking out from under the Dragon Knight's collar. Draco went to the counter and made his order, which Andie obliged quickly. He then sat down in the booth, across from Warren.

"You look worn out," Warren observed, "Maybe you need a cup of java." Draco held up a hand.

"Pass. I never touch that stuff. You know that," Draco reminded. "Remember what happened the last time I had coffee?"

"I do," Warren chuckled, "Funny as hell."

"I'm glad someone thought it was humorous." Andie walked over and served Draco his fried rice and a glass of milk. "Arigatou, Andie-san." The female android bowed and then went back to her counter, awaiting further orders. Not everyone came down to the dining car. They would prefer to eat in their rooms and Andie would send the orders via teleporter as she received them through a communicator built into her. She didn't mind at all. It was in her programming. Draco smiled at seeing the flag sticking out of his rice. "Some things never change."

"Even if some things remain the same," Warren continued as he took another sip. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, we'll be going to Zandia. Under the cover of night Occultus won't suspect a thing," Draco said.

"But what about the ChronoLiner?" Warren pointed out, "It could get spotted. It's not exactly a small vehicle."

"Ant-san made sure of that. Remember, this train has cloaking capabilities," Draco said, "And it's not exactly defenseless."

"Well, this is a time train. Anyone would take advantage of being able to travel to any time they want," Warren said.

"Exactly why Ant-san has to stay," Draco paused, "Also, I discussed with Ant-san about recruiting some more people."

"Who else?" Warren questioned.

"Kamen Rider Faiz, Kamen Rider Kaixa and Kamen Rider Delta," Draco answered.

"Ah, more Riders," Warren nodded. "Tell me who they are again."

"They are three Orphenochs unaligned with Occultus who received Rider Gears from another dimension. Their Gears were specifically designed to battle Orphenochs," Draco said. "They are also known as Xander Harris, Selene and Shinji Hikari."

"OK," Warren crossed his arms and nodded in agreement, "Sounds good. I mean, we'll be walking into an installment probably filled with hundred of Orphenochs who want to kill us."

"I don't think they have a choice," Draco said somberly. "I think Occultus is manipulating them. They're just innocent pawns beings used by him for his plans."

"Draco, pawns or not they are still going to try to kill us and we have to defend ourselves when they do," Warren said seriously.

Draco frowned, "Doesn't mean I have to like it. I don't like killing, Warren-san. But, I do know that it is necessary sometimes."

"You had to learn that the hard way," Warren replied before sipping his coffee. "So, when does training start?"

"As soon as everyone's awake," Draco used his spoon to shovel some rice into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. "I mean, I know the train's comfortable, but they should wake up early for training. You never know what will happen if we're not prepared."

"_Exactly, aibou!_" shouted Yaminekoryu before he came out of Draco's body and took a seat next to his host. This time he wasn't invisible to anyone but his host. Due to something special within the ChronoLiner, or any other Time Train, or maybe even the Sands of Time in general, Yaminekoryu could assume a solid form. He actually likes this part. He just stayed inside his host for convenience, plus he's grown accustomed to being trapped within a human body. "Oi, Andie! How about a nice and tall glass of beer?"

"OK!" Andie saluted.

"_Me too!_" shouted another disembodied voice. Draco and Warren recognized it to be the voice of Vash. Suddenly, a man appeared next to Warren. Vash was a tall man wearing a red trench coat with spiky blonde hair. He was one of Warren's Spirit Partners.

"None for you!" said Warren.

"Ah, why not?" whined Vash.

"Because you can't handle alcohol! You get drunk after half a glass of beer!" retorted Warren.

"Oh yeah…"said Vash, remembering his low alcohol tolerance.

Warren shook his head then rested it in his palm. "I don't know how I put up with you."

"_How about me, lover…?_" whispered a sensual voice into Warren's ear, causing him to shudder. He turned around and saw exactly who he expected. She wore a uniform consisting of pale grey, tightly-fitting long sleeve shirt and pants. Over this, she wore some pieces of armor, shin high, slightly high heeled metal boots, large wrist guards, large shoulder pieces and a partial skirt. Finally, she wore a short cape and a piece of fabric marked with a symbol that looked like a cross, two lines moving diagonally from the ends. Strapped to her back was a claymore. She had pale blonde hair and silver eyes. Draco looked over Warren's shoulder and saw her as well.

"Teresa, I know exactly what to do with you," Warren said, grasping the back of her head and pulling her into a passionate kiss. Draco looked at this in shock. Wasn't Warren in love with Raven? "Draco, don't worry. Raven knows about Teresa and she's OK with it. It took a hell of a lot of convincing and Raven didn't talk to me for a while, but it all worked out in the end."

"OK, if you say so," Draco nodded, "All I know is that if I did anything like that, Jinxy-chan would hex me to last week." He added, "Then again, I can never be unfaithful to her."

"Hey, I'm not being unfaithful. Raven knows I love her heart and soul and the same goes for Teresa," countered Warren, sounding offended.

"Gomenasai…"

The large teleporter in the dining car came to life and Mortuary appeared. He was feeling too lazy to use the long way to the car but didn't feel like eating in his room. He went to the counter to order his food before going to an empty booth to sit down. He noticed Warren and Draco, along with their Spirit Partners. "Yo, good morning."

"To be honest, I'm not sure if it's even day at all," said Teresa.

"Here, here," agreed Yaminekoryu. Andie came with his tall glass of beer. "Ah, good."

"I hope that's all you're having," Draco said sternly.

"Oh, come on, aibou," Yaminekoryu whined, "Loosen up a little! I'm just going to have one glass."

"Good, because I don't want you drunk when you repossess me. If you do then I may end up with the hangover," Draco said as he shoveled more rice into his mouth and began chewing.

The teleporter came to life once more, revealing Jinx as she skipped happily into the dining car. She looped her arms around her beloved and kissed his cheek. "Good morning, baby." Draco blushed and Warren chuckled a little at the nickname Jinx had given Draco. Jinx then noticed they had extra company. "Hey, who are you guys?"

"Oh, come on, Jinxy-chan," said Yaminekoryu with a pout. "Don't you recognize me? I'm the guy sharing your boy's body."

Jinx blinked. She looked the demon up and down and recognized the description. "Yaminekoryu?"

"In the flesh!" Yaminekoryu waved.

"But how?" Jinx asked, surprised.

"It's the unique properties of the Sands of Time," Ant explained as he came into the dining car. "Like the Imagin, spirits can assume a physical form within this dimension. It is unknown how it happens but it does."

"You mean he could do this the whole time we were here?" Jinx questioned. "But why come out now?"

"Hey, I like being in his head," Yaminekoryu said as he poked at the side of his host's head. "I find it relaxing. Also, he has a good imagination! My realm in there is pretty neat!" He chugged down the last of his beer. "Ah, that's good beer!" He then dove into Draco's body. The Dragon Knight shivered at the sensation and felt a little queasy but recovered in a few seconds.

Jinx took her seat next to her boyfriend and then called to Andie, "Andie, can I get some waffles with maple syrup?"

"Gotcha!" Andie saluted as she got to work preparing the order. It was easy with a Food Materialiser like the one on that Gaijoan Shuttle.

"So, you two are spirits too?" Jinx questioned Vash and Teresa. Vash was occupying the seat next to Warren while Teresa was in the booth behind Warren, but had her arms wrapped around the swordsman/gunman. The two nodded. "OK, and I thought having a possessed boyfriend was weird."

"When you travel on the ChronoLiner, everything is weird," Mortuary pointed out. Andie came with his order and he dug in. Just French toast, bacon, eggs and ham. "The food of men!" She also poured him some cold orange juice.

Warren and Draco rolled their eyes. Jinx decided to ask, "So, tell me. You really got Raven pregnant?" Jinx couldn't imagine Raven having any kids and the image of her bulging belly just made her laugh.

"Sure did," Warren nodded, "And let me tell you that she wasn't so pleasant. Her hormones were getting out of control and every little thing set her off."

"She threw you into a wall once, right?" Jinx asked.

"Try a few times," Warren muttered.

"But I always kiss to make it better," Teresa purred. Warren chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, interesting," Warren agreed. "I even have pictures of our kids."

That made Jinx and Draco fall silent. Mortuary looked surprised.

"Kids?" the three of them echoed.

Warren reached into his pocket to pull out a small photo album. He flipped through the pages to show both Jinx and Draco the picture of his kids. Mortuary didn't seem interested but even he was curious when he heard this.

The photos showed two babies, a boy and a girl. The boy had white hair with a violet streak and the girl had violet hair with a white streak. "My son's name is Alexander and my daughter's name is Teresa." It showed various pictures, such as first steps, them eating, and them covered in food.

"That one's my favorite," said Vash, pointing at the one of young Alexander covered in spaghetti.

"This ones mine," said Teresa, looking at the one of little Teresa's first steps.

"Kawaii!" Draco gazed.

"So cute!" Jinx squealed.

Warren then slid the album back into his pocket, much to the couple's disappointment. "So, anyway, Draco and I were discussing the plan when we get to Zandia."

"Oh, he already told me," Jinx said. "Last night, in our room."

"Sharing a room, huh?" Warren grinned. Draco blushed as he took a sip of milk.

"Yep, they sure do, and they're screamers!" Yaminekoryu joked as he reappeared in a seat behind Draco. He caught a glare from his host and Jinx to warn him to shut up. "OK, sorry!" He then dove back into Draco's body.

"So, in the cover of night we sneak in," Warren repeated the plan.

"Just leave Occultus to me," said Mortuary, cocking his gun. "He's mine."

Draco looked worried. He'd had visions last night. Not very good visions. "Mortuary, just be careful, OK?" he warned.

"Hey, don't worry. I have backup. Andrew is gonna back me up."

Warren frowned at the mention of Falconer's name. "I'd be careful around that guy, Mort."

"Why?" Mortuary asked.

The Wraith explained, "It's a gut feeling, but there's something about that Andrew guy I don't like. He's shifty and keeps to himself."

"So does Raven," Mortuary reminded, not liking where Warren was taking this. Warren's eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses.

"Well, she doesn't make me suspect her of anything. Your friend, Andrew or Falconer, just seems a bit off. I'd be careful about trusting him," Warren warned.

Mortuary put down his knife and fork and stood up. He glared at the swordsman/gunman. "You barely even know him."

"Oh, and you do?"

Draco knew a fight might break out so he stood up to quell the fire. "Guys, calm down and just enjoy breakfast. You can take your aggression out later during combat practice."

"Sorry, Leo, but I don't like the way Mr. Paranoia is talking smack about one of my teammates," Mortuary growled angrily.

"Oh, and how long has it been since you last saw any of them?" Warren countered. "People change, Craig. Even your closest friend can turn into your worst enemy." Warren was talking from experience. "Remember what I told you about Jacob?" Warren was talking about Jacob Caspian, a former teammate of his who betrayed him and killed someone important to him. Mortuary's hands ignited with necroplasmic energy.

"Minna, yamerro kudasai!" Draco pleaded. In Japanese, he said, "Guys, please stop it!"

Teresa was ready to draw her sword at Mortuary but a simple gesture from Warren stopped her. "I'm just saying to be careful, Mort."

"Fine," Mortuary muttered as he sat back down. "Paranoid bastard."

* * *

Renia had cried herself to sleep and when she woke up, she didn't feel any better. She'd told both Wyvern and Terra what'd happened and both were upset with Mortuary for making the Homunculus cry. He was either ignorant of Renia's crush on him or didn't care. It wasn't the former. He knew how Renia felt for him.

Renia sighed as she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. Maybe another hot shower would be all she would need to get her emotions under control again.

Yesterday, she had the urge to just crystallize Snow Blood, but her rationality pulled through and warned her that such an action would just make Mortuary angry with her. As much as she wanted to make Snow Blood pay for stealing Mortuary away from her, she didn't want the guy to be mad at her either. It was a dilemma and she hated dilemmas. They were confusing.

She came out of the bathroom after a few minutes, in a bathrobe and drying her hair. She then went towards the phone. She was hungry, but she didn't want to be at the dining car. Mortuary was there and she didn't want to face him. She picked up the receiver to call Andie. She ordered her breakfast and hung up, sighing.

"At least this proves I'm not a heartless and soulless monster," Renia said to herself. From the old journals she'd kept written by an Edward Elric, the Homunculi were artificial humans created via Alchemy. However, they didn't have souls or a conscience. Renia knew she was different. Her creators/parents made sure of that.

Rorek had long told her that the energy for magic came from the soul. She didn't believe him then. Scientifically, there was no such thing as a soul, but science also disproved magic and she'd seen it in action. She was obviously in denial.

Maybe a few hours in the gym beating up a training dummy could ease her pain.

* * *

Everyone had finally turned up for training. Though, Andrew was absent for some reason. Bruiser said that the guy didn't feel like training because he was feeling under the weather, but Warren didn't believe that story. He still suspected that Falconer was up to something.

Mortuary saw Renia but the girl turned away and started working out on a training dummy. The Knights of Aries looked bewildered at the blonde Homunculus. When he tried to ask Terra, the geokinetic just snorted and went to spar with Beast Boy. He scratched his head in confusion. Then, Wyvern called him a jerk straight out of the blue.

Bruiser and Cyborg had a competitive friendship. They wanted to see who could lift the most weights and had tied so far.

"I can still beat you!" challenged Bruiser.

"Like to see you try!" goaded Cyborg.

As Draco was running on the treadmill, Warren's words kept repeating in his head. A wolf in sheep's clothing, here on the ChronoLiner? He didn't like the way Warren had worded it but what if he was right? What if a spy was with them? If only Shadow or Raven were here they would know what to do but unfortunately there weren't. Maybe Warren was just being paranoid like Mortuary said.

But, Warren's hunches had never been wrong so maybe there was some merit to his words. Regardless, they had no way of knowing for sure except by rummaging through Falconer's stuff. Jinx, of course, said that even whilst working with her old team at the HIVE that trust wasn't given fully. But how could you trust other villains who would stab you in the back at the moment's notice once given the chance.

Warren could see Renia was pounding the hell out of the training dummy. At first, he just thought she was too young for this. She'd proven him wrong when he ended up facedown on the mat 5 times in a row. The kid was tough. He'd heard that she was a Homunculus, which would explain her abnormal strength. Even if it'd only been a day, the kid had grown on him. She reminded him of Clare when she was younger. From what he remembered, the girl seemed a little upset at something and he had seen the way she looked at Mortuary and Snow Blood. Was she jealous?

He decided to take his chances. Even if the girl would end up beating on him, he felt like it was his duty to help. "Hey, Renia!" Warren called.

"What do you want?" Renia said, not stopping her workout.

"Wanna spar again?" Warren asked. Renia stopped and turned to look at him, hands on her hips and quirking an eyebrow.

"We did that, remember? And I beat you," Renia reminded. "Or did all those blows to the head affect your memory?"

"Oh, my memory's fine," Warren joked, tapping his head. "When dating someone like Raven your head get's pretty hard. So, what do you say?"

"Fine," Renia sighed. She muttered, "I need a stress reliever anyway."

The two moved towards another one of the sparring rings.

"So, what made you so pissed off?" Warren asked as he and Renia circled each other.

"Nothing!" Renia snapped before she shot forward with a haymaker. Warren dodged easily.

"Really? Because, I think you're getting sloppy," Warren mocked. Renia growled as she rushed at him with a punch to the stomach. He leapt over her and then went to his knees before using a sweep kick to knock her off her feet. "See?"

Renia flipped back to her feet and spun around with a kick but Warren caught her leg. "You need to keep calm, Renia."

"Shut up!" Renia snapped as she pulled her leg back. Warren sighed. It appeared the young Homunculus was still hurting emotionally and he suspected that Mortuary was the culprit. During the previous dinner, Renia had been quiet but he could see her glaring at Mortuary and Snow Blood the whole time whilst she repeatedly stabbed at her meal. She even tried to avoid Mortuary and quickly left any room he came into. She was hurting and he was trying to help. He knew she must've spoken to Terra. From what he'd seen the two were exceptionally close. Like sisters. Of course, talking to Terra didn't seem to lessen the pain. It was still there. Maybe he could help.

He dodged all the attempts Renia made to hit him. She shouted, "Fight me!" He shook his head. She was still a child and he couldn't hurt her, not when she was still hurting on the inside. They didn't have much time so Renia had to get her act together in two weeks.

Warren noticed that Andrew was absent. The guy was suspicious, even if he'd just met the guy for one day. He seemed to be keeping something from everyone and Warren was the only one to notice. They trusted him, maybe a little too much.

Warren continued to dodge Renia. She grew so angry that she turned her crystal hand into a blade, ripping the glove in the process. She began to stab and slash at Warren. He drew his katana and parried her swings. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the spectacle.

"Renia, stop!" Terra shouted, but her pleading came upon deaf ears as Renia wasn't listening to her. '_Oh, crap! She still hasn't gotten over it._' She cast Mortuary a look._ 'I need to speak with Craig about this._'

"It's too bad that Andrew has to miss this," Bruiser said as he watched in keen interest. Mortuary bit his lip. Where was Andrew/Falconer?

"He must be in his room tinkering with something," spoke Wyvern. "He did buy a lot of stuff from that mall in King's Terminal."

"What kind of stuff?" asked Mortuary.

"Just computer stuff," Wyvern shrugged. "Maybe he wants to upgrade his Falcon Suit."

'_I hope you're right_,' Mortuary thought. He had thought over Warren's words. Andrew had been acting a little unusual. He was keeping to himself more and didn't spend as much time with the others as before. He was acting like Raven but even she could make time to spend with her friends but Andrew often stayed in his room and only came out after long periods. It'd been like that the last two weeks and somehow Mortuary didn't like it. He didn't like thinking of his friends like that either, but something in his gut was telling him that something was wrong and he had to be careful.

Finally, Warren had enough. He knocked Renia onto her back with a kick and pointed the tip of his sword to her throat. Everyone gasped and a few went to intervene but Warren withdrew his sword and slid it back into the scabbard. "You feeling better now?" Warren asked. Renia yelled and got back to her feet before storming out of the training area. "Was it something I said?"

Mortuary glared at Warren before following after Renia. He had to know what was making her hurt so horribly.

"Dude, that was rough," said Beast Boy.

* * *

As soon as Mortuary stepped out of the training room he instantly found Renia. "Stop, Ren. We need to talk," we called out to her.

Renia just kept walking with tears streaming down her face. "There's nothing to talk about, Craig. Plus, it's not like you'd care what I have to say."

That statement angered Mortuary. "That's bullshit and you know it! If I didn't care I wouldn't be trying to stop you now."

Renia stopped walking, he did have a point. "It's hard to explain."

This gave Mortuary an opportunity to walk around her so he could talk to her face to face. He put his finger under the young homunculus' chin and lifted her face to look at his.

Renia's eyes welled up with tears. "I saw you and Ash yesterday."

Mortuary looked down and groaned. "So that's what this is about. Ren, Ash and I have felt this way about each other for years," he started to explain.

"I know you have."

"Ren, I'm not doing this to hurt you. You're a nice and beautiful girl, but I'm not the guy for you."

Renia shook her head, "Then who is? You're the only guy I've ever been in love with."

Mortuary just smiled, "There'll be one way better than me for you and you'll meet him sooner than you think. I did promise you that, remember?"

"But he'll probably be nothing like you," she replied

"Trust me, that's probably a good thing," he said with a small chuckle "My promise won't break and when this young lucky guy comes you're gonna wonder why you were ever sad in the first place."

Renia wiped her tears away. "You sure you're right about this?" she asked.

"One hundred percent." He answered back. He then outstretched his arms, "Friends?"

Renia allowed herself to be pulled into an embrace, "Friends."

* * *

In an unmarked room, someone was speaking into a communicator, "That's right. We'll be arriving in the dead of night. Yes, Master. I know you'll be waiting. I hope I've served you well." He shut off the link and sighed, sitting at his bed. "Sorry for doing this, guys."

To Be Continued…

* * *

Shadow Element 13: Warren Smith is my character. He comes from my fic The Wraith, set in an AU from ZK's ZKD fics.

Real Name: Warren Smith

Alter Ego: Wraith

Powers: Shadow manipulation and telepathic abilities. Wraith Form (gives enhanced strength, agility and healing), Angel Form (light manipulation, 10 times the strength of Wraith Form) and Awakened Form (5 times the power of Angel Form). Shamanic abilities. Soul Reaper abilities. A technique known as Shadow Step (teleportation between shadows).

History: Warren is the hybrid son of the human Nathaniel Smith and the angel Kara. However Nathaniel's human blood only makes up 4 percent of his body, while Kara's angelic blood makes up 46 percent. The last 50 percent belong to the demon Dahaka, the living embodiment of darkness. Warren was meant to bring about the end of humanity, similar to Raven. Kara died soon after childbirth and Nathaniel, the first Wraith, died fighting against Dahaka, hoping to spare his son his fate. When his father died, a powerful demonic entity, known as Arrach, searched for a new host. Warren was passed along from foster family to foster family. This lasted until he was fourteen, when he was adopted by the Rains family. George and Samantha Rains. Samantha was the first person Warren ever considered a mother, the first woman in his life that didn't treat him like a freak. George was a different matter. He was a wealthy business man and a horrendous human being.

George ritualistically beat Samantha and Warren. One day he went too far, beating Samantha to death. It was here that Warren's demonic abilities first showed themselves. He blasted George with shadow energy. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to stop him, and Warren was shot. Warren was legally dead for twenty minutes.

During these twenty minutes Warren was confronted by the demonic Wraith spirit, Arrach. Together, Warren and Arrach made a pact. In exchange for returning Warren to life, Arrach will be allowed to inhabit Warren's body. Warren returned to life and was found by Shahdee Farah. After meeting her he joined Hellsing as a member of the Nomads, a special division of Hellsing that traveled around the world. He would later meet Samuel Grest on one such mission.

Nomads:

Shahdee Farah: Elemental witch

Jacob Caspian: No known powers

Kaileena "Leena" Farah: Pyromancer

Warren Smith: Shadow manipulation

Samuel "Sammy" Grest: Demonic armor

For two years Warren lived a good life, until the Valentine Brothers attacked. The two brothers attacked Hellsing headquarters with an army of Ghouls. Hellsing eventually defeated them, but not without casualties. Out of all of 85 members of Hellsing's forces, only 13 survived, eight of which because they were not on base at the time. Shahdee was killed when a traitor was revealed amongst Hellsing members, in the form of Jacob Caspian, the second in command of the Nomads. After the attack, the Nomads officially disbanded, though they still remained with Hellsing.

One year later, the Nomads reformed in Jump City, though they no longer go by that name. Here they met the Teen Titans and added three new members.

New members:

Desmond Nekrad: Vampire

Tate Razencroft: Werewolf

Erika Razencroft: Werecat

They moved to Jump City to deal with a group of inter-dimensional demons known as Wraiths, who feed off of human souls. Warren eventually began to date Raven. After several months in Jump City the heroes were attacked by a powerful demon lord known as The Corruptor. The demon literally corrupted the heroes' villains, destroying their souls and turning them into demons. Most of the villains were defeated and The Corruptor was sealed within another dimension. The fight cost Warren and his team their home, causing them to move in with the Titans. However, Raven had been kidnapped, by a demonic Dr. Light.

Warren went alone to fight the villain, and after seeing the torture the demon had wrought upon his beloved Raven, Warren snapped. He transformed into his Wraith Form, but instead of using his angelic energy like normal, he used demon energy. The energy corrupted him and unleashed something Warren thought was gone for good, his second personality known as Damien. Damien killed Dr. Light before Warren could regain control of his body.

Warren later suffered an identity crisis with Damien constantly taking over his body without his knowledge. He nearly went on a bloody rampage, but was stopped by the Titans. Warren would then go to therapy and was put on medication to repress his evil personality.

After Warren's 18th birthday, he and the others were attacked by the demon lord D'Spayre, who easily outmatched the Titans. Warren was forced to access his Angel Form, even with the knowledge that the spiritual strain would kill him. Warren finally managed to kill D'Spayre, but lost his life in the process.

Warren was then given a mission to regain his life, as his death left open a gateway for Dahaka to get through. Warren traveled to different universes and spiritual planes to train. He first arrived in the Claymore World, where he met and, unexpectedly, fell in love with one of the most powerful warriors on that world, Teresa. However, Teresa was killed and before Warren could avenge her, he was transported to the Soul Society. Here he trained under Kenpachi Zaraki. He there master Shikai and Bankai and stopped a Hollow invasion. He then trained with Anna and participated in the Shaman Tournament. He then traveled back in time and met up with Inuyasha, before teaming up with Ryuki and the others.

Upon returning home, he found Raven pregnant and that he was the father, as well as stopping a worldwide vampire attack. Raven soon gave birth to twins when Warren was called by Ant to participate in the upcoming attack on Occultus.


	72. PT072: Our Memories and Convictions

Part 72: Our Memories and Convictions.

_I had just turned 15 and summer vacation had come to an end. One day, I decided to do some rummaging in the attic. My father's trunk was there and I was curious to see what I could find. I had just found the key and wanted to see what was inside._

_I saw all sorts of things like old knick-knacks and stuff from my father's younger years when I came upon something very strange and interesting. It was a red rectangular case with a slot. I drew a card out and gazed at it. It had an image of a black hole and the word "SEAL" printed on top._

_I heard my mother calling me to breakfast. I had really sharp hearing so it was no trouble. I pocketed the deck case and came down from the attic. I didn't know that my life would change forever._

_I walked to school. I liked it that way, really. It was good exercise for me. I attended the Red Horse Private Institute, a private school for the rich. Despite a majority of the school's populace being made up of arrogant people, I had some good friends there._

_Suddenly, I could hear a strange ringing noise in my ears. I cringed in pain but then I followed the sound and looked towards a building and was shocked to see a dragon flying inside the reflection of the windows. I was surprised that nobody else saw this. All of a sudden, the dragon leapt out of the reflection and came right at me. Out of instinct, I raised up my arms to protect myself. At the time, I was holding that deck case with the Seal Card on top and the dragon bounced off a barrier. I opened my eyes to see that the dragon had disappeared._

_Was it just my imagination?_

_I told my classmates about the dragon and they laughed at me. They told me that I must've been day dreaming. I frowned. I knew what I saw, but without proof I couldn't do anything._

_As I was walking home, the same ringing noise invaded my ears. Then, in the reflection of cars at a parking lot, I saw a strange spider creature going after a woman. If this thing was anything like that dragon, then I had to warn the lady. _

_Then, a girl came in front of me and asked, "Are you a Zodiac Knight?"_

_I ignored her and ran towards the woman but then I ended up getting sucked through a reflection instead._

_I flew through some sort of crystalline tunnel and I screamed the entire way. When I flew out of the reflection, I then realized that I was wearing a strange suit of armor and then I looked up to see the spider monster looking straight at me. I also looked up at the signs to see the writing in reverse but that was the lease of my troubles as the giant spider thing came charging at me. I decided to do the most sensible thing._

_I ran away screaming at the top of my lungs._

_The spider-monster was knocking cars aside to get to me as I tried to make my escape. The spider thing then got close enough to swing its leg, sending me flying into a building before I came crashing down to the ground. I groaned in pain as I saw the thing coming for me. Was this how I was going to die?_

_Suddenly, a dark blue pod-like vehicle on two wheels knocked the spider-thing over. It then swerved and screeched to a halt before the top of the vehicle lifted up. I could see another man wearing armor that was different from mine. He then approached the spider, standing in front of me._

"_Who are you?" I asked. The man glanced at me._

_The other armored man said, "You're new, aren't you?" He snorted, "I'm surprised that you haven't made a contract with a monster yet."_

"_Huh?" I was confused. What did he mean make a contract?_

_The spider-monster started spewing sharp spikes at us and the guy threw me aside before using his sword to deflect the spikes. He then charged straight ahead and began fighting it. He then backed away before sheathing his sword. He reached to his right hip where a case was attached to the belt he was wearing which resembled the one I was wearing. He then drew a card before calling its name, "Sword Vent: K-9 Lance!" He slid the card into a slot located in the back of his sword. In a flash of light, a lance appeared in his hands before he charged._

"_So, that's what the cards do," I realized before reaching down to the case on my belt. I drew a card before sliding it inside the device on my left arm. "Ano…Sword Vent?" In a flash of light, a sword dropped down from the sky and imbedded itself in the ground in front of me. I looked confused for a moment before walking over and pulling the sword out. "Alright…I may not know what's going on, but there's no way I'll just stand around doing nothing!"_

_Meanwhile, the other armored person was fighting but then got knocked backwards. Luckily, he landed on his feet. I ran past him, holding the sword before swinging it downwards on the one of the spider's legs._

_The sword snapped in half, much to my surprise and embarrassment, before the spider knocked him into a building._

"_Stand aside," the other armored man advised, "You're not ready for combat." He then drew another card from his belt before sliding it into his sword. "Add Vent: Summoning Cerberus!"_

_A loud howling noise could be heard before the biggest dog I had ever seen rammed into the spider. The strangest thing about this dog was not its size, but the three heads it sported. The armored man then drew another card before sliding it into his sword, "Final Vent!"_

_The dog howled, barked and roared with all three heads before he mounted it. He pointed his lance forwards as the two of them charged. Blue energy engulfed them before they rushed straight at the spider._

"_FROZEN HUNTER!" he called out as he sent a blast of frost at the spider, freezing it in place, before smashing right through and shattering it into many pieces. I watched, astounded._

"_Sugoi…"_

_As he walked off, I chased after him. I tried to ask him about what was going on and he snapped at me. I ignored that and continued to ask questions but we heard a roar._

_It was that dragon again._

_It then attacked us, spewing us with fireballs. I ran like my life depended on it and then somehow ended up back in the real world. I fainted soon after from the shock._

_When I woke up, I was in a foreign bed. Was it all a dream?_

_I walked downstairs to see the girl who'd asked me if I was a Zodiac Knight and a young man who was around my age. He then asked me if I was alright. I recognized that voice. It wasn't a dream after all._

_I tried to find out what was going on and he once again snapped at me to shut up and just hand over the card case. I couldn't do that. It was my father's. He did warn me that I would become the dragon's target but I refused to relinquish the object. There was so much I wanted to know like how my father came across it. The girl, Eri, introduced herself and her brother, Takada. She then told me to be careful with the deck, because it was not a toy. I did have further questions but then I was already late._

_My mother nearly sent her entire army of bodyguards to find me. She had been that worried._

_The next day, as I was walking home from school, I could see a little girl in a clothing store crying. Apparently, her mother had disappeared in the changing room. I clenched my teeth. One of those monsters must've taken her. I looked down at the deck and knew what I must do. I followed the ringing sound and found Eri standing in front of a window and I could see her brother fighting the spider creature. I asked her what I had to do and she told me to make a contract with the dragon._

_I did and my armored changed to red and silver and I could feel the power. I then dove into the fight and rescued Pluto (Takada's Zodiac Knight name). Instead of being grateful, however, he attacked me! He was ready to kill me when Shadowcobra suddenly appeared. It ended up turning into a 3-way fight that I wanted to stop. Why were they doing this? What was going on?_

_I soon realized that we Knights were fated to fight one another until only one of us remained. I didn't want that. The monsters were the real threat!_

_To be honest, I felt a little conflicted. I had learned that the last Knight standing got a wish for anything they wanted. I could tell that Pluto and Shadowcobra wanted to wish for something that was very precious and dear to them. People who fight like they do don't have a selfish wish they want granted. I wasn't sure what to do for a while until I remembered something my okaasan once told me._

_"The true path towards honor lies in your heart. You must fight for what is right and what feels right in your heart, despite all the odds against you."_

_So, I tried to convince them to join forces and work together but they rejected the idea. It wasn't until the school was attacked that we finally set aside our differences and fought to protect our school. No sooner after that, we became a team and I dubbed us the "Masked Riders" in honor of my favorite superheroes._

_We went through a lot and had plenty of adventures. We made new friends, new enemies, fought side by side, hung out, and did almost everything together. I had ever found love a few times but circumstances got in the way. _

_One day, tragedy struck. My best friend and brother, Tazuka, was killed to protect me from Scorpios and evil Zodiac Knight. I grieved and was unable to fight anymore. The final straw came when I discovered that my sister was also an evil Zodiac Knight who's been plotting against me._

_I just couldn't take it anymore._

_I made my decision. I had to leave…and never come back._

-Ryuki Leonard Hasuma/Zodiac Knight Draco.

* * *

Draco stood in the middle of the Holographic Simulator Chamber and commanded, "Computer, activate scenario: Night of 1000 Horrors." The area around him soon began to change. No longer was he standing in a room with white walls, floor and ceiling, but in the middle of cemetery. The air was cold and the atmosphere was eerie. The Dragon Knight pulled his goggles over his eyes and reached into his jacket to pull out his Pactio card.

"Adeat," he summoned and the card morphed into his Keyblade. "Come out, you freaks," he invited. "I'm standing right here."

As soon as he said that, the cemetery burst into life as the Horrors, demonic looking skeletons with tails, wings and horns with sharp teeth and soulless eyes came into existence as they came right out of the graves. Gripping his Keyblade, Draco charged into the horde of 1000 Horrors.

He swung his Keyblade, knocking them into the air and then he launched himself into the air before rolling and slashing them in half. He landed on the ground and unleashed a barrage of strikes which decimated the Horrors' numbers.

"_Aibou, hissatsu wazza!_" Yaminekoryu cried in his head. Draco nodded an affirmative as the Keyblade glowed red.

"Extreme Slash!" Draco called out as he charged and started slashing like crazy, killing several Horrors by slicing them in half, slicing their heads off and then straight down the middle. A few Horrors were coming up behind him so he then threw his Keyblade, which now glowed blew, at them like a javelin. The lead Horror got impaled by the Keyblade which then formed a shield that immobilized it. Draco leapt up.

"Solid Attack!" He kicked into the shield, which shattered, and sent the Horror flying into its kind, destroying them as they exploded into dark blazes. The Keyblade returned to Draco's hand, now glowing yellow. He was surrounded but the Horrors were making it far too easy for him.

"Dynamic Chop!" he called out as he spun around, destroying the Horrors in one fell swoop. He then leapt high into the air and floated there, aiming the Keyblade at them.

"Wild Shot!" Purple orbs of energy smashed into the Horrors and exploded, destroying them instantaneously.

Draco counted that there were plenty more. Less than 1000 but more than one person could take down. He was sweating, but the adrenaline rush overcame exhausting. He narrowed his eyes and roared before charging straight into the horde of Horrors. It started with 1000, but would end with zero.

* * *

Mortuary entered the dining car to see Warren there. Things had been tense between them all week because of Warren's suspicions of one of Mortuary's friends, Andrew/Falconer. They were still on speaking terms but often ended up in an argument when Warren tried to warn Mortuary. It would appear that Mortuary trusted his old team a little too much.

"Hey," Mortuary greeted.

"Hey," Warren replied, sipping coffee.

Mortuary went to the counter to order his food when Draco came in, looking far worse for wear. The two other boys blinked at Draco's condition.

"You look like you got run over by a truck," Warren pointed out.

"And then it backed up and run you over again," Mortuary added.

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious," Draco said as he sat down in his usual spot. "I feel sore all over," he groaned.

"What happened? Did you try to lift weights alone but then they fell on top you?" Mortuary asked, trying to be funny.

"I was training in the simulator," he retorted. "Remember the Night of 1000 Horrors?"

Warren and Mortuary froze.

"You were doing that _alone_? Are you nuts!?" Mortuary gawked.

"It took the four of us to take down all of those things," Warren reminded. When he meant by the four of them, he was referring to himself, Draco, Mortuary and Ryan. "And we barely got out of it alive."

"I know," Draco replied with a sigh. "Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. You both don't need to remind me."

There was a bit of awkward silence before someone spoke again.

"So, how many did you manage to kill?" Mortuary asked out of curious interest.

"500, before they dog piled me," Draco groaned in pain. "Those holograms can be very realistic, can't they?"

"Tell me about it," Mortuary said as he sat down with his order, speaking from experience. "I've gotten bruises from that thing to prove it."

"Next time, kid, if you wanna go through a simulation like that, ask us to come along," Warren advised. "Remember that we're here for you."

"Hai, hai, I'll try to remember," Draco said, planting his forehead on the table. "Right now I just really need a tall glass of ice cold milk."

"Here you go," Andie said cheerfully as she placed down the glass. Draco grabbed it, sat back up and then drank the entire thing in one gulp.

"Ah, that hit the spot," Draco said as he wiped his mouth of access milk. His two friends chuckled.

"So, in a week we'll reach Zandia," Mortuary said as he looked out the window. The two teams had been training hard together to prepare themselves to fight off the Orphenoch army Occultus had waiting for them. Occultus, however, was going to be all his. He had a score to settle with him. "Perfect. This time Occultus is going down."

"Ano, Mortuary," Draco said with concern, "We don't want to kill him."

Mortuary glared, "And why not?" Even after all this time, Draco was still hesitant and reluctant when it came to killing, even Orphenochs.

"Do you really want to dirty your hands with his blood?" Draco asked, rhetorically. "I'm trying to avoid killing as much as possible."

"But you don't mind killing Horrors."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Horrors are not even truly alive. They are parasites. That's different and you know it." His cousin Saeji had told him that. Once a person was possessed by a Horror, the most merciful thing to do for them was to kill them.

"Fine, fine," Mortuary rolled his eyes. "But I fully intend to kill Occultus."

Draco sighed. "Fine…" He knew he couldn't talk Mortuary out of killing Occultus. It was the same thing with Draco. For a long time he'd wanted to kill Asakura, who was now dead thanks to Tazuka.

"So, about these other Riders?" Warren asked. "When can we meet them?"

Draco leaned against his seat. "I don't know yet. Ant-san hasn't gotten a reply from them."

"Well, I know they can help, but still…" Mortuary began hesitantly.

"Not all Orphenochs are on Occultus' side, Mortuary," Draco reminded.

"But plenty of them are," Mortuary muttered. Draco frowned. "And that's enough for me."

Draco closed his eyes. So far he hadn't gotten any significant visions. It was like there was nothing to report and he didn't like it. Even a glimpse into the future would be nice but all he saw was darkness every time he closed his eyes. Even his dreams were uneventful, which was first for a very long time.

Another week was left and they would arrive. They had to stop the Orphenoch King from rising, whatever the cost.

* * *

_A liar, that's something I'll always be and it'll never change. I've told lies to do a lot of things, like get myself out of trouble or pick up girls. I became a player. I never felt guilty about it as long as nobody got hurt, at least not physically hurt. As long as things turned out OK then I could lie to my hearts content._

_My little sister often said some words of advice when I would be in my funks over my social life in the past. She would say, "Be yourself, don't try to lie to yourself or others." As corny as it sounded, it was good advice when you thought about it. Too bad I was never one to follow my sister's advice when it counted._

_Sometimes it was a little white lie and sometimes I would just brag. I mean, I put on some cool clothes, put on some hairspray to spike up my hair and nobody's the wiser. People see a cool dude who can have any lady he wants by being a smooth talker. I even have a smooth ride to go with it, a Cadillac I got from a junkyard and fixed up myself. Took a long time but was totally worth it in the end by the time I got my driver's license. It was mine, my car, and nobody was going to tell me different._

_Oh, I forgot to tell you who I was. Well, call me Yoshiyuki Takada, but just call me Takada. You can only call me by my given name if I let you and that's a short list, a really short list. Frankly, it's actually a barrier, so people can't get too close to the real me._

_But who is the real me? It's not what you see._

_Believe it or not, I'm really a geek/nerd. I like videogames, Sci-Fi and tinkering with machines. Science is my life. You should see some of my inventions or experiments. They will blow you away (quite literally sometimes too). But, I don't show this side much. May scare away the ladies if you know what I mean._

_Oh, who am I kidding? This is not what would scare them! I'm a freak of science! Oh, you wanna know what I mean? Well, I'll tell ya! One day I was in the chemistry with my sister. I was 14 at the time and she was 12. We just got into this sweet school called the Red Horse Institute. My dad pulled some strings and got us on scholarship to pay for the expensive tuition fees. Anyway, she was first year and I was in my second year. Well, I was just mixing chemicals as she watched me. I got permission to use the lab after school to work on a project. It was a chemical solution which could revolutionize the world. By applying it on a surface, that surface would become completely invulnerable. I mean just imagine coating your car with this and you wouldn't have to worry about dents or scratch marks. They won't happen. No damage! Nothing bad would happen. And today was going to be the day I would complete it._

_But I messed up._

_There was an explosion and not only was the chemistry lab busted, but the shock of the explosion also wrecked the physics and biology labs as well. Not a good way to make an impression, huh? Well, that wasn't the worst part. My sister got hurt, and hurt bad that she had to go to the hospital. I was lucky to get out without a scratch. In fact, I didn't have a scratch on me._

_As a result the school had to suspend me for the remainder of the year. They might as well revoke my scholarship and throw me out but my parents called somebody to let me stay. However, by the start of the next school year I would have to repeat the entire year. What a drag. At least it didn't happen to my sister. In two weeks she was better._

_I've felt funny since that day. I never noticed it but I never got hurt. Sure, I could feel pain but I never bruised, got scalded or burnt or anything. It was like I was invulnerable or something. One day I tested it by using a knife to try and slit my wrist. Nothing happened. I tried to stab myself but the knife couldn't penetrate. I couldn't believe it! That accident! My solution! I must've accidentally absorbed that stuff in the accident! Even my bones were unbreakable!  
_

_Well I was still allowed to do experiments, provided I had proper supervision. That was the deal and I accepted it. At least I wasn't banned from it completely. I even entered a contest to show off one of my creations. I won and we were all going to celebrate it together as a family._

_I would never forget that night when it happened. Something just rushed past us. We never even saw the truck. My dad swerved the car but then we crashed._

_I woke up at the hospital. I found out later that my dad died on impact. My sister was fine too. I remembered shielding her with my body thought she still got scratched. My mom, however…she didn't die, but she might as well be. She was in a coma and the doctors were not sure when she'd wake up. Our medical bills were being paid by an unknown benefactor and well my sister and I were allowed to leave. We lived with our aunt in her little café. _

_I drowned myself in my work but then one day I was approached by this guy who claimed he was a god. I was skeptical at first. I was a scientist and I didn't believe in stuff like magic, myths and legends. To me, everything had a scientific explanation._

_Well, everything but this guy. He called himself Fuji and he offered me something. He wanted me to join some sort of Zodiac War and told me about a Mirror World. At first I told him he was crazy but then he proved it to m. Trust me, never doubt a god, ever._

_He asked me to join and he gave me a pretty good incentive. He told me that if I won, I could wish for anything I desired, no strings attached. Oh, I knew what I wanted. I wanted my mother to wake up from her coma. I then realized that Erika, my little sister, also got the same deal much to my fears. How could Fuji do this?_

_Now…we had to fight._

_It was hard at first, fighting the monsters and we got hurt, a lot. We didn't have much fighting experience but we pulled through. Our armor, our powers and our Zodiac Beasts helped us to survive._

_Then, I met him: Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra. He was cold, vicious and was relentless in his attacks. We both fought a lot and it always ended before a victor could be declared because the Mirror World's environment would start to corrode our armor, telling us to leave. I never let my sister fight Shadowcobra. He was just too driven. It was like nothing else mattered but victory._

_So, I decided to care for nothing but victory. It was for mom. I wanted her to wake up._

_Then I met Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, the newbie. He was designated as Zodiac Knight Draco and he was nothing like that jerk Shadowcobra. He got into this war by accident. I saw an inexperienced rookie so when is saved him from turning into dragon chow, Erika and I tried to convince him to just give us the Zodiac Deck. He told us he couldn't because he found it amongst his dad's old stuff and so it was precious to him. He then walked out. Didn't expect to see him again, this time saving my life. But he was a Knight, an enemy, which meant I had to eliminate him._

_We fought; he ended up lying face up on the ground, pinned down by my foot on his chest and my lance to his neck. I was about ready to finish him off when I heard my sister yelling at me to stop. I got distracted and then Shadowcobra showed up. As always, we fought, but then the new kid started getting in the way, telling us to stop. Didn't he know there was a war going on?_

_Apparently, he didn't. Nobody told him._

_After tying again, we left the Mirror World. I told the kid everything and warned him that the next time he entered the Mirror World; he may not be coming back. My sister defended him, saying that Ryuki entered the Zodiac War without any other reason but to protect other people. Other people? Was he insane? Didn't he have a wish or purpose fighting?_

_Well, he found it. He tried to get me and Scaleface to work together. There was no way I was working with that Snake._

_But then, the school got attacked by an army of monsters that came from the Mirror World and a fog separated us from the outside world. The students were trapped and the monsters were coming for them._

_For the first time we worked together and defended the school as a team, driving the monsters back, killing them so they didn't kill our schoolmates. I was going to let innocent people get eaten while I was around._

_After that, something happened. Nobody remembered the monsters. Scaleface, I mean Ichijyo, explained that he took care of our schoolmates' memories and then the kid, Ryuki, just came into the conversation talking about teaming up. We did work well together and I was surprised that Ichijyo agreed to it as well. He told us both about Smart Brain Corporation and its Operatives. I then found out that it was his father who'd offered the scholarships to my sister and I to get into this school and then he offered me my own lab in Smart Brain for my revolutionary experiments. I was suspicious, but accepted the deal, albeit reluctantly. We then formed the Masked Riders and I was able to open up more. Sure everybody knows I'm a genius, but I didn't repel the ladies. It attracted them instead!_

_We fought together against the evil Knights, criminals, got a new member named Tazuka, saved the world once, and graduated early due to all the damages we caused. It was happy for us. We made some new friends too along the way._

_Then, Tazuka was killed, the kid left, and the Masked Riders were no more._

_We eventually found him with the Teen Titans and now I'm living with teen superheroes in a tower shaped like a 'T'. Wild, huh?_

_And that's how I ended up here._

_And I'm still a liar. They just thought my invulnerability was something I got from my Zodiac Power or that I was born with it. It was an accident, just like everything else in my life. I never planned it. Never planned for this either._

_But, I'm happy._

-Yoshiyuki Takada/Zodiac Knight Pluto.

* * *

"_Puppy, come in, puppy. Do you copy? This is Blackfire here._"

"Uh, what?" Pluto blinked in confusion. He yawned as he rubbed his eyes. He smacked his lips. "What was that?"

There was a sigh, "_Don't doze off like that. I was getting worried._" He heard it coming in through his headset. It was Blackfire's voice.

I spoke into the microphone, "Sorry about that, Komi. I was just, you know, bored."

"_Well, try to stay awake. Lucky for you the Boy Wonder didn't hear you snoring_."

"I don't snore," Pluto shot back.

"_Sure you don't_," was the sarcastic reply he got from his girlfriend. "_I'm just telling you to stay sharp. Space isn't always quiet and peaceful if you remember._"

"Yeah, yeah," Pluto nodded.

Pluto took in his surrounding, remembering where he was. He was currently sitting in one of the 5 cockpits of the T-Ship. The one he was sitting in was located on the left wing while Blackfire's cockpit was on the right. As usual, Robin had taken the head while Starfire was in the cockpit between the wings with Silkie. The tail cockpit remained unmanned since there were only 4 of them in the ship.

Pluto remembered the first time he'd seen the T-Ship. He marveled at the massive machine in awe. It amazed him of how truly talented Cyborg was and he'd even offered to improve it, which he did. The T-Ship now ran on photonic energy and armed with enough firepower in each of its individual components to match an army. Hopefully, they would not end up fighting an army of space fighters like the last time the Titans had visited Tamaran.

Before now, Pluto had been bored and ended up falling asleep. Since the day he'd accidentally consumed those nanobots, his brain started to literally work like a computer. Memories were compiled and stored away and his ideas were not easily forgotten. He was more intoned with machinery, which soon changed into a form of technopathy, the ability to communicate with machines.

An accident, just like how he got his electrical powers and his invulnerability. He was, in all definitions, an accidental hero. Everything seemed to drop into his lap without warning or planning.

When he first became a Zodiac Knight, he'd never expected to befriend Draco and Shadowcobra, not to mention end up on the same team as them. He'd never expected to be given his own lab in Smart Brain and getting paid to invent and do his experiments. He'd never expected to join up with the Titans and meet the girl of his dreams and who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

An accident. That was the definition of his life, and he welcomed the chaos that came with it. It just made life more fun. Originally he was a skeptic, he now believed in magic, but still argued that technology was better than magic, a fact that Shadowcobra would deny, despite running a technologies company.

Also, he'd never expected to be going into space. He'd count three instances. The first time was when they went to Gaijo, then that robot fighting ring, now this. Now they were actually going to visit Tamaran, Blackfire and Starfire's home planet. Visiting an alien planet was every Sci-Fi geek's dream, next to dating a hot alien princess. He never regretted going on that date with her, even if she'd shown her appreciation very roughly in his bed. It was a good thing that he'd soundproofed the walls or else nobody would be sleeping that night.

He went over the memories he had of spending time with Blackfire. Their first date, their first time fighting alongside one another, their first time…It was all clear and vivid. The thing about having a computer brain was that it would not let him forget, not even the stuff he wanted to forget. Sure, he could delete those memories…

…but did he _want_ to?

Sure, there were some good times, and bad times, and times that were better left unsaid, but that was how life was and the chaos in his life made it memorable.

If only his dad was still around, he'd be proud of him. He'd be proud to have his son becoming a hero and using his intellect to save lives and protect people. His mom…he wished his mom would wake up.

The message he'd got in his e-mail told him that his mom's condition was deteriorating. They were working on stabilizing it but they gave him the worst possible scenario…he didn't want to think that. He didn't want to think that all his efforts were for naught…He didn't want to think…

…that she would never wake up.

He wanted her to wake up. That was his wish, his drive, the one thing that gave him the determination to fight. He wanted her to open her eyes and smile at them. He wanted to introduce her to his friends. He wanted to tell her everything. Most of all, he wanted to introduce her to Blackfire, face to face.

Speaking of which, Blackfire was awfully quiet about her family life. She never went into full detail about it, except that after their parents' death, Galfore had taken care of Starfire and Blackfire as their k'norfka, which was the Tamaranean word for guardian, parents or as Beast Boy put it nanny.

Still, from what'd been described as Galfore, nanny may not be the right thing to call him. He heard that the guy was huge bigger than Cyborg, and was not someone to mess with. If all the Tamaraneans were as powerful as he'd heard, he would need to keep mum about matters he didn't understand.

But since when was he ever quiet? If Blackfire was not allowed to return to the planet, he would fight for her. She was a princess so that made him her knight in shining armor. He would fight for her, he made that vow. He even wrote it in his journal.

He pressed the com-link button, "Pluto calling Robin. Come in, Robin."

"_Robin here_," Robin replied. "_What do you have to report?_"

"Just requesting permission to ask a question," replied Pluto.

"_Pluto, you can just talk normally. We're not in the army_," Robin sighed.

"Hey, we're in a spaceship here. Should I call you 'captain'?"

"_No._"

"Spoilsport."

"_You were going to ask a question…_"

"Oh, I just wanna ask…Are we there yet?"

He received a groan.

"_Please, not now,_" Robin begged over the com-link. "_We've had enough of that from Beast Boy._"

"_Friend Pluto, though your attempts at lightening the mood are appreciated, please do not attempt at such humor. We are all honestly tired of it,"_ Starfire said. She really did not want to hear someone ask 'are we there yet?' over and over.

"OK, fine," said Pluto. "I'll just watch a movie on my DVD player."

"_You do that,_" Robin returned.

"_If you don't mind, puppy, can you plug that DVD player into the monitor? I'm bored too_," spoke Blackfire.

"Sure thing, princess," replied Pluto as he used a cord to connect the DVD player to the console. He then played one of the James Bond movies he'd bought.

"_Ooh, GoldenEye!_" Blackfire spoke over the connection. Blackfire had taken a liking towards James Bond movies. In fact, they sometimes would role play. He would be James Bond and she would be one of the Bond girls, preferably one of the femme fatales. "_Pierce Brosnan is so yummy in this._" Pluto rolled his eyes. He remembered Blackfire making him do the accent, before pouncing him. It really got her in the mood. Personally, he preferred Sean Connery. That guy was so suave and sophisticated and could use his charm to seduce any woman into bed. Up until he met Blackfire doing that had gotten Pluto slapped countless times. Awkward times, very awkward times.

"_May I view the movie as well?_" Starfire asked.

He focused his eyes on the movie. He'd always wanted to be like James Bond. Those cool gadgets, the girls, the adventures, the girls, the traveling, the girls…but he somehow ended up being Q. Sure, he went on missions too but most of the time he spent his time in the lab, conducting experiments and creating inventions.

If he was Q then Ichijyo was M. Pluto had to chuckle at that. The current M since Pierce Brosnan became Bond was a woman. To compare Ichijyo to a woman was humorous at best.

He was doing a lot more thinking than usual, Pluto realized. Maybe it was because he was stuck in a small cockpit. At least the Gaijoan Shuttle had room to move about. At least on that Gaijoan Shuttle he could sneak into Blackfire's room and…

"_We're nearing Tamaran!_" Robin reported. "_Prepare for reentry._"

Pluto turned off the movie, much to Blackfire's dismay as he heard her voice groan through his headset. He placed his hands steadily on the controls. No crash landings, hopefully.

* * *

_For as long as I could remember I've hated humans with a passion. Humans, what was so great about them? They waged war on each other for the pettiest of reasons. Whether it was due to greed, hatred or even just for the sake of fighting; they sickened me._

_Well, maybe that wasn't the whole truth. Originally, they intrigued me. How could such a weak race become masters of the Earth? The infernals and celestials have been in this realm far longer than them. They even created advanced civilizations whilst humanity was still evolving. It just didn't make sense to me. What was so special about humans?_

_Nothing._

_Give them an inch and they go a mile. A little power corrupts and creates people like Hitler who use their power for their selfish and xenophobic purposes. They hate one another for insignificant reasons like race, religion and culture._

_How utterly pathetic._

_Maybe my hatred for humans stemmed from their hatred for what was different. I was always treated like a freak. It was like they knew I wasn't really human. I cried at first but eventually I stopped caring._

_They were just insignificant humans. They were inferior. I was superior._

_That was my opinion for homo-sapiens. They were just worthless pests that were only meant to be food for demons like myself. Yes, I considered myself a demon, even if that was half of what I truly am._

_I've always enjoyed the silence and embrace of the darkness. It was peaceful and eventually I learnt how to wield the power of darkness. That just made me appear more like a demon to humans anyway. I was dark, unapproachable, and filled with evil._

_At least, that was what I originally thought._

_My mother tried to tell me differently. I loved her. How couldn't I? She was the only person I knew who showed me any sort of affection. My father, well, he was strict but he cared too, though he didn't show it much. My sister cared for me too but I grew to resent her for befriending humans. How could she betray me like that? Couldn't she see how utterly evil humans were? My youngest brother was more or less neutral. He didn't see anything wrong with humans, but he wasn't about to risk their wrath either. I suppose that's why I never acknowledged him much while we were growing up._

_Apparently, we didn't share the same views. My time at the Academy had strengthened my negative views of humans. They were weak, a stain on the planet. Only the strong should survive and demons were stronger, superior to humans. My brother floundered there, hating the experience and quickly left. It didn't matter to me. He wasn't strong so he couldn't stay. The strong move forward and the weak stay back. It seemed like the truth in the universe._

_But…maybe…that wasn't exactly true._

_Upon my return I became cold and emotionless. It was by choice not consequence that I chose to hide my emotions. What was the point? Emotions were just a human weakness anyway._

_Or so I thought._

_One night I saw this girl being assaulted. On a whim I saved her but then I left her there. However, my wallet had fallen out of my pocket and she came to my home to return it. She even introduced herself to me. Her name was Misha Shirow._

_Though she was warned to never approach me, she did so without fear. She actually wanted to get to know me. Though my better judgment told me to drive her away, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to let her in. I don't know how, but she soon became my first human friend and I, surprisingly, found myself caring for her. I never really cared for human emotions or affection, but then I realized that this feeling I had around her…was love._

_How ironic it was for one who hated humanity to fall in love with a human. I felt compelled to protect her due to these feelings to see what would happen, to see what the future would bring. She…opened my heart, the one which I thought I'd locked away so that these confusing human emotions would not cause me harm. Maybe…maybe the reason I refused to get close to humans was due to fear, fear that they would turn their backs on me and leave me once I befriended them._

_My hatred…stemmed from fear._

_And this girl…she put my fears at ease._

_Whenever we could, we would spend our days together. It was like that for almost a year._

_Then, I realized that she was dying. She had leukemia and would die. It was too late to do anything for her. However, whenever I came to see her, she would smile. I tried to convince my mother to heal Misha but she couldn't. She couldn't heal someone who was meant to die._

_I refused to believe that… but what could I do? I knew nothing about medicine. Even my potions or magic could not help her._

_She was doomed._

_And yet when I came to see her, she continued to smile._

_My birthday came along and I had brought a cake to share with her to celebrate. I even brought the roses I'd planted. I came to the hospital, entered her ward…_

…_And was welcomed by an empty bed._

_She was gone. I was too late. I collapsed onto my knees after dropping the cake._

_For the first time, for as long as I could remember…I cried._

_I was at the funeral, but I dared not to approach the family. They'd warned her about me and she ignored them, telling them they were wrong. Maybe they weren't. Maybe this was my fault. Maybe her death was caused by her getting too close to me…a demon._

_It rained that day but I stood there, watching the funeral proceed. I watched as they lowered the casket into the ground and I watched as they buried her into the earth._

_I never even had to chance to say goodbye or tell her that….tell her that…_

_Tell her…that I…loved her._

_I can recall the words she spoke to me when I visited her the day before her death._

"_You're so kind, Ichijyo. I hope that you don't ever close up your heart."_

_I should have picked up on that sooner, but hindsight is 20/20 as they say._

_I remembered dropping the roses near her gravestone and then walking away. It rained that day but I didn't care that I would get wet. I didn't care about myself anymore. I didn't care for my birthday anymore either. From now till forever, the day of my birth would be the day of her death._

_The irony of life._

_I remembered going into an alley, wet to the bone, and grieving. I felt dead. The one person I loved, the one I'd given my heart to, was gone. Gone…gone forever…I was never going to have her back._

_The world…I hated everything now. It all deserved to just disappear._

_And then __he__ came along._

_My __Master__._

_Yoshido the God of Warriors…who chose me to become the Knight of Snakes. He gave me a pretty good deal, really. It was more like a business offer. I chose to fight for his side…and Misha would be brought back to life. The temptation was too great for me._

_I dove right in. It was a fair trade._

_I became known as Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra. Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa was dead._

_It didn't take me long to realize that he never intended to bring Misha back. I was his pawn. I realized this all the night I saw this girl…_

_Raven was her name. I was sent to kill her, but at the sight of her I couldn't help but have the same feelings that I had for Misha returning._

_As much as I hated to admit it, but I was falling in love again._

_This was bad. I couldn't kill her anymore. I turned my back on Yoshido._

_He didn't take it too lightly. He swore to have me killed. I just stopped caring for what he had to say._

_I continued to become a Knight. It was the only way to bring Misha back. Despite Yoshido's lies, that was the truth. The final Knight remaining would receive his heart's desire._

_Then, I met Pluto. We fought. No clear winner was determined though. He wasn't a rival to me. Just a hindrance, really._

_But that all changed when I met Draco. He was unlike any of the humans I've known. He cared for other people. He just cared…for no logical reason. It was beyond my understanding. He just cared…just like…just like…_

…_just like Misha._

_I refused to believe it but when I saw him, I saw the selfless Misha who had unconditional love for everything in the world. Misha saw the world as a thing of beauty and Draco saw it as something that could be saved, like the humans._

_Originally, I thought he was absurd, but over time I grew to understand him better._

_And despite my better judgment, again, we became friends._

_And then I made more friends._

_It was as Misha intended. She always saw me as a loner and wanted to fix that and now with her gone I was able to grant her that wish._

_I distrusted a lot of people. I distrusted Pluto because he was a living disaster area…but I couldn't help but put my trust in Draco…like I put my trust and heart in Misha's hands._

_After Draco'd left (read: ran away), I felt compelled to chase after him. I wasn't going to lose a friend._

_And once again I met Raven._

-Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa-Akuma/Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Raven asked Shadow who opened his eyes to look at her. He sighed.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he replied. That was true. He had been trying to keep himself calm for the inevitable meeting with Raven's mother, Arella. He just hoped he could make a good first impressed.

"Well, here we go," Raven said, smiling. She was dressed in her whitest uniform and Shadow was dressed in a purple turtleneck, with matching black pants and coat. His hair was combed over so that the bangs would cover his birthmark and he wore glasses. Changing his appearance, his hair was now the same shade of blue which he'd sported the first day he'd arrived to the Tower nearly two years ago.

"Yes," Shadow said, holding her hands. "Let's go."

Raven chanted the spell, a white aura forming around her as a violent wind spun around the room. Shadow closed his eyes, focusing his own energy into the spell. The magic circle began to glow brightly and in a flash, the light engulfed the two. When the light eventually faded away, both Titans had vanished.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, Shadow originally expected to see flaming buildings and a hellish wasteland, but then he remembered that he wasn't in the ruins of Azarath. This wasn't the hellish kingdom Trigon had created.

When he opened his eyes, he saw golden immaculate buildings. There were tall towers, temples and he felt a calm magical aura of peace.

This was a Utopia. This was Neo Azarath.

"Amazing…" Shadow let out.

"Welcome to my home, sorta," Raven said with a sigh.

"So, why are we in the middle of the city and not your mother's house?" he asked.

"I suppose we need to find it first," she shrugged. "This is a new place."

"She could've bothered to make us a map," Shadow said shaking his head. "Oh, well, let's just wing it."

Raven chuckled. "Wing it? That doesn't sound like you."

Shadow shrugged. "I know. The Mutt and Dragon must've rubbed off on me."

The couple walked through the city. Shadow could see many of the citizens, who all wore white robes with the hoods up, walking past. Some cast them a glance while others ignored them. Some were even surprised to see Raven, wearing white like that, and stirred clear of her. Shadow scowled. Apparently they still saw her as Trigon's Daughter. Well, he could soon take care of that.

In the city square there stood a statue, erected in the honor of Azar.

"Nice statue," Shadow commented.

"Yes, Azar was amazing," Raven agreed.

"She was your teacher, correct?" he inquired.

"Taught me how to control my abilities…though at the cost of suppressing my emotions," Raven looked down at her feet. She felt his arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, luv. Let's go find your mother," Shadow smiled at her. She couldn't help but smile back when he did.

"You don't need to look far."

Both teens stood frozen at the familiar voice. Raven had heard it nearly all her life and Shadow had heard it when he'd entered Raven's mind.

The two teenagers turned to see who'd addressed them. Raven gasped in shock.

"Mother."

To Be Continued…


	73. PT073: ETA is Now

Part 73: ETA is Now.

_Death…_

_For as long as I can remember it's surrounded me. When I was born, my mother died. My life for hers. I suppose that's what some people call a fair trade. Nothing fair about it. My life meant death to billions. Fair my ass._

_Never knew my old man, at least the human one. I heard that he died to prevent my destiny. I also heard he failed. Not even a year old and I already got two deaths on my shoulders. Yeah, fair trade._

_Sent from foster home to foster home. Finally ended up with the Rains family. Samantha and George. Sam was like a mother to me, first one I ever had. George was a bastard. He beat me and Samantha ruthlessly. One day he went to far, beat Sam to death. 11 and I already caused 3 deaths. I fought back. George shot me._

_I died…_

_My death would save billions._

_Finally, a fair trade…_

_But looks like fate is a cruel bitch, and I was brought back to life. I was sent to an orphanage in Gotham. No one liked me there. I was a freak, a monster. I didn't care. One person liked me though. Her name was Jessica. I think she was my first true love. A group of criminals took the orphanage hostage. When one of their own was killed, they took Jessica. They didn't make it fast either. No, she suffered. I was forced to watch as they raped her, then killed her, then threw her body to the crowd, giving them a message._

_They meant business._

_So did I._

_Or at least Damien did. Damien, my personality that housed all the darkness that had been building within me. He took their gun, and blasted their leader in the head; same went for the rest of them. They all died. And inside…_

_I smiled._

_I was glad they were dead._

_Glad I killed them…_

_Afterward, I joined up with an organization called Hellsing. I was trained to deal with the supernatural so that I could fight against my fate. Maybe I could even fight against death._

_Unfortunately, Death followed me. Someone I cared about died in an attack against us. I wiped every last one of them out. Why did death always follow me? What had I done to deserve this? Why…?_

_I did find love though. Raven…_

_I loved her more than anything else in the world. She was the light in my darkness. I fought on the Titans side, and they became my new family. I finally found my place in the world._

_And then I died._

_To save them, I died._

_Once again, fair trade._

_Guess it wasn't the end. I was given a mission. I could regain my life, I could be with Raven again. I met Teresa on that mission, and once again found love._

_And it was once again taken away. Teresa was killed, by the very organization she once worked for._

_Death…_

_It has always surrounded me…_

-Warren "Wraith" Smith.

* * *

"Warren?" Teresa asked.

Warren's head snapped up when he heard her voice. "Sorry, Teresa. I was just thinking," Warren apologized. He hated making Teresa worry. He took out a cigarette and lit it up. "We'll be arriving soon. This is gonna be a big one, Teresa, even for us. Hell, we fought Priscilla and this may be what finally does the two of us in." He stroked Teresa's cheek. "I love you, Teresa. You know that right?"

"Of course I do," she said as she grasped his hand. "Just as I love you."

Warren smiled as he planted a kiss on Teresa's cheek. "Good," he smiled. "Then it's time that we helped Ryuki, and put an end to this evil once and for all."

"You gave Ryuki the card, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, I can't turn into that monster again Teresa. I just can't," he answered.

"That's fine, I understand…But right now, you have a bigger problem," said Teresa. Warren finally got a good look at her and noticed she was wearing only the light fabric which she usually wore beneath her armor. It hugged her body tightly like a second skin. She pinched his cheek playfully. "Spacing out when there's a hot girl on top of you is a major no no."

"Sorry." Warren had the decency to look sheepish.

* * *

_Isn't it kinda funny, isn't it, not really knowing how you came about? It seemed like life just kinda throws you into the fire. Well that's my life for ya. My name's Craig Smith and I have no idea where I came from. I sorta have the feeling that I was made in a lab or something but who really knows? _

_Even though I don't know how I came to this world, I'm just glad I'm in it now. I have a lot to be thankful for. Let's talk about the stuff I do remember. When I was a young boy I met my first of many mentors. He was a wild and crazy guy named Vincent Harker. Vinnie's a genius in every way. He built a tech company that's up along side Smart Brain Corporation, Wayne Enterprises, and Stark Industries. _

_That's not why he's my mentor. Whenever the company was facing troubles he showed me how to never give up and work with what you got. I considered him a father. However, when I was younger he didn't want a son, just someone to remind him of what youth was like._

_So instead of giving me the last name Harker, he gave me the name of Smith to prove that I'll grow up to be my own man. I had good things set up when I stayed with him, but I wanted to put his advice to use. So, I set off on my own. I knew he would understand and he'll be waiting for when I returned for good. _

_I managed to travel almost around the whole world. Japan was where I would find my next mentor. When I first arrived I would get into trouble… a lot. I couldn't really control my power so when I got into a fight I would regularly get my ass kicked. _

_Now this is where things get weird. One day after my routine ass kicking I was approached by walking, talking, human sized cat. Yeah, it gets better. He was dressed like some ancient kung fu master, and to my surprise he was. His name was Sha-Fu, and he saw that I had potential to learn a martial arts style he explained as Geki Jyu Ken. To those of the non Japanese speaking type it means Fierce Beast Fist and Master Sha-Fu saw my potential to become a Gazelle Fist Master._

_I made two good friends during my training: Retsu and Ran. Man, I remember I had the biggest crush on Ran, which Retsu would love to always tease me about. I don't know if I was ever in love with Ran, but I thought she was cute as hell. Anyway, Master Sha-Fu gave us a three a gift that would change our lives forever._

_These things he had given us looked like sparing gloves but they were called Geki Changers. Together we made up the first incarnation of what was Jyuken Sentai Gekiranger, my code name was Gekigreen. After a while I realized I couldn't handle the responsibility._

_So one night I ran away again and left my Geki Changers. When I came back to the states I found this strange town called Arkham, where my next mentor awaited. I got a janitorial job at a hospital._

_One day there was sort of a hostage situation at the hospital. This guy came in for some painkillers he didn't really need. When he was turned away, he grabbed a nurse and held her at knife point. I was behind him the whole him as soon as I got close enough I punched him in the back of the head hard enough to knock him out._

_I was so angry that my eyes flashed green for a second and in that second someone noticed. Dr. Herbert West had called me into his office to ask about my power and shortly after I showed him. _

_Dr. West was fascinated with the study of Death, so he helped me to control my powers. I worked as his assistant for a while, until the road was calling me again. _

_I came across a traveling carnival, and that's when I met Terra. It's funny how our first time meeting was also our first time fighting alongside each other._

_I convinced her to travel with me and along the way we met other kids like us, ones with powers. Together we decided to make use of our gifts and became a wandering superhero team. We became known as the Red Wolves._

_After Ash became part of the team after a while we started to talk to each other a lot. She told me that she saw all of the good qualities in me and wanted to be more than friends. So we became the official couple of the group._

_The good times continued even when Occultus came into the picture, I though he'd be a pushover like all the others, but I was dead wrong. One night I challenged him to a fight alone without telling my team and I lost, badly._

_He told me to come back when I wasn't weak. I went back to my team and with no explanation I told them I was leaving for good. That's when the team started to fall apart. We went our separate ways soon after and Ashleigh broke up with me._

_I joined this experimental monster hunting team called the Templars and made the mistake of getting attached to people again. This was because as soon as I got attached they were taken from me by an Orphenoch. This loss combined with my loss from Occultus gave my life new meaning: vengeance._

_That was the night I mistakenly targeted Ryuki. That mistake turned into something good. I met Terra again, gained someone that I could call my best friend and once again I belonged to a group. It took some time but they eventually forgave me. _

_Then Occultus was back in the picture, and now more than ever I'm confident that I could take him down. With the Titans and Red Wolves at my side I know I'll win. _

_Even though I know we'll win I have this feeling I haven't told anyone. I don't think I'm gonna live through this, so I hope to God I'm wrong._

-Craig "Mortuary" Smith.

* * *

Snow Blood sighed contently as she lay her head against Mortuary's naked chest. "Wow, now that was amazing."

"Thank you," Mortuary smiled smugly. He had his hands behind his head as he lay on the bed. "You weren't half bad yourself. Where did you learn all those positions?"

"The Karma Sutra," Snow Blood answered as she went up and kissed up his chest, then kissed his throat before climbing to his lips.

Mortuary just stared at her and smirked, "Can't resist me, can you?" She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.

"I just really missed you," she said as she traced circles on his chest.

"I gathered that."

The two Red Wolves were lying under the covers after an intense session of sex. They were covered in sweat. Her clothes were strewn about the room and were all over the place. Not his, though. A towel was lying discarded on the floor, though.

It had started innocent enough, really. Snow Blood had come into the room to see Mortuary coming out of the shower after a sparring session with Warren. He had a towel wrapped around his waist and was drying his hair when she came in. At first, she blushed but then she just attacked him. She began to kiss him. At first, Mortuary was surprised by how cold she felt but that was due to her powers. They began making out and she began to remove her clothes, with Mortuary's help of course. She didn't need much assistance in removing his towel though.

When they finally did the deal, there were fireworks. Passions flared up as they grinded against one another, bodies interlocked as they allowed their emotions to run wild and guide them. They wanted each other ever since they'd seen each other again, but sexual tension merged with resentment got in the way. Then, there was awkwardness. Now, there was none of that. There were no barriers between them.

Snow Blood actually had her orgasm a total of 3 times before they both were spent. She couldn't believe that Mortuary could pleasure her like that. Of course, they had stayed out of touch for years and Snow Blood was unable to satisfy herself.

Mortuary looked into her eyes and smiled before kissing her again. What a fool he was. He'd allowed his obsession with Occultus to make him lose his friends. He'd meant to protect them but he'd hurt them. Now, he had the chance to regain what he'd lost. Maybe this train was magical after all.

"So, in the mood for another round?" Mortuary asked hopefully.

"Let's just cuddle for a bit and then we'll see, OK?" Snow Blood asked.

* * *

"So, how long now?" Draco asked Ant as they stood in the cockpit.

"We'll be in Zandia in 12 hours," Ant reported. "I hope your friends are properly rested. This is going to be one fight they need to be extra ready for."

"They've trained hard this entire month. We've learnt to work together," Draco said firmly. "I know we're ready for this."

Ant nodded and then asked, "Any visions lately?" Draco shook his head. "That's a bit odd."

"And I don't like it," Ryuki sighed. "I just don't know if things are going to turn out differently."

"You mean that alternate future thing when you saw yourself becoming an evil dictator and tyrant?" Ant questioned. Draco had told him about the experience. "Reminds me of Danny Boy. He met his evil future self too, fought him, and won."

Draco chuckled bitterly, "At least he didn't experience his own death." Draco stared at his hands, "I just hope things turn out differently."

"What if they don't?" Ant asked.

"I gave Jinx, Warren and Mortuary clear instructions. If I do get possessed by the essence of the Orphenoch King, they know what to do."

Ant frowned, "But will they do it?"

"They would have to."

Ant remained silent.

"I know and you don't have to say it. It's not fair to ask them to do it for me, but…" Draco gripped his fists. "I refuse to turn into that monster."

"You won't."

"I know because I'm going to make sure I don't. I'll die before that happens."

Ant leaned against the wall, "You know you'll be hurting them in the end even just by asking that."

"I know, but if it's the price I have to pay to protect the world and the people I love then I'm OK with it," Draco answered with firm convictions. Ant chuckled. "What's so funny?" Draco asked.

"You may have changed your hairstyle and clothes, but the same heroic, selfless and righteous kid is still in there," Ant said. "Even at the cost of your own life and future, you'll do the right thing."

"I guess that's why the Keyblade chose me," Draco reasoned.

"I guess so," Ant nodded in agreement.

"But, I still can't help but feel something bad is going to happen." Draco said, "I don't think everyone is gonna come out of this alive." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black card. "And I think this is why."

"The black card Warren gave you?"

"Hai. It means that if Warren begins to lose control, he wants me to be the one to kill him."

* * *

Cyborg was busy in his room on the train, which resembled his room in the Tower, doing some last minute checks on his body when he heard the knock at the door. "Come in," he said and the door slid open. He smiled at his visitor, "Yo, BB!"

"Hey, Cy," Beast Boy said, slightly depressed. This perplexed Cyborg. For the longest time, he'd never seen Beast Boy this depressed. That day had been when Terra betrayed them. Cyborg shook his head, deleting the thought.

"What's wrong, green bean?" Cyborg asked.

"Oh, it's this whole thing, you know?" Beast Boy sat on a chair.

"No, I don't know. I'm not a mind reader," Cyborg said.

"You know, Terra's old team," Beast Boy replied. "I'm learning things about Terra that she didn't tell us before. Why didn't she tell us she was on a team before us?"

"I guess she didn't want to be reminded of how they broke up," Cyborg reasoned.

"But she could have at least told me, right?" Beast Boy asked.

"Did you tell her about the Doom Patrol before we met them?" Cyborg asked. Beast Boy looked sheepish.

"No…but…"

"So, fair is fair," Cyborg pointed out. "Besides, you're getting to know her better."

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, meeting Mortuary was interesting enough," said Beast Boy.

"Something tells me that isn't the only thing that's bothering you," said Cyborg.

"We're headed to Zandia, evil central," Beast Boy said, "And my animal instincts are telling us to turn back."

"But your human side is telling you to stay with Terra," Cyborg guessed.

"Yeah," Beast Boy nodded. "I'm not going to leave her, Cy. Not ever again." Beast Boy had felt nothing but guilt after he'd turned his back on her during her betrayal. If only he'd taken her back to the Tower. Sure, she would meet with their wrath, but it still wouldn't end up with her being trapped in stone. He'd apologized to her and she was shocked, since she was supposed to be the one doing the apologizing.

"Good, because I'm not going to let either of you out of my sight," Cyborg grinned. "You're both family, BB. I ain't gonna turn my back on family."

Beast Boy walked over and held up his fist, "Thanks, dude." Cyborg pounded his fist against Beast Boy's. "So, you're ready?"

Cyborg converted his arm into a sonic cannon, "Oh yeah." He then changed it so his hand was replaced by a wrecking ball. The wrecking ball option had been provided by Pluto for a more powerful punch. Another upgrade included was a Bomb Fist. The name was self explanatory.

Beast Boy, after much begging, also got a new upgrade. Well, it wasn't an upgrade per say. Shadowcobra and Raven had been teaching him how to control the Beast and he'd done it successfully several times. No, this time it was his suit. Whenever Beast Boy would assume an animal form, the suit at his command would become appropriate armor and weaponry for him. He remembered turning into an elephant armed with spiky armor and putting the 'armor' into armadillo. It was the best birthday present Pluto had ever gotten him.

* * *

"HENSHIN!"

"CAST OFF!"

"CHANGE LEAFCUTTER ANT!"

"CHANGE PUNCH LOCUST!"

Cassandra/Wyvern watched in fascination and wonderment as she watched her two friends transform into their Inzecter Armors. She hadn't believed it at first but they'd quickly made a believer out of her.

Both Renia and Terra stood across from each other in the sparring ring. Renia cracked her neck from side to side while cracking her knuckles. Terra reached to her shoulders and pulled off the Cutter Katanas, her personal melee weapons. She would not always have the luxury of having earth, dirt, sand, rocks and soil around her, so the armor provided her with a solution to her usual handicap. It also allowed her to Clock Up. Wouldn't Occultus be surprised?

"Go, Terra!" Wyvern cheered.

Terra and Renia rushed at one another. Renia began to throw her fists rapidly at her friend as Terra dodged. Terra swung her blades but they were being blocked by Renia's gauntlets. The armor was powerful, but only as powerful as its user and Renia had a lot of raw power inside of her. It was one of the benefits of being a Homunculus, alongside a rapid healing factor and regenerative abilities. Once, she'd lost an entire arm and she grew a new one back. Beast Boy had freaked out with the others.

Renia swung her fist up in an uppercut, catching Terra in the chin. Terra flew backwards but then tucked in her legs to do a backwards flip and gracefully landed on both her feet. She then charged forward at her friend and slashed at her. Renia blocked and then countered when she found an opening.

Terra's eyes narrowed behind her visor. She then reached to her Inzecter and pushed the mandibles back to the default position. "Cast On!" she commanded.

"CAST ON!" the Inzecter responded and her Strong Mode armored instantly reattached to her body. She aimed her shoulder guns at Renia and opened fire. The locust armored Rider dodged and reached to her Inzecter, pushing up the hind legs.

"LOCUST JUMP!" Renia leapt upwards before she gained enough height and then pushed the legs back down. "LOCUST PUNCH!"

She came downwards, her fist energized. Terra got smashed in the chest and sent flying by the force of the punch. She flew across the room and into the wall.

"Terra!" Wyvern exclaimed as she ran towards her friend. Renia followed in tow, hoping she hadn't hurt Terra with that punch.

"Are you okay?" Renia asked as Terra pushed herself back to her feet. Terra chuckled.

"Hey, I'm armored, remember?" Terra reminded as she removed her Inzecter, allowing the armor to vanish. Renia's Inzecter also hopped off her belt, taking away the Punch Locust armor as well. Wyvern sighed in relief. "What the Strong Mode lacks in speed, it makes up with protection. It's thick armor."

"Don't scare me like that," Wyvern scolded, punching Terra's arm. The three girls shared a laugh.

"Occultus won't know what hit him," said Renia as she cracked her knuckles.

Wyvern walked over towards the window and looked out, "I just can't believe it's all going to be over."

Terra walked behind her, placing her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Believe it, Cassie. In a few hours, one of our worst enemies is not going to be a problem anymore."

Of course, the same couldn't be said about Slade. Both Renia and Terra still carried scars from their individual encounters with the masked criminal. Now, he was more powerful with a powerful apprentice at his side and one of the Rider systems. He had become OMEGA.

After Occultus, he was next. Definitely next.

* * *

Hours passed quickly. They trained, ate, rested. All of it was routine. It was last day before they would arrive in Zandia.

The Titans and Red Wolves were now sitting in the dining car. Warren cast Falconer a suspicious look as the genius of the Red Wolves was in the middle of a conversation with Bruiser. Warren's silent stare spoke volumes. He was going to keep his eyes on Andrew.

Andie served them their final meal before they reached Zandia. She got along well with the new crew. They'd become her precious friends.

Even after all this time, Ant hadn't gotten a word from Xander, Selene or Shinji. Their help would be appreciated but they were unreachable for some reason. Ant wasn't going to give up, though. Their Rider systems had been created to effectively counter Orphenochs and their help would be appreciated. Occultus had a cult of loyal Orphenochs, willing to die for him at the drop of a hat, not to mention a group of powerful generals to serve him.

The train began to slow down as the scenery changed. Gone was the multicolored sky and the desert. It was dark out. Despite being on the train for roughly a month, they had actually arrived at the same moment they'd left. No time had passed in the real world as Draco and Ant had promised.

Ant came into the dining car and said, "We're here."

To Be Continued…


	74. PT074: Reunions and Welcomes

Part 74: Reunions and Welcomes

**Several hours before reaching Zandia…Aboard the ChronoLiner…**

Draco was in his room, sitting at the edge of his bed, contemplating in silence. Brimstone was lying at his feet and would occasionally raise up his head to look at his master.

Draco remembered feeling like this. During the battle against Trigon, he never expected to survive either. He had just been fighting to save his friends and what was left of the Earth from the demon. He hadn't cared for his own life until Trigon was defeated. No doubt Jinx had been worried.

Draco felt a stinging pain in his hand and looked to see that his hands had turn an ashen grey. Reaching quickly with his telekinesis, he pulled the injector gun into his hand before loading it up with a tube of the DNA stabilizer serum. He jabbed the needle into his neck and squeezed the trigger, emptying the contents of the tube into his bloodstream. The pain subsided and his hand had changed back to its normal color.

"Looks like I'm really running out of time," Draco said to Brimstone, though not expecting an answer from his pet demon dog. "Even with this serum, how long do I really have? A year? A month? Maybe if I'm lucky."

"Hey, why so negative all of a sudden?" spoke Yaminekoryu as he appeared next to his host.

Draco glanced at his demonic tenant and spoke, "Aren't you afraid of death?"

Yaminekoryu shrugged, "No, not really. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt." He conjured up a T-shirt that read "I died and all I got was this cruddy T-shirt".

Draco sighed. "I am." He remembered his first deaths. In an instant he'd lost feeling in his body and saw only darkness. It wasn't a feeling he wanted to experience ever again. Not ever.

There was a knock at the door and Yaminekoryu took this as his cue to reenter his host. Draco always felt a strange tingling sensation when Yaminekoryu's youki (demon energy) mixed with his own. He shivered slightly before recovering shortly after. He answered, "Come in. The door's not locked." The door slid open revealing Jinx. "Ah, Jinxy-chan," he greeted, standing up.

Jinx looked at Draco and frowned. She approached him and grabbed him by the shoulders before pulling him down and planting a deep and passionate kiss to his lips. He was startled for a second but then relaxed, kissing her back. Brimstone watched for a few seconds before lying his head back down out of boredom. It wasn't interested in watching his master and his master's mate pressing their lips against each other.

Jinx pulled away and Draco blinked, a little confused. "Alright…that was pleasant. However, I want to know what brought that along."

Jinx spoke, "Can we sit down?" He blinked again and nodded.

"Hai."

She sat down on the bed first before pulling him down by the sleeve. There was something wrong with her. The usual impulsiveness was there when she'd kissed him, but her behavior right now reminded him of when she'd nearly…

…When she'd nearly killed herself.

Best to keep memories like that in the back of the mind and allow them to sink into the depth of the mind, never letting them arise again.

"This is it, isn't it?" Jinx asked. She was being cryptic.

"Jinxy-chan?" he questioned.

"Remember when you told me about your alternate future self and how he became the Orphenoch King?" she reminded. Draco flinched. It wasn't one of his favorite memories. He still remembered dying that time, his second time to be exact. "This is almost like that, isn't it? We're heading into Occultus' base where you…"

Draco gentle took hold of her chin so she could focus her pink eyes on him. "That was not the same me, Jinxy-chan. He was heartbroken when you died. He did anything he could to make the pain go away. He willingly became the Orphenoch King."

"But what happens if…"

"Then you know what you have to do."

"No!" she objected, burying her face into his chest. "I won't do it!" She began to cry into his chest.

'_Great…I just made her cry_,' Draco groaned in his mind. "Jinxy-chan, gomen," he apologized. She still continued to cry so he did what he had to do to comfort her and wrapped his arms around her.

He remembered asking two people to promise to destroy him if he ever turned evil. Mortuary and Jinx weren't willing to go that far but they were the only ones he could trust to do the right thing. Maybe asking them that wasn't such a hot idea after all. He had asked Warren too, but he knew Warren would do what was necessary, and Warren expected Draco to do the same.

He continued to comfort the girl he loved. In front of the others, she was always so energetic, even a little mean by insulting Beast Boy and Pluto or when she was having fun gossiping with the other girls. She never let anyone else but him see her vulnerable side. She never cried in the HIVE or in front of her old teammates. She wasn't going to ruin her reputation by breaking down and crying.

"Don't cry, Jinxy-chan," he pled, whispering softly. He sniffed her hair for a second. She smelled like strawberries. "Please, don't cry. I hate seeing you cry." She looked up at him.

"And I hate seeing you when you look like you're just going to give up on life," she retorted. When she first met Draco, she saw a naïve guy who had little experience with women. She didn't know much about his past and always smiled. She had learnt that the smile was only a mask. He had still been grieving over Tazuka's death then.

"I'm no one important," he said to her and she frowned.

"Don't you ever say that," she spoke angrily, causing him to flinch. Her eyes always glowed pink like that whenever she was angered but she still kept her hold on him. "You're important to me and everyone here."

Jinx sure knew how to say the right things to him.

"Especially to me," she affirmed before she leaned in to kiss him again. This time he was ready and kissed her back.

Brimstone looked up and then got onto all his legs. He padded out of the room to leave the couple in peace. The door slid open and the demon dog walked out before the door slid close behind him.

Draco looked deeply into his beloved's eyes and said, "I like your hair down." He reached up with his hand and removed the scrunchies. Her hair fell down like a curtain. He brushed away some of the hair that got in her face and said, "Beautiful…"

Jinx blushed a bit at being called beautiful. Who would think someone like her as beautiful? Draco, apparently.

He slowly pushed her onto the bed and then the lights dimmed.

* * *

Warren stood in the training center, Teresa and Vash watching him. Warren took a deep breath. He then concentrated on one particular part of his aura, the demon side. "Start off at 50 percent," said Warren. His energy began to crackle around him. "Now, 60 percent," his veins became more prominent. "70 percent…" he said, gasping for air, as if under pressure. His mouth expanded and his teeth became fangs. "90 percent…" he wheezed. The back of his shirt blew off, revealing too pitch black demon wings. He fell to his knees. "Can't control…" Teresa drew her claymore and ran at Warren. Warren caught her claymore as she swung it at him. His head was down.

"Warren?" asked Teresa.

He looked up at Teresa and smiled "I can get it to 90 percent now," he said with a laugh as the wings retracted into his body.

"Don't scare me like that," said Teresa as she withdrew her sword. "If I was still alive you would've given me a heart attack."

"Sorry," Warren apologised as Vash helped him to his feet.

"You really shouldn't tire yourself out," advised Vash. "We're heading into enemy territory. You need to take care of yourself better."

Warren nodded at the advice. He then wrapped his arms around Teresa. "You know, we have a while before we reach Zandia. How about…"

Teresa placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. "I'll race you back to the room," she said playfully before running off, Warren quickly giving chase.

* * *

**Present time…ZANDIA…**

It was already dark in the small country of Zandia and on a mountain range which was dubbed "The Mountains of Madness" for the many dark rituals and evil summonings that have taken place there stood a massive temple. The temple was a gargantuan structure, which was placed on the highest point of the Mountains of Madness. The temple courtyard seemed to be guarded by the statue of a very grotesque creature, which was possibly one of the many dark gods of the earth. The creature had a human like body which was covered with scales, massive batwings, and a head which seemed to look like a very large octopus.

The ChronoLiner appeared silently out of a portal and the united team of teenage heroes exited out of the vehicle quickly and silently. The cloaking field around the train expanded around them. Stealth was a requirement for their mission. This was enemy's territory and they needed to be careful. Warren, because of the incident during training, was clad in a new outfit. He wore a black trench coat that reaches the ground. Under this he had on a black shirt that depicted a skull and black jeans. He also wore fingerless leather gloves with studs on the knuckles and black combat boots. Lastly he wore a black cowboy hat and black sunglasses that hid his eyes. He had a cigarette hanging from his mouth. Jeez, he smokes more than a chimney.

Beast Boy was looking through his binoculars and saw the large demonic statue which stood in front of the temple and grimaced, "That is one ugly statue. Looks kinda like Davy Jones from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies." Leave it to Beast Boy to make movie referances at a time like this. It was actually a statue of Cthulhu, one of the Great Old Ones.

"Or Epic Movie," Wyvern supplied into the conversation.

"Got that right," Terra agreed.

Mortuary agreed as he looked through his own pair of binoculars, "Occultus doesn't have much taste, I'm afraid."

"I guess he was thinking more about intimidation rather than homely," Snow Blood said.

"We should get inside, now," said Renia, eagerly.

Draco eyes narrowed as he focused his eyes on the temple. One of his Orphenoch given abilities was enhanced telescopic vision. There were a couple of guards posted the entrance of the temple, which was strange. Either Occultus was very confident that no one would be stupid enough to storm in to allow his security to lax. It just didn't seem right. His short time with Slade had taught him that when security was lax, the item/person was not really important, they couldn't afford it…or it was a set up for a trap.

He wagered with Yaminekoryu and Ifrit that it was the latter.

Warren could see the guards using his enhanced senses. Something wasn't right. He could feel way too much dark energy; it was messing with his senses. "I don't like it," said Warren.

"What do you mean?" asked Renia.

"Something isn't right here. The last time I felt this much dark energy was when I threw down with D'Spayre back home," answered Warren. "This is gonna be bigger than we thought."

"We have to find a way in, though," Cyborg said, "And I don't think those guards are just going to let us waltz in their pad."

Mortuary cocked his gun earning looks. There was a gleam in his eyes that scared Renia. It scared Terra too. "We can take them."

Warren smiled and cocked his own gun. "I like the way you think."

Draco frowned. He didn't want to kill the guards, even if they were Orphenochs which was a high possibility since Occultus had sent an army of Orphenochs to Jump City. Also, what if he had another one of those behemoths ready for them?

"No," Draco objected. "We need to sneak inside and not draw attention to ourselves. That way we can take down Occultus. As Shadow always said, take care of the head and the body follows."

"Then we need something to distract the head," said Warren as he stood up.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jinx.

"I'm talking about distracting the guards. I'll go in, distract them, and you guys will just waltz right in," said Warren as he prepared his gun. "VASH! SPIRIT BALL FORM!!" called Warren. Vash appeared in Warren's left hand as a ball of spirit energy. "Vash! Into the Dark Angel! OVER SOUL!!" He then slammed the spirit into the gun, causing light to engulf Warren. When the light subsided, Warren's left hand, and arm, was now different. It was now a large five-barreled gun. Pitch-black angel wings unfurled on Warren's back. "When you hear their screams of pain, that's your cue to bust in." He then flapped his wings and flew off.

"OK, that was totally awesome," Beast Boy spoke up.

"If that doesn't distract the guards then I don't know what will," added Renia in agreement.

"I just hope he doesn't get us killed," spoke Bruiser. "I've been itching for a fight since we got here."

"You itch for a fight all the time, Billy," Falconer spoke.

* * *

**TAMARAN…**

The T-Ship entered Tamaran's atmosphere safely, despite a little turbulence upon reentry. The sky was a dark purplish color. As Starfire gushed over the appearance of Tamaran, saying how beautiful it was, Pluto was looking on sadly. It was like a barren desert. There were some stone structures jutting out from the ground and a few mountains. Sure, there were a few plants but nothing to get excited about. "It must've been beautiful way back when," he muttered.

"_Did you say something, puppy?_" asked Blackfire from the com-link.

"Nothing, Komi," he lied. "Nothing at all…"

"_We are nearing the palace. I have already contacted Galfore. I cannot wait to see him again!_" Starfire yelled out happily.

"Joy…" Blackfire said cynically. She didn't sound too happy.

Pluto could see the palace and saw it at the top of a rather large structure of rock with similar structures built into the contorted rock faces. As dumpy as the planet appeared, he had to admit that the architecture wasn't half bad.

The T-Ship landed on a parapet. The cockpits opened and the two Tamaranean princesses floated out. Pluto leapt out of the vehicle and landed softly on the ground. He felt a little stiff from being cooped up in that small cockpit. Robin was frowning. Some unpleasant memories were associated with his place. He'd almost witnessed Starfire getting married here. He glanced at his alien girlfriend who smiled back at him in return.

Blackfire was feeling nervous. This was it. She felt a little ill. She, the bravest of the brave, was feeling fear. It was a fear she didn't want to accept but she had to face this. For all her wrongdoings in the past, she was going to own up to this. This was her home. She didn't want to be banished any longer. She grew up here.

The gates opened and Galfore walked out. Pluto hadn't expected him to be so…BIG! Flanking him were four guards, wearing robes and helmets and sporting long and scary glaives. Galfore strode forward, tall and proud, with a cape hanging from his back and wearing the royal crown, marking him as the grand ruler of Tamaran. Of course, this was an elected position. Starfire had chosen him for it because he was the most responsible.

Pluto gulped a bit as the large alien man. He stood double Pluto's own height his muscles were huge. The beard somehow added to the intimidation factor the man already possessed. His eyes were locked upon Starfire before locking coldly onto Blackfire who seemed to shrink. Pluto took hold of his girlfriend's hand and gave a comforting squeeze.

Galfore's face then broke into a large smile before pulling Starfire into a hug. The girl hugged back. The two exchanged words in their native language. Robin did not understand a word but Blackfire and Pluto did, the latter due to his special headset which translated every word.

Galfore put down Starfire and then looked at Blackfire, stating, "So, you've returned. You were banished if I remember correctly."

Blackfire blanched. She hated being reminded of that. She bowed her head, though. This was her chance to be welcomed back home so she was going to swallow her pride. "Yes, Emperor Galfore."

"Tell me, why do you think you deserve to return home here, to the home you nearly betrayed?" Galfore asked.

Blackfire fell silent. Pluto decided to take the initiative and strode forward.

"Um…with all due respect, Your Highness," Pluto began, feeling brave, "May I say something in her defense?"

"And who are you who dares to speak?" Galfore demanded. Pluto glanced at both guards.

"I'm just a stranger here, a visitor," admitted Pluto, "But what I do know is this." He glanced at Blackfire. "Blackfire…Komand'r…she's changed. Who she was isn't who she is anymore. I've seen her do incredible things. She's saved lives and protected the city we live in. She's repentant of her former actions. She has done so many things to make up for all the wrongs she has done. So…I ask you." He knelt down. "Please…give her this chance." He bowed his head and placed his fists down on the ground in front of Galfore. Galfore's shadow covered him. Blackfire watched, amazed, as Pluto pleaded on her case. Were his words enough to touch Galfore.

Galfore crossed his arms and looked down at this human who'd spoken words in Blackfire's defense. Pluto wasn't the most articulate person but he could tell the truth when needed. He just spoke of what he saw in Blackfire. He didn't see her at her worst so he couldn't really comment on that. All he could do was speak of all the good she did.

"Very well," Galfore spoke. "You may rise." Pluto stood up and looked up at the large ruler. "I shall see to it that Blackfire's banishment is dissolved. There will still be a ceremony, though."

Pluto's face broke out into a grin as she shouted out, "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" He turned around to see Blackfire who was smiling at him. She then flew forwards and hugged him. He fell on his back upon being tackled by her. She laughed out merrily, forgetting that they had an audience.

Galfore couldn't believe that Blackfire had found a man to speak in her defense. Neither had he seen her laugh with such mirth in such a long time. He could vaguely see her as the child she once was before the war with the Gordanians took away that innocence. The death of the princesses' parents, the previous king and queen, had affected the girls differently. Blackfire had been filled with much hate and Starfire…well…Starfire was close to turning into a creature filled with as much anger.

"Please, come inside," invited Galfore. "You both must be exhausted from your trip here. We shall prepare a feast." He then walked towards the gate, followed by the palace guards.

Robin looked towards Starfire and both exchanged smiles. "So far so good," said Robin.

"Oh, this is glorious!" Starfire floated happily. "Sister!" She cheered but then she could see that Blackfire and Pluto were making out. "Sister!" she yelled out.

Blackfire looked up, grinning, "Sorry, sis. Just very happy right now." And she was, as evident by how both her and Pluto were currently floating a foot from the ground.

"Hey, I'm not complaining," added Pluto.

Robin laughed, "Let's just go inside, OK?"

* * *

**NEO AZARATH…**

Shadow remembered seeing Arella before, or at least a mental representation of her within Raven's mindscape. She had fair skin, purple hair, and violet eyes. The chakra stone was set in her forehead. She looked like an older version of Raven and dressed in a white robe with the hood up.

Arella's gaze was a little cold as she eyes Shadow with a little suspicion. She then looked towards her daughter. "Hello, Raven." There wasn't a much emotion in Arella's voice for some reason. Shadow looked around. He didn't see any children playing in the streets just people in robes going about their business. It felt far too peaceful for him. "I'm glad you've come."

"I'm glad too," Raven said, smiling a little. Arella looked surprised at seeing the smile, as if seeing Raven in white wasn't a surprise.

"So, it's true then," Arella said, referring to Trigon's defeat. "He's gone."

"He is," Raven nodded, confirming the face, "I'm free. We're free."

Arella then walked forwards and then hugged her child. "That is good news." Raven hugged Arella back. The older woman stood back and then her eyes fell upon Shadow. "And who is this young man right here?"

Raven was about to speak but Arella raised up her hand to silence her. "I'd like to hear him introduce himself, Raven." She then said, "Well, speak up, young man."

Shadow strode forward. He then bowed respectfully in front of Arella before standing up straight, hands behind his back. "My name is Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa." He'd left his clan's name out for a reason. "I am a fellow member of the Teen Titans alongside Raven and I am also her…" He took a deep breath, "Her fiancé."

Arella now reacted. She looked surprised at hearing this. "Her…fiancé?"

Shadow looked nervous but gathered his courage. "That is correct. I proposed to her on her 19th birthday."

"And you said yes?" Arella asked her daughter. Raven showed her the ring.

"I did," Raven admitted, proud and unafraid of the fact.

Arella fell silent before turning away, "I see. Please, follow me." She then walked ahead of the two teens.

"She's…pleasant," Shadow said to Raven.

"Just give her a chance," Raven said and defended, "She's really a kind woman once you get to know her."

"I just hope she gives me a chance," Shadow said, "I know I'm not looking forward to the grilling she's going to give me."

Raven took hold of his hand. "You'll do fine. Let's go."

* * *

**ZANDIA…**

Warren landed a good distance away from the guards. "OK, this should be a good enough distance," said Warren. He placed his hand on the ground. "Shadows, awaken and bend to my will. Take the form that your master's commands." 11 shadows arose around Warren and took the form of his current teammates. Warren smirked and lit up a new cigarette. "Let the fun begin…" Him and the shadow duplicates started walking towards the entrance. "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition."

* * *

**NEO AZARATH…**

Arella walked along the streets with her daughter and her…fiancé behind her. Just thinking the word almost made her want to cry.

Had she been so out of touch with her daughter that this could happen and she wouldn't know about it? Apparently so. She didn't think this Ichijyo boy was bad, but nor did she think he was good either. They had only met a minute ago.

Arella had to keep her distance from Raven almost all her life. The first reason was because she was the daughter of Trigon and it was frowned on by a lot of people to even speak of her until they finally could see her as something more than just Trigon's portal. The second reason was because of Raven's training. The young girl had to keep a tight rein on her emotions and having her mother witness her training would impede on that.

While it served Raven well in regards to her powers, it formed a deep gorge between the two. Arella only really heard whispers of what her daughter was doing in the mortal realm. She had heard the rumors that Trigon had been vanquished, but her concern about Raven's powers kept her from checking. Apparently her motherly concerns had been crushed by the cool logic Azarath had gifted her with.

Still, Arella was a mother and while she failed in that particular test of motherhood, she was determined not to fail this one. She was going to find out everything about this boy her daughter was intent on marrying, and she wouldn't leave one stone unturned.

Shadow could feel the suspicion coming from Arella in waves. He knew that they were well intentioned, but it still unnerved him. His mother and father had accepted Raven and gave them their blessing. Even Trigon saw him as a suitable lover for Raven, which was not the kind of blessing he would want. Trigon was unimportant to him. He wanted to impress Arella and just hoped he didn't mess up. Luckily, Raven had given him some lessons on proper Azarathean etiquette, manners, and history of the culture. Shadow didn't exactly need it, since he had his father's memories, but still he couldn't decline her offer. She too wanted this to work

Shadow remembered his centuries ago the Deathtrons attempted to take over the original Azarath. They'd wanted to harvest the magical energies and turn the peaceful Azaratheans into slaves. However, despite being pacifists, the Azarathean's fought back with their magic. Both sides suffered heavy losses and eventually the Deathtrons fled seeing that it was not worth it.

It worried Shadow. What if Arella recognized his face? Civilizations often recorded things like alien invasions in their history archives. He did have his father's looks and his father was somewhat involved in that invasion. He just hoped nothing tipped her off. He wore a skin patch to hide the Deathtron tattoo on his shoulder but has removed it since he was able to tell Raven the truth about his life. Of course, he'd put the patch on again, hiding the emblem. He didn't want to give Arella any reason to dislike/distrust him.

Raven and he'd ran over their story. Shadow was not going to mention any of his darker abilities. They would talk about his family, except for the demonic aspects. They would talk about some of his powers, like his ability to heal and create hard-light energy constructs. They would also talk about what he did for a living. That part was easily covered. He was a genius and ran his own company, albeit a branch of his family's company but that was still impressive.

He remembered when his father had told him to always start with a good impression. First impressions were a powerful thing.

'_Way to lay down the pressure, father_,' Shadow sighed inwardly.

As the trio passed by several buildings, something caught Shadow's eye. "Excuse me, madam?" he asked.

Arella stopped and turned to look at the boy and answer his query, "What is it?"

"What is that statue?" Ichijyo gestured. He knew what it was, though. The statue was that of a man dressed in armor. Of course, it was the design of the armor that made him ask. It was designed…after a snake.

"Oh, that statue is that of Azarath's founder and champion," Arella spoke.

"Founder and champion?" Shadow repeated.

Raven knew why Shadow was asking. It was because this statue resembled his Zodiac Knight form, to a certain extent. This statue had on a cloak and was made of gold.

"Nearly a millennia ago, he was the Azar that brought the first Azaratheans to a place he named Azarath," Arella spoke. "Thus, this statue was built in his honor. There are many statues like this, but the largest one is in the Temple of Azar."

Shadow thought back. He did briefly see something resembling this back in the ruins of old Azarath. Also, Raven had told him that Azar was a title passed down through the generations. Only the most worthy could become Azar, be they man or woman.

"Well, let us go now," Arella said. "You must be exhausted from your trip. I shall prepare food and beverage for you."

"Thank you, mother," Raven bowed her head. Shadow frowned. The daughter and mother seemed fairly distant from one another.

"Thank you, madam," Shadow bowed as well, but glanced at the statue for a second. '_So, the Zodiac Knights were on Azarath too. How intriguing…_'

* * *

**TAMARAN….**

The only thought that crossed Pluto's mind as he walked down the hallway with Blackfire next to him and following Galfore who was flanked by the guards was, '_So much purple_…' The landscape had been purple, even the sky, and the buildings. Plus, their clothing was all purple.

What was it with these people and purple anyway?

They arrived in the banquet hall of the palace and Galfore invited them to sit down. Pluto warily did so and saw all the food strewn all over the table…or could it be considered food. '_Looks like something from Star Wars and Star Trek._' He remembered Beast Boy's warning. '_Better learn what's a bathroom here, quick_'

"Please, help yourselves," Galfore offered, "You are our guests. Plus, we have a surprise guest here with us as well."

"A surprise guest?" Starfire asked curiously.

"Greetings, sisters," spoke the 'surprise guest' as he came into the banquet hall. Blackfire and Starfire's jaws dropped.

"Ryand'r?"

* * *

**ZANDIA…**

Draco winces as he watched Warren's plan unfold. He'd used the decoys as a distraction to draw the guards away. The guards morphed into their Orphenoch form, a Hippo and Tapir, and started to attack the decoys. Warren then proceeded to take the guards out, fatally. Draco blanched at the sight of watching the Orphenochs crumbled to flaming ashes. He would talk with Warren later about using lethal force like that but not right now. They had a mission.

"Alright, let's move," ordered Draco. The Titans and Red Wolves all ran towards the entrance, meeting up with Warren. Warren was dusting his hands, smirking.

"That was too easy," Warren said but then got slapped in the arm by Jinx. "What was that for?" She jabbed her thumb at Draco. "Oh, sorry." He forgot that Draco had certain issues involving killing, namely not doing it without reason.

Draco's eyes narrowed at the entrance. Whether it was because of his psychic senses or youki, he could detect the malevolent energies coming from inside. He gritted his teeth. "Get ready, people," he advised. "We're on enemy territory now, so that means we're on their turf, their playing field. We need to tread carefully."

Bruiser snorted, "Why should we listen to you?" Mortuary smacked his face.

"Billy, just listen to him," Mortuary said, confident in Draco's abilities. "The kid's got good judgment."

Draco took offense at being called kid, but took more offense out of being distrusted.

"He's an Orphenoch, Mort. Like the rest of them," Bruiser reminded. He then got kicked in the shin. "Ow!"

"Just listen to Draco!" Renia snapped.

"Cyborg, run a scan," Draco said to his cybernetic friend. "Any sign of lifeforms?"

"That's the strange part," said Cyborg. He'd recovered after watching Warren kill those Orphenochs ruthlessly. "I got nothing."

"But that can't be right," said Snow Blood. "Andrew?"

"Me too," Falconer said as he looked at his PDA. "I am not detecting any life forms in there."

"So, we can go home now?" Beast Boy asked, "Coz, this place gives me the creeps."

"No, we move forward," said Mortuary, eyes narrowed. "Occultus wouldn't plant guards here without any reason. Maybe something in there is masking any life signatures."

"He's right," Draco agreed. "Cloaking technology could be in use here. We can never know."

"Then, let's find out," said Warren. "Let's go."

* * *

**NEO AZARATH…**

Like the rest of the city, Arella's home was immaculate. There was some furniture but very little in terms of decoration. Then again, this was a pacifistic society that lived on cold logic, so maybe they didn't see a need for decorations. Shadow's mother did at least put some effort to spruce up their home.

"Ichijyo, may I have a word with you in private?" requested Arella.

'_And so it begins_,' Shadow groaned inwardly. '_Some things are just universal._'

* * *

**TAMARAN…**

Starfire was ecstatic and immediately flew towards the surprise guest, who was surprised by her reaction in a plesant way, and engulfed him in a hug. It was a Tamaranean boy, close to her age, with short and curly red hair, and the usual green eyes and orange skin of the Tamaraneans. He had on a sleeveless purple bodysuit, with matching boots, the metal neckguard, belt and armguards. He also wore a wide smile that mirrored Starfire's.

"Oh, Ryand'r! I've missed you!"

Robin blinked and then turned to ask Blackfire, pointing, "Um…who's that?"

Blackfire still wore a shocked expression on her face, "My…our brother."

"Oh, your brother," Pluto nodded, accepting the answer. "OK."

10 seconds later he exploded…

"YOUR BROTHER!? YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU HAD A BROTHER!!"

"Long story," Blackfire replied, recovering from her own shock.

"I believe we can speak of this after our feast," said Galfore. "Come, let us enjoy our food."

Then all the Tamaraneans present roared in delight before diving into the food, grabbing whatever they could and shoving it into their mouths. Blackfire, Starfire and Ryand'r quickly joined in the feast/carnage.

Pluto could only gawk along with Robin as they watched the Tamaraneans' feast. It was not a pretty sight. It was more like watching a gang of wolves maul a helpless moose and ripping it to shreds.

"Someone can lose an arm in there," Pluto spoke up as he watched the savagery of this feast. He then shrugged and tied a napkin he'd brought around his neck, "Well, that means I'm safe." He then dove in as Robin gaped at him.

"I think I've lost my appetite," Robin muttered as he watched, eyes wide. After what he'd been through his whole life, he doubt he could ever get used to watching his girlfriend eating so…violently.

* * *

**ZANDIA…**

The team entered the temple. The hallway was dark but Draco lit up the path with his powers. Cyborg provided some light too, as did Renia and Wyvern with their magic. Beast Boy clung to Terra's arm out of fear. After the whole Wicked Scary Incident, the dark just creeped him out.

They entered a large hall, which was empty.

"OK, I am seriously freaked out right now," Beast Boy spoke. Suddenly, all the lights turned on. "YIKES!"

Mortuary could hear footsteps and his eyes immediately went over to the balcony. Occultus, dressed in his robes, walked up to the balcony and smiled down at them. It wasn't a pleasant smile, though. It was one filled with utter malice. Wyvern cringed and went to hide behind Terra.

"I have been expecting you," Occultus spoke. "It's been so long since I've seen old friends." Mortuary glared. "And I see new ones as well. Welcome to my home."

"Just shove the pleasantries down your throat, Occultus! We're here to take you down once and for all!" Mortuary shouted.

Occultus shook his head, "Same as ever, Mortuary. Always so rude. Didn't the beating I gave you teach you anything?"

"It taught me to get stronger, which I have."

"Well, let's see if you can back that up," said Occultus as he snapped his fingers. "I do hope you can stay for dinner."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Draco's ears picked up something and so did Beast Boy and Warren's. Something was coming.

"**WOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!**"

They all were shocked by the loud bellow.

And it was something BIG.

To Be Continued…

If you watched Kamen Rider 555 movie, you'd remember that giant Orphenoch, right? That's the thing making that noise, btw.


	75. PT075: Elasmotherium

That's right, it's the Elasmotherium Orphenoch

Part 75: Elasmotherium

_4 years ago if anyone ever told me I would one day become a superhero, which would be a dream come true, I would think that they were being crazy. Despite my abilities, I wasn't really the type to be a hero. That was a childish dream._

_Pause._

_Alright, I admit it! I've always wanted to be a superhero and I never grew out of it. My mother's tales of heroes from the past, the Elemental Rangers and the Kamen Riders, fueled me with the need to one day use my abilities for the greater good; to fight for goodness, justice and the lives of the innocent._

_When I finally got the chance, it was not exactly what I was expecting._

-Ryuki Leonard Hasuma.

* * *

**ZANDIA…**

"**WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGG!!**"

The large thing that lumbered into the large hall could only be described as a monstrosity. In terms of appearance it was like a huge rhinoceros. Of course, unlike rhinos, this thing had rows and rows of sharp looking teeth and armored plated grey skin. Plus, it was a good 30 feet tall. 40 if you count the horn. It bellowed loudly as its 4 eyes were locked on the teen heroes.

"Oh…" Beast Boy began, eyes bugged out.

"…my…" Cyborg added.

"…GOD!" Wyvern, finished.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING!?"

The monstrous Orphenoch bellowed and sized up its prey. It huffed as it set its sight on the 12 teens that dared to fight its master.

Occultus chuckled, "You didn't think that behemoth was the only one I had, did you?" He then commanded, "Kill them, and make it slow and painful."

The Elasmotherium Orphenoch unleashed a roar before charging at the heroes.

"SCATTER!" Mortuary and Draco shouted, taking command, "AND TAKE THAT THING DOWN!"

Occultus watched as the teenagers scrambled to get out of the way of the rampaging beast he'd ordered to kill them. As fun as it would be to watch as his hated foes being killed in front of his eyes, he had more pressing matters to attend to. Right now, all of his minions were watching this on their little television screens and cheering on the giant Elasmotherium Orphenoch.

Draco had faced something like this before and won. He took out his Zodiac Deck and got ready to transform but had to roll away as the monster's foot came down on him, thinking quickly, he shouted out to Wyvern, Snow Blood and Renia, "Restrain it!"

The three girls nodded and activated their powers, along with Draco. Renia slammed both her palms onto the floor and a transmutation circle appeared. An energy bolt traveled along the ground and hit the Orphenoch's front right leg, encasing it in thick crystal. Snow Blood's ice beam hit the front right leg while Wyvern used her elemental magic to summon ice to engulf the right hind leg. As for Draco, he froze the left hind leg, engulfing it in ice. This was to buy them some time.

"HENSHIN!" Draco called out and those who could transform did as told. The Scarab, Cutter and Hopper Inzecters leapt into their mistresses' hands as Mortuary dug the Aries Deck from his back pocket.

"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON!"

"EMPOWERMENT OF ARIES!"

"HENSHIN!"

"CHANGE PUNCH LOCUST!"

Warren slid a buckle onto his belt, which looked like a skull. "SHATTER!" he called, slamming his fist into the buckle, making it crack. Chains made of shadow energy flew out from nowhere and covered Warren. They soon exploded off of Warren, revealing him in a new outfit. He wore a black leather bodysuit and heavily strapped black boots. He wore black gloves with spikes on the knuckles. Chains ran up his arms. On his chest and going over his shoulders was onyx colored armor with chains running across it in the shape of an X. In the center of the armor was a skull emblem. Around his waist he wore his belt. The center of the buckle depicted a skull. Attached to the belt were twin guns, one was pitch black and depicted an angel, while the other was stark white and depicted a demon. Next to each gun was a button, a white one and a black one. Lastly, his head and face were hidden by black skull-like helmet.

Introducing the Skull Rider, Kamen Rider Wraith!

Draco and Mortuary were immediately clad in their respective armors of the Dragon and Aries while the girls were in their Inzecter Suits. Occultus watched in curiosity at this. He'd hear about this but never actually saw it in person before.

The Elasmotherium Orphenoch managed to free its legs from the ice and crystal binding it legs and roared. A sonic energy beam smashed it in the head, sending it staggering backwards. It roared loudly and charged straight at Cyborg, but a green brontosaurus in armor smashed its tail into its side, sending it toppling to its side. Beast Boy morphed back to normal and the two friends high-fived one another. The monster slowly got back to its feet and roared, causing Beast Boy to scream and run. Cyborg then activated his new wrecking ball option and threw it at the monster's head. However, it grabbed the wrecking ball in its mouth and then threw Cyborg into the wall, floor and ceiling, repeatedly. This forced the cybernetic Titan to blast it with his sonic cannon and missiles. It let go as it roared in pain. Cyborg pulled back the wrecking ball into his arm and then reconverted it into his fist.

Wraith leapt up into the air and shot two spiked chains at the Orphenoch. They both impaled the creature, causing it to roar in pain. Wraith used the chains to swing himself onto the creature's back, where he delivered a powerful drop kick.

Falconer quickly activated his armor. He pressed a series of command on his PDA and then locked it into a port attached to his left forearm. Immediately, a suit of armor began to fold out on his body and when it was done he was clad in a suit of hi-tech armor themed after his namesake, the Falcon. He spread out his wings and aimed his hands at the monster, revealing lenses in his palms that fired powerful lasers. He began to rain lasers upon the monstrous Orphenoch and it roared in pain.

Jinx fired her hexes at the monster, causing it great pain, as did Terra with her shoulder mounted vulcans. Wyvern chanted a spell and an electrifying energy bolts were released from her hands to electrocute the monster. Snow Blood used her powers over 'holy ice' to create basketball sized 'ice balls' and threw them at the monster's face. The ice balls shattered violently against its mouth, causing it to bellow in pain. It charged at her but a powerful beam of necroplasmic energy forced it back. Snow Blood saw her armored boyfriend and smiled.

Wraith gathered a large amount of shadow energy and launched it at the giant creature, causing it to stumble and nearly fall over.

The Orphenoch saw Bruiser in its path so it charged at the Red Wolf. It rose up its leg to stomp him, but when it came down Bruiser's incredible strength helped him to hold the foot above his head. With a grunt, he pushed the Orphenoch back. Bruiser didn't have any long-ranged capabilities like his friends, so he had to wait back until the thing came at him.

Draco used whatever powers he had and began to pummel the monstrous Orphenoch with fire, ice and rocks. His elemental Zodiac Powers, as well as his friends, appeared to be damaging the monster. Of course, he knew from experience of how thick an Orphenoch's armored skin was and judging from this thing's size it wasn't going to be easy to take it down.

"LOCUST JUMP! LOCUST PUNCH!"

With a crystal coated gauntlet, Renia leapt up and rammed her fist into the monster's horn. The horn cracked a little at the impact point but it didn't do much. The Orphenoch then swatted her away and she slammed into the wall before falling onto the ground face first. Wyvern ran to her friend, worried. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Renia chuckled. "This armor's not just for show, you know." She then yelled, "Watch out!"

Wyvern chanted a quick spell and created a barrier around herself and Renia, blocking the Orphenoch as it rammed straight at it. It roared as it tried to get at them whilst the others tried to take it down with their powers. Beast Boy even morphed into a T-Rex, albeit one with armor along its back, head and legs, and began to chomp on the Orphenoch's left hind leg. It kicked the changeling backwards and roared out in rage. Draco ran towards it before sliding across the ground until he was under the monster's belly. Terra was with him. Both looked to each other and nodded before activating their powers over the earth. They then erected a large platform of stone that smashed the monster in the belly, knocking the wind out of its lungs. It also threw it onto its back. It struggled to get back to its feet but with little success.

"Well, that was easy," said Wyvern, dropping the force field.

"I don't think so," Occultus growled as his eyes glowed blue. The Elasmotherium Orphenoch's eyes glowed too as a blue aura surrounded it. It stopped struggling and carefully picked itself up. With a roar, it charged at the heroes once more.

"What does it take to make this thing stay down!?" Bruiser yelled out as they scattered from its wrath.

"Hit him hard, and hit him fast!" Mortuary ordered as he slid his Final Vent card into his right kneepad. Draco did the same and slid his own Final Vent into his Dragauntlet. Wraith activated his Oversoul, and then pushed it one step further.

"GIANT OVERSOUL!!" roared Wraith. His entire arm changed, becoming a more organic looking than his Oversoul, and also extending to the point that it measured equal to a normal human. The center of the new weapon was a glowing orb of black energy. Two black angel wings appeared on his back. "Heaven's Judgement!"

"Final Vent!" both Knights called out loudly before executing their attacks. Draco leapt up as Dragonzer appeared. With a roar, the dragon launched Draco at the Orphenoch with a powerful stream of fire. As for Mortuary, his own Zodiac Beasts, the Gazelle herd, appeared and jumped straight at the monster, striking at it acrobatically before Mortuary leapt up, using his Zodiac Power to duplicate himself and smashed his knee into the Elasmotherium Orphenoch's body, head and horn. Wraith began pelting the creature with large blasts of shadow energy. The dual Final Vents and powerful shots were damaging, but the Elasmotherium Orphenoch shrugged them off. Draco and Mortuary landed back on their feet, the Aries Knight restoring himself to solo mode, and then jumped out of the way as the monster tried to stomp them flat. It roared and saw Falconer flying about and attempted to grab him in its mouth. It did, but a laser blast forced its mouth open and he flew out hastily.

Occultus watched in amusement. It was like insects fighting against an elephant. There was no contest here, really. These 'heroes' were fools to even attempt to fight against him.

"OK, this isn't working so well," said Draco as he looked at the hulking monster, which dwarfed them all together in the size department.

"Why not use that Keyblade of yours?" Mortuary suggested. Draco blinked and slapped his face.

"Why didn't I think of that!?" The Dragon Knight drew out his Pactio card and called out, "Adeat!" He summoned his Keyblade and charged straight at the monster. He aimed his Dragauntlet at the Elasmotherium Orphenoch's face and fired the Dragrappler from it. The grappling hook snagged the horn. The cable then retracted into the Dragauntlet and pulled its owner up to the Orphenochs face. When he landed on the horn's base, he began to swing his Keyblade, landing powerful blows upon its hideous face. The monster roared and then tried to throw the Dragon Knight aside, but Draco kept his hold on the horn. He then took a leap into the air before he landed on the Elasmotherium Orphenoch's back. He banished the Keyblade for a second whilst saying, "Now, to use what obaa-sama taught me." He was, of course, referring to Cologne.

"KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!!" In a blur or motion, Draco smashed his fists repeatedly and rapidly into the Elasmotherium Orphenoch's back, causing it to roar out in pain from the painful blows to its body. He was causing a lot of damage to it. It tried to shake Draco off, but the Dragon Knight held firm via telekinesis. He then shouted out, "NOW!" before summoning his Keyblade once more and then swinging it down. The force of the strike from the legendary weapon caused the monster's knees to buckle and it fell onto its belly, its four legs spread out around it. The floor trembled when it fell. Occultus just gawked at the sight in shocked fascination.

Wraith took this as his chance. "**DIVINE PUNISHMENT**!" he called. The shadow energy gathered at the barrel of his weapon. As soon as he had enough, he blasted at the creature, but was shocked at the recoil. "Damn, gotta train a bit more with this," he muttered. He then surveyed the damage, seeing a large hole where he had fired, and the Orphenoch was missing a large chunk of its shoulder.

Cyborg smirked and his battle mask slid over his face. He then activated the 'Bomb Fist' and charged forward at the downed Orphenoch. The fist slammed into its horn and upon impact there was a huge explosion.

**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!**

The others took cover but were blown away by the blast. The Orphenoch was thrown high into the air and dropped hard on the floor, causing it to tremble.

Cyborg grinned but got whacked in the head. He looked to see Jinx, who was glaring at him behind her helmet, "We've told you once and we've told you 1000 times…give a little warning before you use that punch."

"Sorry," Cyborg apologized. The Elasmotherium Orphenoch growled in pain. Its horn had been completely broken off and most of its teeth were missing because of the explosion. Its armor-like hide was also cracked in a few places.

Mortuary turned towards Renia and asked, "How strong are your regenerative powers, Ren?"

"Well, I did grow back a head that one time," Renia shrugged, causing everyone who didn't know her that well to stare. "Hey, I'm a Homunculus. I'm pretty tough."

"Here's the plan," Mortuary said before whispering into her ear.

"My scanners indicate that the thing cannot last much longer," reported Falconer as he scanned the Elasmotherium Orphenoch, the HUD appearing on his visor and allowing him to view its condition clearly. The huge Orphenoch struggled to roar but it was in too much pain. Blue flames were licking its body as it tried to charge at them.

"Draco, Wraith, make it open its mouth!" Mortuary shouted. The Dragon Knight and Skull Rider looked at their friend strangely. "Just do it!"

"OK," Draco nodded before focusing his telekinesis on the Elasmotherium Orphenoch's maw. It was trying to stop him as he was trying to force its mouth wide open. A vein throbbed on the side of his head as he struggled, his body trembling. Wraith then used a long chain to hold the lower jaw open, but he too was struggling.

"Well, now let's give it some indigestion!" Mortuary announced as he held Renia by the arms. He spun the Inzecter Rider around before throwing her straight at the Orphenoch's open jaw. Renia dove right inside, much to everyone's horror.

"MORTUARY!!" many of them shouted, horrified, thinking he'd sent the little female Homunculus to her untimely demise. Draco was unable to hold and the jaw snapped close.

"Wait for it," Mortuary said and then the Orphenoch froze. All of a sudden, crystal spikes began to sprout right out of its body. The crystal spikes multiplied as they struck the beast from within. The spikes came out through its eye sockets, from its back, under its belly and even its mouth. The monster was already dead by now as blue flames engulfed its entire form before it crumbled down to organic grey ash. The crystals remained though and in the centre was Renia who still in her armor, digging her way out of the ash, but slightly exhausted from what she had to do with her crystallization powers.

"Now _that_ took a lot out of me," said Renia as she collapsed forward but Terra caught her before she hit the ground. The Homunculus snored as she immediately fell asleep and her Locust Inzecter hopped off the belt, taking her armor away along with it.

"Rest, Ren," Terra smiled under her helmet. "You deserve it."

There was a faint sound of applause which made the teenage heroes look up at Occultus. "Well, that was an amazing show of teamwork, my young friends."

"Save it, Occultus!" Mortuary shouted, pointing straight at the villainous cult leader. "Now, stay where you are because we're coming for you!"

Occultus' smile turned sinister, sending chills down Wyvern's back. "Now, why would I want to do that when there's more fun to be had?"

The heroes exchanged looks of confusion and bewilderment. What did he mean by fun?

"I'd watch where I was standing if I were you," said Occultus in a foreboding tone. Draco's eyes flashed at the remark and he panicked. He finally had a vision and it wasn't a good one.

"Everyone, we have to get-!" Draco began to shout, but suddenly the floor began to tremble before breaking apart, revealing a large pit under their feet. Screaming, the team of heroes fell down the hole.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

Occultus smiled as he took out a small communicator, "Wait for them. They're coming." He shut off the communicator, "And once they're out of the way, I can reveal my master plan." He turned around, "Oh, Grave."

"Yes, Master," spoke Grave in monotone.

"Prepare yourself for our guests. If by some miracle they do survive, deal with them."

Grave bowed, "As you wish."

* * *

_4 years ago if anyone, especially my parents, ever told me I would be engaged to a beautiful girl, I'd have them committed to an asylum for intensive therapy. Do I look like someone who could settle down to raise a family? I doubt it. Love was pointless. Who would love someone like me?_

_Pause._

_Alright, there was Misha, but she was a one of a kind. She never judged me for who or what I was. She didn't care that my powers were…dark. All she cared about was me._

_Then she died, and I ended up alone again._

_Not anymore. Now, I have Raven and I actually proposed to her. My parents adore her. Well, my mother showed it. My father just accepted it in his own way. My siblings were also supportive._

_Now, if only I could convince her mother I was right for her without revealing too much._

-Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa-Akuma.

* * *

**NEO AZARATH…**

Ichijyo followed Arella into a spot where Raven could not hear them. Arella needed to do this. It was her duty as a mother to interrogate the boys her daughter was interested him. That was the way it was back where she came from, on Earth, a long time ago.

"What are your intentions towards my daughter?" Arella asked immediately.

Straight to the point. Good. Ichijyo wasn't one to beat around the bush. He would be honest. "I wish to care for her, love her, and make her happy."

"But how can you do that?" Arella asked, crossing her arms. "You don't look any older than she is."

"Looks can be deceiving, madam," Ichijyo said, smiling. He was going to have to impress Arella, even if it killed him. "Back on Earth, I run a branch of my family's company. It's called Smart Brain Corporation." Arella eyes widened slightly. No doubt she'd heard of it back when she used to live on Earth. "I earn an estimate of 5,000,000,000 dollars a year just for running it."

"Well, at least that proves you can financially provide for her," said Arella, keeping her stoic expression, "But money isn't everything. It cannot buy her happiness."

"That is true," Ichijyo agreed. Money never really made him happy, "But I know in my heart that I care for her. There is no doubt in my mind that I love her. It's the honest for goodness truth, I swear."

Arella's gaze softened a little. So far the boy's words were sincere, but he was still a teenage boy. She decided to question him more, "So, how did you and my daughter meet?"

"Well, I am part of the team she is with, the Teen Titans," Ichijyo began, "But I wasn't one of the founding members. I met her a few years later, actually, whilst searching for a friend of mine." He wasn't going to say that the first time they'd met was when he'd been sent to assassinate her under Yoshido's orders. "I decided to join the team since my friend didn't seem to want to leave."

"Sounds plausible," said Arella, though there was a degree of suspicion in his mind, like he wasn't telling the whole story. "So, if you are part of her group, you must have exceptional abilities. What can you do?"

Ichijyo knew this question could come into the conversation. He wasn't going to tell him all that he could do, but maybe he could tell him about some of the abilities he'd gained himself and from his mother's side. Arella didn't need to know now that he mainly used darkness. "I know some magic, and possess a few psychic abilities, telekinesis, teleportation and telepathy mainly." Arella noted that Raven shared the same abilities too. "I can also heal, and create light energy constructs in battle." He demonstrated by creating a blade out of light. "I can also turn invisible." He demonstrated this as well. He finished, "Also, as a last resort, I can neutralize powers."

Arella blinked. "Neutralize powers?"

"In a nutshell I can turn a person's powers OFF. However, it only works on one person at a time. I don't use that ability unless it's absolutely necessary."

Arella dwelled on his words. Such an ability could be dangerous in the wrong hands. She looked Ichijyo over. So far, it was like looking at a male version of her daughter so there was no doubt they shared something in common aside from powers. However, this boy…this young man seemed more expressive. It was strange how her daughter could gain an attention of this young man.

"Is that all?" Ichijyo asked. The question shook Arella out f her thoughts.

"You do know about my daughter's situation, that she is a…" Arella began.

Ichijyo finished, "I know she's half-demon." Arella blinked in surprise at this. "And I don't care. To me she's Raven, my fiancée, and the girl I love." Ichijyo added, "Is that answer satisfactory for you?"

Arella recovered a little. She'd never expected someone to just accept Raven for being half-demon. It came to a shock to her that this boy knew about that. Of course, since he was a member of the Titans, he would've known if he he'd fought Trigon alongside Raven. "For now," Arella said. "Well, so far, you seem alright. However, I feel that you are still hiding a few facts about yourself."

Ichijyo knew she was right. He was secretive by nature. It was a trait he'd inherited from his father. It was also a trait he'd developed whilst functioning as commander of the Deathtron Secret Police.

* * *

_4 years ago if anyone ever told me I was going to fall in love with an alien girl and go to her home planet, I'd ask them, "What the hell have you been smoking?" followed by, "And can I have some?"_

_I would laugh, and loud, like a maniacal mad scientist, which was what I was known for being._

_Well, despite being someone with my level of genius, I could never predict the future (without a lack of trying). I never expected that anything could fall into my lap like that._

_Actually, she grabbed me and planted one on me, but that's another story._

_Well, while visiting an alien planet, you need to respect their culture and customs. As they say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," or something along those lines._

_I can't believe I'm on an alien planet, AGAIN!_

_Geeks of the world eat your hearts out!_

_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!_

-Yoshiyuki Takada.

* * *

**TAMARAN…**

Pluto belched as he walked alongside Robin, behind the two princesses, their long lost brother and Galfore as they were headed to the throne room.

"I cannot believe you did that," Robin spoke to Pluto, referring to what'd happened at the feast/carnage. "I mean, I saw it, I just couldn't believe it."

"I know," Pluto responded, "But when in Rome do as the Romans do. Or in this case, do as the Tamaraneans do."

"But you actually ate the stuff on the table," Robin reminded, feeling green. "How did you stomach it all?"

"I guess you can say it's because my nanobots adjusted and modified my taste buds so that I can handle any alien food without gagging," Pluto shrugged. "I just took a bite and it tasted like chicken."

"Unbelievable," Robin shook his head.

"So, what's the deal with this Ryand'r dude?" Pluto asked.

"Dunno," Robin shrugged. "Even I'm surprised that Starfire kept this a secret from me."

"Uh huh," Pluto nodded.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Robin demanded.

"Well, seeing as you do keep secrets from her, I'm saying that fair is fair," Pluto elaborated.

"This isn't the same."

"Excuses, excuses, my friend," Pluto said in a sing-song voice. "All I know is that Starfire is entitled to her own secrets too."

Robin begrudgingly agreed.

"Want to know something else?" Pluto questioned. "I think one of those dishes was still alive. I felt something trying to wiggle its way up my throat."

Robin made gagging noises in disgust.

* * *

**CHRONOLINER**

Back aboard the ChronoLiner, Brimstone was barking loudly. Andie looked down curiously at the demon dog, asking, "Are you hungry, boy?" She went to pet him but got growled at.

"I think you should leave the dog alone, Andie," said Ant as he looked at the dog. "I know, boy. I'm scared too." Ant was forced to stay on the ChronoLiner so that the others would have a ride once they finished their mission. However, he knew something was definitely wrong. He could feel it in his bones. He knew that they would need help and this was it.

"I better go pick up some more passengers," said Ant firmly. "Because I have a gut feeling that those kids are gonna need all the help they can get." He exited the dining car via teleporter as Brimstone barked loudly. The demon dog's master was in danger and he was here lying down doing nothing.

It just wasn't fair.

To Be Continued…


	76. PT076: The Generals

Part 76: The Generals

_Up until recently, if someone were to tell me I'd be a hero, have a family, and be in love with a beautiful girl, I'd call them insane, and that someone like me could never be a hero, or find love and a family. After all, I was a demon's bastard child._

_Pause._

_And then I met Raven. The perfect girl for me. She was dark, mysterious, sexy, everything a guy like me could want. We loved each other more than anything. With her, I actually was a hero._

_With her I was actually accepted. With the Titans, I found a family. With Raven, I finally found love. And with my kids, I was a hero who could do anything._

_To my children, I'm their dad. To Raven, I'm her lover. To my teammates, I'm their brother. And to my enemies…_

_I'm the Angel of Death…_

-Warren "Wraith" Smith.

* * *

"Warren-san! Warren-san! Wake up!"

Wraith opened his eyes as he felt someone rousing him awake. He groaned a bit as he clutched his helmet covered head while pushing himself onto his hands and knees.

"Ryuki?" Wraith asked his fellow Rider who sighed in relief. Draco helped the Skull Rider up to his feet. "What happened?"

"The floor collapsed under our feet and we fell into a pit," Draco reported.

"What about the others?" Wraith asked, finally awake. Draco's eyepieces dimmed.

"I don't know. We're the only ones here," Draco said, worriedly. Wraith could understand. Everyone had been separated. Wraith knew that Draco and Jinx were exceptionally close from the talks they'd had in the past aboard the ChronoLiner whilst traveling to alternate dimensions. To not know what was happening to the one you loved…

Wraith had the same worries when thinking about _his_ Raven.

"Well, at least we can see in the dark," Wraith said as he scanned the area. "Wherever we are, it's big."

Suddenly, the lights on the ceiling turned on, illuminating the chamber they were in. The walls were bare but the texture was similar to the scales of a reptile, specifically an alligator. Looking down, they realized they were standing over the painted on image of an alligator with its jaws open and revealing rows of razor sharp teeth, ready to devour its prey.

"And I have a feeling that this isn't the guest room," Draco commented.

"You got that right." The two Riders looked towards the source of the voice. A door slid open and entering the chamber was a muscular African American male, bald, wearing sunglasses and dressed in a tight white T-shirt that hugged his muscular form and slacks with suspenders. He looked like a pro-wrestler. Draco's green eyes narrowed under his helmet as a flash of recognition entered his mind.

"Mr. J," Draco growled.

"You know him?" Wraith asked his companion.

Draco explained, "He and another Orphenoch named Danuth were running an underground fighting ring a few months ago that we were sent to bust. They were actually using it to find the best fighters to add to Occultus' army, turning them into Orphenochs. Those who survived the process made the cut, those who didn't…"

"Turned to dust," Wraith finished, knowing fully well what would happen when a person who did not have the Orphenoch gene was sired by an Orphenoch.

Mr. J removed his glasses and said, "I'm happy you remember me. You ruined a pretty good business that night."

"I'm glad we did," Draco smirked.

Mr. J's eyes narrowed with fury before he dropped the sunglasses and approached the two Riders. He stepped on his glasses but could care less about them. He then gripped his fists before roaring. In an instant he'd morphed into his Alligator Orphenoch form.

Wraith was unfazed. He'd seen Draco morph into his own Ifrit Orphenoch form and had grown used to it. The only thing he could say about J's was that it was…

"That's one ugly mother," Wraith muttered.

"You know, I should thank you for taking care of Asakura," spoke J. "He was unstable. Sorry now that I have to kill you." With that said, Mr. J the Alligator Orphenoch charged straight at them, brandishing his sharp claws. The two Riders then charged right back.

"Adeat!" Draco called, summoning his Keyblade.

Wraith stood back momentarily as he summoned his katana. "Can you hear it? Lady Death is playing her sweet melody. So let us dance… Kage Enbu!" The Skull Rider's blade transformed into a scimitar with a jagged blade. He then charged at the Alligator Orphenoch.

* * *

_My obsession caused me to drive my friends away. It also drove away the girl I loved. I blamed Occultus for this. If he didn't exist, maybe I'd still have my team and we never would've broken apart._

_But, I realized that it was my fault. I was the cause of the team breaking up. _

_I joined another team, the Templars, and they all got killed by an Orphenoch. Again my obsession took over and I went on killing any Orphenoch that crossed my path._

_I nearly killed Draco, the first good Orphenoch I ever met. Luckily, Terra talked me out of it._

_Now, my obsession has returned. Occultus is still around. The Orphenoch that killed the rest of the Templars is still around._

_Not for any longer…_

-Craig "Mortuary" Smith.

* * *

When the floor suddenly collapsed under them, Mortuary, Falconer, and Bruiser fell into a dark but large room. Unlike Draco and Wraith, the fall had caused Mortuary's Aries armor to disappear.

"What happened?" Bruiser asked, picking some rubble out of his hair.

Falconer's armor had retracted back into the PDA to repair itself. Luckily, he was unharmed. "I don't know, but it's a miracle we survived."

"So, where do you think we are?" Bruiser asked.

"The Lion's Den," Mortuary growled. He sniffed the air. "It's _his_ den." Memories of _that_ night returned to him as he looked at the walls, which were carved with images of lions. The lions were pouncing on their prey, tearing them to shreds with their claws. There were also lion statues placed in the corners of the room.

None of them knew what to expect, though a door across the room slowly opened. The three Red Wolves were on guard, waiting for whatever it was to enter.

Through the door came a man of muscular build. He had spiked blonde hair and wore a black tank top, camouflage pants and combat boots. This man was Saber the Lion Orphenoch, the very same man that led Mortuary down the path of hatred and vengeance.

"Hey there, kid. Are these more buddies of yours for me to kill?" Saber asked as he closed the door behind him.

Mortuary cracked his knuckles and replied, "No, it's your turn to die."

Bruiser got into a defensive stance, "Ready when you are, boss."

"I want you guys to stay back. This is something I have to finish on my own," Mortuary said as his friends looked at him in confusion. He reached into his pocket and started to pull out his Zodiac Deck, but after he thought for a moment he put it back. He'd been training enough for this day. He wanted to settle this using his own power.

Saber just smirked and changed into his Orphenoch form ready for Mortuary to make the first move. Saber's Orphenoch form resembled Draco's minus the horns and spikes, plus he had a tail. Mortuary took the Deathbuster out of its holster and tossed it to Bruiser. "If I should lose, use it," he ordered. It was an order Bruiser didn't want to follow, but if he did, he was ready to blast Saber to hell.

Mortuary charged at Saber, his hands and feet glowing with Necroplasm. He was determined to win no matter what. This was for the Templars.

* * *

_I betrayed my friends, kept secrets from them, but when all was said and done they accepted me again. I am Terra. I have done horrible things and I still regret them, every one of them. I still feel I deserve to be locked up or at least trapped in stone. I don't deserve another chance after I screwed up the many I had before. The Titans were my friends and yet I turned against them and joined Slade. I fought them, humiliated them, and took over the city and for what? For Slade? He never cared for me. He only cared about my power. I only realized it until it was too late._

_I know that, despite what my friends say, I am still trying to win their trust. Raven still doesn't trust me all that much but I guess she's allowed that. I guess I'm turning into Robin too since I get a little paranoid. Wouldn't you after you betrayed the people you were friends with and you were betrayed by your mentor?_

_When Mortuary came back into my life, a bit of the past I never talked about was revealed. Before I was a Titan, before I was Slade's apprentice, I was a Red Wolf. I was a hero._

_And now, I am a Rider._

-Tara "Terra" Markov/Masked Rider Cutter.

* * *

"Cy?"

"Yeah, BB?"

"Are ya dead?"

"No, man."

"Good, cause I feel like I am dead," Beast Boy groaned as he rubbed his head. He looked around him. "Where are we?" He then remembered. "Terra!"

"Right here, Gar," Terra said as she dug herself out of some debris, which was actually part of the floor they'd been standing on before it collapsed under them. Her Inzecter was on her shoulder, clicking its mandibles.

"So, where are we?" asked Cyborg.

"I'm guessing an aquarium," suggested Beast Boy. The walls around them were actually made of clear glass showing that on the other side was water. Aquatic life swam around them.

"Or we're very deep underground," Cyborg added. "Somewhere below sea level."

"Well, I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Terra shivered.

"And you should," a voice was heard as a door across the room opened. Walking inside the room was a pale elderly man with a walking stick. He was dressed in a black three piece suit like an undertaker and wore a bowler hat on his head. "Because this is where you'll die."

"Dude, who's the old guy?" Beast Boy questioned.

Terra's eyes narrowed, recognizing Danuth, "You."

"Ah, you were that girl who spoiled mine and J's fun along with your friends," Danuth said, smiling slightly. He removed his hat and bowed. "My greetings."

"Save it!" Terra snapped. "I'm gonna finish you like I should've done so that night."

Danuth grinned, revealing yellow teeth, "Well, now, let's see you do that, shall we, my dear?" His eyes flashed white before morphing into his Orphenoch form. This freaked Beast Boy out. "Now, let's have fun, shall we."

"Henshin," Terra commanded, putting her Inzecter to her gauntlet.

"HENSHIN!"

* * *

_I knew I was never normal. I mean, I look ten but my mind is thirteen. I also have a crystal hand. Trust me, I am anything but normal. I wasn't even born. I was created. I was just an experiment that two scientists worked on to prove their theory. I never knew until a psycho told me but maybe I always knew that I wasn't really human._

_I am a Homunculus, a freak. I am a monster. I was never supposed to exist. After my parents, my creators, died…I never expected anyone to accept me. I was wrong. The Titans took me in, gave me a home, and a family. I felt whole again._

_Then, I met Rorek, and I found a teacher. He taught me of the true potential of my Alchemical skills._

_Now, I am back with the Titans. I am a sorceress, an alchemist…I am also a kick butt Rider._

_-_Renia the Crystal Alchemist/Masked Rider Red Locust.

* * *

"Ren, wake up! Please, wake up, Ren!" Wyvern said as she tried to shake the Crystal Alchemist awake. Renia was lying on her back, snoring. "For goodness sake, wake the hell up!" Wyvern shouted, slapping the shorter girl with her hand. "Ow!"

Renia blinked and sat up, yawning. She smacked her lips and scratched her back and chest. "Man…what happened?"

Wyvern sighed and stood up. "We fell down a hole after the floor collapsed under us."

"Really?" Renia asked as she got to her feet. "I don't remember."

"That's because you were asleep. Now, we need to find the others."

"But where are they? And where are we?" Renia looked about the room. Carved into the walls was a centipede and it covered the entire wall, endlessly, with its multiple legs out, looking like the walls were alive. What looked out of place were the bookshelves that were placed against the walls, making the place look like a library, albeit a creepy one.

"I don't know, but it's really creepy," Wyvern muttered. Renia walked towards the bookshelves. "Ren!"

"I want to check these books out," responded Renia. She picked a book at random and leafed through the pages. "Hm, it's poetry."

"I suggest you don't touch that," spoke someone who came into the room through a hidden door. "That's one of a kind and irreplaceable. Of course, I don't expect a little child to understand." He was a Chinese man with short black hair and dressed in a simple white shirt with black slacks and matching leather shoes. He looked like a scholar.

A vein popped up on Renia's forehead as she whirled around, shaking her fists, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SHORT MICROSCOPIC MIDGET!!"

Richter quirked an eyebrow and fixed his glasses, "Rude too. Just like a child."

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?" Renia shouted.

Richter closed the book he was holding and he morphed into his Orphenoch form. He didn't have any facial features but the spiked and segmented armored skin was pretty intimidating. He created his barbed whip and lashed it out at Renia who grabbed it in her crystal hand.

"You're tough, girl," spoke Richter. "I am Richter."

"I'm the Crystal Alchemist," Renia introduced herself and emphasized it by turning Richter's whip to fragile crystal and then shattering it.

"Well now, Crystal Alchemist," Richter began, "Let's see if your bite is worse than your bark!" He then rushed at Renia who turned her skin to crystal and charged right back at him. He swung his fist at her face and she did the same. Wyvern closed her eyes as she heard the impact.

CRACK!

* * *

_I lost my parents at a young age. I was raped as a child. I was hideous and a freak with_ _equally freakish powers. No one could ever love me. There was no hope. I joined the HIVE and found other misfits like myself who wanted to make the world pay. But, even though I smiled, I was never truly happy._

_I did fall in love, but it was all a farce. My heart broke and I continued to commit crimes to fill the void._

_Then, I met him. Draco. He gave me a choice for a better life. He gave me a chance. _

_It was the best decision I ever made. He would be there for me. I would hold onto him, cry into his chest, and show her the vulnerable side I had always kept hidden inside._

_Now, he is dying. I am not going to lose him. Not again! Not ever!  
_

_I am Jinx, a hex sorceress. I am also a Rider!_

-Jinx/Masked Rider Scarab.

* * *

"Man, I hurt all over," Jinx groaned as she struggled back to her feet. Her armor had deactivated on impact, lucky her. If not, she would've ended up splattered on the ground. She looked around to see that she was in a room where the lobster carved walls were decorated with paintings of beautiful women. Actually, it was one beautiful woman posing in all of them. "Wow, nice paintings."

"Don't fall in love with them," Snow Blood muttered. "Right now, we need to get out of here."

"I don't think so." A chair swiveled around to face them, revealing an attractive blonde woman with curves a super model would die for. She was dressed in a black bikini top with a leather jacket, tight low rider jeans and black biker boots. You could see the straps of her G-String as well. She stood up, hands to her hips. Her ruby red lips were curved into a smirk.

"Who are you?" Jinx asked. If this woman was working for Occultus, she had to be an Orphenoch.

"I abandoned my old human name when that life ended," the blonde spoke. "You may call me Nami."

"Well, Nami. We're getting out of here. So you better let us pass," Snow Blood warned.

Nami twirled her shoulder length and wavy blonde hair around her left index finger. "Oh, don't you wanna stay?"

"NO!" Jinx and Snow Blood shouted. Nami frowned.

"Oh, you wanna go back to your men?" Nami smirked, "Well, there's no hurry. My colleagues are currently entertaining them as we speak." She then said to Jinx. "You know, your boyfriend's Orphenoch form is powerful. I wonder why he settled in a twig like you when he can have someone like me." Nami rubbed her hands up and down her body.

Jinx fumed and with a yell fired a hex bolt at Nami. The woman bent backwards like someone from "The Matrix" and the bolt just sailed over her. She then straightened her body.

"Nice trick," Nami complimented. "Now check out mine." Her eyes flashed white as the markings of her Orphenoch form appeared on her skin. Her attractive human form then mutated into her hideous Orphenoch form. She had grey armor and resembled a lobster. Her eyes were covered by a visor with black holes covering it and she wore a helmet with the long antennae hanging down behind her. She also wore an armored skirt that resembled a lobster's tail. She still had her curvy figure despite that. She then summoned her weapon, a rapier, and cracked her neck.

"En guarde," Nami said before lunging forward. The Scarab Inzecter flew towards Jinx and attached herself to her belt.

"HENSHIN!"

* * *

_Lord Occultus is my master. His word is law. Nothing else matters. His enemies are my enemies. They are our enemies._

_They must die._

-Grave.

* * *

Occultus and Grave were standing in a room where the Titans and Red Wolves would enter if they survived the battles ahead of them.

Occultus stood in front of Grave and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I've taught you how to control your Necroplasm to its full potential, but that won't be enough to conquer your foes." He breathed out a sigh and continued. "You should know that I will leave you soon to bring the king into this world. I will bestow to you one last gift. I will transfer all of my Psycho Power into you."

Grave simply nodded and responded "I hear and obey."

Occultus dug the fingers of right hand into the side of Graves's neck and started to inject the power. Grave's body was covered in a blue flame and as the transfer was over his blue eyes turned to a pale white. He then fell to his knees as the pain of this power surged through him.

"I leave my legacy to you," Occultus said as he left the room. After the pain of the transformation passed Grave stood up waiting for whatever heroes came through the door.

* * *

_Ever since I was a child, I knew that I wasn't normal. I could never fly like the other children and I had an abnormal eye and skin color. The other Tamaraneans had brown or red hair. Their eyes were green. I stuck out like a sore thumb with my black hair and violet eyes._

_I was a freak and an abomination. They hated me. Though I was royalty, it didn't matter. A freak was a freak but I was still heir to the throne._

_Then, my sister was born. Finally, an heir worthy of the throne. She was everything the people wanted in a princess and I was fazed out of their eyes._

_I hated it. That hate fueled me. That hatred became my strength and it was all targeted towards my sister._

_What perplexed me was that she was still kind to me despite my hatred. I thought she was oblivious and stupid but maybe that was why she was loved so much._

_Despite all my wrongdoings, she still loved me. It was the unconditional love I wanted from the people of our home, yet I had it all along._

_I came to Earth asking for forgiveness and got it. I also found a boy I was helplessly in love with. OK, he was a dork but a cute dork nonetheless._

_And he defended me. I was scared to face Galfore and Pluto spoke in my defense._

_I really should repay him for that. If only my Inzecter wasn't buzzing around my head right now. Man, it was getting annoying!_

-Komand'r/Karmen Anders/Blackfire/Masked Rider Fire.

* * *

**TAMARAN…**

The ceremony to annul Blackfire's banishment would be held the following night. Galfore was going to have to discuss with the council, along with Starfire who was also the one to issue the banishment. Currently, Blackfire was in her room with Pluto, standing at the balcony.

"I'm back home, thanks to you," Blackfire smiled as she leaned against her boyfriend. He had his right arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Hey, don't thank me, Blackfire. Starfire's helping out too," Pluto answered, being humble for a change. He wasn't going to take all the credit for this. "Though, my speech was awesome, wasn't it?"

Blackfire laughed and pecked his cheek. "You're sweet. I can't believe we're together."

"Same here," Pluto agreed. "So, about this Ryand'r dude…he's your brother?"

Blackfire sighed sadly. "Yes."

"So, why didn't you tell me about him before?" Pluto asked, wanting to know the story. "I mean, I'm just curious. You don't have to tell me the whole story."

"No, you deserve to know," Blackfire said abruptly. "Ryand'r…Wildfire is our little brother. He's two years younger than Starfire. When the Gordanians attacked, he was sent away to keep him safe since he was the prince. He was sent to the warlords of Okaara to be trained and become a warrior." Blackfire paused. "Our parents died back then too."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Pluto spoke sympathetically.

"Despite my deformities, they still loved me," Blackfire said with tears falling. "It took me a long time to realize that."

"What deformities?" asked Pluto in confusion. "You're beautiful."

"I have black hair and violet eyes," Blackfire said, pointing to herself. "They were bad omens. On the day of my birth, the Citadel attacked. Since then I was forever associated as the cause of it."

"That's unfair!" Pluto snapped. "That's just stupid superstition. You're in no way a jinx!"

"Well, it didn't stop the people from looking at me like some sort of monster," Blackfire frowned. "I couldn't even fly like normal Tamaranians. I had to learn how. Infants could do it on instinct but not me. Then, Starfire was born and she was the perfect princess. Everyone loved her! It was unfair!" She buried her face into his chest. Blackfire would never allow herself to appear vulnerable. Only Pluto would be allowed that. He stroked her dark hair gently.

"I guess you grew to resent her because of that, huh?" Pluto reasoned.

"Yes, and yet she was still kind to me," Blackfire sniffled. "I never understood how she could be so kind after all that's happened."

"I guess we all handle trauma differently," Pluto shrugged. "My dad's dead, my mom's in a coma…"

"I guess we all have similar lives, huh?" Blackfire asked, looking deeply into his eyes.

"Pretty much," Pluto agreed. "So, anyway…" He grinned. "Are we expecting any company until morning?"

"I don't know," Blackfire gave a flirtatious look while drawing circles on his chest. "So, you wanna go to bed?" she purred.

"I thought you'd never ask." He swept her off her feet and cradled her in his arms swiftly. She looped her arms around his neck as he walked towards the bed. They shared a deep kiss before they fell onto the bed.

* * *

_Ever since I was a child, I was told I was evil. I was told I would unspeakable things. I guess that was why I became a Titan. I wanted to prove them wrong. However, the Prophecy was still alive within me. It would eventually come to pass and my friends would not be able to stop it._

_Before the Prophecy came to pass, a lot of things happened. My emotions which I had kept bottled up started to leak. I meditated to keep them suppressed but that would not work here. On Azarath, everyone was pacifists and didn't display much emotion. Here, everyone was emotional._

_I never expected to fall in love. Though, my first choice was a dragon that manipulated me. I decided quickly that love wasn't worth the pain._

_Then I met Shadowcobra. At first he was annoying, the way he flirted with me, but I finally found someone who understood me. He knew what it was like to be shunned, scorned and hated for the powers he had. He, like me, understood the darkness. However, unlike me, he grew up with a loving family. I never understood how he could end up like a coldhearted jerk most of the time._

_Then I learnt about Misha and I understood._

_I knew that I was the one to fill that void. Ironically, I would become the light in his darkness as he would be mine._

-Rachael "Raven" Roth.

* * *

**NEO AZARATH…**

Ichijyo sat next to Raven who asked him, "So, what happened?" Arella had gone to the kitchen to make dinner.

"She asked me a few questions," Ichijyo replied. "About myself, my powers and how we met. Nothing big."

"And how much did you answer?" Raven asked. She knew she could trust Ichijyo, but he could accidentally let things slip. He wasn't perfect, no matter how much he tried to be.

"As much as I was allowed to," Ichijyo answered. "I didn't go in too deep, but she knows I'm keeping secrets from her."

Raven bit her lower lip. "This could be bad."

"Well, at least she doesn't know about that tattoo on your lower back," Ichijyo grinned devilishly. Raven blushed. Several months ago, Ichijyo had convinced Raven to get a tattoo. It was a tattoo of a raven with its wings spread. It was on her lower back. Ichijyo was the only boy who knew and allowed to see it. The girls had seen it during the slumber party. That tattoo was the reason why Raven wore one piece swimsuits and not bikinis. If Beast Boy and Cyborg ever saw it, she'd never hear the end of it.

Earth was so different from Azarath. So many types of peoples and emotions; some good and some bad, but Raven had never been happier there. She'd met her first group of real friends and they'd helped her fight her destiny. Though she'd been born on Azarath, her home was on Earth. This, however, was not the Azarath she knew. It was only a replacement of her original home world. A duplicate. Though everything looked the same, it was not.

"There are some things even parents aren't supposed to know," Raven retorted quickly.

"I know. Even I don't tell my parents everything."

Arella then came into the living room, saying, "Dinner is ready. Follow me."

Ichijyo and Raven exchanged glances and shrugged before standing up. They were hungry after all. The transportation spell that'd brought them here had taken a lot of energy and they needed to replenish it.

Ichijyo would soon learn that Azaratheans were not meat eaters. I mean, did you see any cattle or livestock here? Didn't think so.

* * *

_For as long as I could remember, I've always been jealous of my brother. This jealousy would later turn to hatred as I sought after the same powers he'd gained as one of the Zodiac Knights. I was determined to prove my worth in the eyes of my clan. Though I was the first born, my brother was the first born son despite being born after me. Thus, he was chosen as heir to the clan's school, the Hasuma School of Fighting Arts and also chosen for the mantle of 'Draco', a title given to the head of the clan. I didn't know he had to play host to a demon, but the honor and privilege given to him by the title earned him a lot of respect._

_I was looked down upon for many years and was looked over. I was often overshadowed by my brother. Though I received training, it wasn't as much as my brother's. I started to master my own style, based on the movements of the cat. I've always had much respect for the cat. They possessed capabilities to survive in the wild and in the city. They could even watch their prey silently before striking. Stillness…then strike! However, my grandfather still looked me over and gave most of his attention to my brother._

_Only my mother ever gave me any affection. However, it still wasn't enough! I wanted respect! I wanted power! I wanted to prove, once and for all, that I was better than my brother!_

_And I got my chance. I searched through papa's trunk and found the blank Zodiac Deck and made a contract with a cat Mirror Monster dubbed Techno Panther. I became one of Yoshido's Black Knights and fought my brother in the pursuit of power. He never suspected a thing._

_As time passed, I felt a dark presence overtake me. As long as it gave me power, I didn't care. After my brother's friend, the Pisces Knight, had died, I revealed my true identity. I must've traumatized him since he ran. I chased after him. I even kidnapped a girl to draw him out but I was beaten by his new friends before I could take his life. Shortly after, I met with Slade-sama._

_I have finally found a master worthy of me. He helped train me in the deadliest forms of martial arts and also his other skills. He called me his apprentice, a role I took great honor in. I would never disappoint him, my new master, and my new father._

_The happiest I've ever been was with Rose. I fell in love. I know she's a girl but I've always liked girls. I was bisexual, but I preferred girls to boys. At least girls weren't pigs or horny dogs._

_With Slade-sama's help, I fought the Titans and even gained command over some of his robots. Committing crimes in his name and causing terror was so much fun! I never wanted it to end!_

_I soon grew to have some sort of respect for my brother and at least remain civil with him when I wasn't doing something evil. It would appear that Slade's training could never take away the kindness I had in my heart. This usually affected my actions and made me impulsive. I did gain a daughter out of it. Best investment of my life._

_Later, while I was jumping dimensions, I soon discovered a secret that's been kept from me by my own family. It explained a lot, really. Why didn't I know it before? No wonder I was seen as a monster. I am a monster!_

_I am the Living Horror Gate!_

-Neko Katherine Hasuma/Zodiac Knight Copycat.

* * *

**ZANDIA…**

A submarine rose up from the water. It was black with red trimmings. Next to the sharp 'S' emblem was a symbol that resembled a ferocious cat. Panels in the side of the sub opened to reveal caterpillar tracks. The submarine then rolled onto the beach. The hatch at the top released some steam before it was pushed upwards. Copycat popped her head out, scoping around. "Wow, I'm here. Great." With a mighty leap, she got out of the sub and landed on the beach, sending sand flying on impact.

She took out her own custom SB-Cell and looked at the screen. "OK, if this map is right, I should be here." She looked at the sky. "And it's already dark out." She turned back to the sub and tilted her head to the side. She tapped her chin. "Should I bring some bots or let them stay in the sub." She weighed her options. "If I bring them along, I can't move around unnoticed. As smart as they've been programmed, they are sure dumb. On the other hand, I may need backup. I can't fight Orphenochs alone…or can I?" She sighed. "I guess I'm on my own." She tugged at the straps of her bag. "OK, all I have to do is plant some bombs and blow up Occultus' base. Now where could it be?" She looked around and saw the statue, grimacing. "Ugh, looks like Uncle Fred on a bad day. I guess I gotta go there." She ran forward and jumped high into the air.

* * *

_My biggest regret was not being there for my family. However, it was not by choice. It was the only option I was given after that fateful day. I could watch as they grew up but I could never really be there for them. I could be there for them in spirit, at least but, well…I could never interfere. I had my hands tied by the gods. My duty came first…_

_Too bad they forgot who I was. I was never known to follow the rules. Well, I wasn't known to follow the rules that hurt the people I loved. I learnt that from Clockwork. As for Fuji, though he was my superior, he would turn a blind eye to some of my decisions, knowing I was doing the right thing. I would get caught, eventually, but it was worth it._

_At least I was allowed to visit my wife, though not very often. I was given specific dates which allowed me to go and see her, where we would love one another. Those times were the happiest, especially with her. My biggest regret was leaving her. Being a good wife she understood, but it still hurts deeply in the core of my heart._

_It also hurts that I had to watch as my children fight one another and I couldn't interfere. They couldn't even know it was me. I would try to help them, but my hands were tied on that. I could only give as much help as I could before getting myself caught._

_I am Zodiac Knight Libra: Guardian, Judge and God…_

_But I am also known as Kyousuke Hasuma: Warrior, Father, Husband…_

_But, I cannot be both. I had to choose only one._

-Zodiac Knight Libra.

* * *

**THE CELESTIAL REALM…**

Libra gazed into the viewing mirror within his specially made realm. Through this he could see the progress of all the Zodiac Knights at once. The numbers had dwindled and now only a few remained: Shadowcobra, Pluto, Draco, Copycat, Moon, Cancer, ARMS, Aqua, Venus and Mortuary.

He could watch as Shadowcobra tried to receive the blessings from Arella, Raven's mother. He could watch as Draco fought alongside his friends. He could watch as Pluto…His eyes widened as he covered that image. Libra was no voyeur despite his ability to see all. He watched as his daughter reached Zandia with a bag filled with bombs. He sighed sadly. Why did she have to choose evil?

He then watched her shadow and his eyes widened in shock. Her shadow was alive, with sharp teeth and evil red eyes.

It could only mean one thing: the Living Gate was waking up.

To Be Continued…

J the Alligator Orphenoch VS Warren and Draco

Nami the Lobster Orphenoch VS Jinx and Snow Blood

Saber the Lion Orphenoch VS Mortuary, Falconer and Bruiser

Danuth the Squid Orphenoch VS Beast Boy, Cyborg and Terra

Richter the Centipede Orphenoch VS Wyvern and Renia


	77. PT077: What the Future May Bring

Part 77: What the Future May Bring.

_All my life I've been fighting against the darkness. My father fought against it, and so did my father's father and his father and his father before him. It was something that ran in the family._

_I am a Makai Knight. I am the Savior in the Dark._

_My name is REDDO and my enemies are the Horrors._

-Saeji Takuma/Crimson Fanged Makai Knight REDDO.

* * *

**JUMP CITY…**

The Horror, which had taken the form of a large winged snake with claws and fangs that dripped with poison, swooped down at Saeji. The red coated Makai Knight ducked under a vicious claw slash before standing straight up, gripping his sword tightly. The Horror shrieked in rage before flying at him again. It slashed with its claws but Saeji's swordsmanship was more than a match for its berserker fighting style.

This Horror had been killing children, eating them up. It possessed a man who sold candy in a shop. When a child came in to but candy, alone, he would trap them. He would coat them in hot melted sugar before eating them. Children were a sweet delicacy for it.

No more. Not after tonight. The parents of those children would be avenged.

Saeji landed a vicious cut to its neck, spilling black blood. The Horror screeched in pain and anger. Saeji decided it was time to finish it.

Raising his sword above his head, Saeji cut a circle of light in the air. The circle shone down on him and then armor pieces came down and attached themselves to his body. The armor was wolfish in appearance and was blood red. In place of a red coated young man was REDDO, the Crimson Fanged Makai Knight. His sword also changed, becoming the powerful ReddoKen. With a howl, he rushed at the Horror and as it came down to strike at him, he swung his sword down in a vertical arch. The sword sliced the Horror in the head, straight down the middle, before he began to slice through its body. The Horror perished in an instant as it body disintegrated. Saeji banished his armor and sheathed his sword, sighing in satisfaction.

Saeji spun around as soon as he heard clapping. Standing before him was a man who, despite looking human, was not human but was not Horror either. Saeji smirked as the young man came under the light of the lamppost.

* * *

_It all started when my little brother died. I took his place and became the Knight of Pisces. I fought the monsters in his name. It was a while after that before I met with Ryuki. I adopted him as my new little brother because he reminded me so much of my own late brother. They looked the same and even acted the same. I acted as his big brother since he saw me as such._

_I died protecting him but then my ghost turned into something called a Hollow. I craved for revenge since my memories were all a jumble. I believed that Ryuki had left me to die. It wasn't long after I became an Arrancar that I went to have my revenge._

_However, my memories returned. Ryuki did not leave me to die. In fact he'd protected me. My Hollow side decided to take control of me but Ryuki once again reached out to me. I thank him for that. For an Arrancar like me, the only true end would be death…well, another death._

_I then met with a strange man wearing a hat and clogs. He gave me this Gigai/faux body so I could walk about like a normal human. I would be able to get my life back._

_When Ryuki wasn't able to kill Asakura, as I know he couldn't, I did so instead. It was my revenge, not his._

_Now, I am returned to the life I had left behind and all thanks to Ryuki._

-Tazuka Mizuki/El Pasenderos Aguarius.

* * *

"Oh, it's you, Tazuka," Saeji greeted.

"Fighting Horrors again, I see," said Tazuka.

"As usual," Saeji shrugged casually. "It's routine, really."

"Well, someone has to do it and with the Titans away I'm guessing that's you." Tazuka then swiftly spun around, firing a Bala blast from his left hand and obliterating a Horror that had entered the living realm. "And handle the Hollows around here too."

"I thought that was a Shinigami's job," Saeji commented.

"Yes, but I'm partly a Shinigami."

"You're an Arrancar."

"Details, details," Tazuka waved it off. "Only a technicality. I still have the skills and sword if you want to test me."

"I did, remember?"

"And it ended in a draw."

Both abnormal young men looked to the sky. The stars were shining. Tazuka wore a serious expression.

"Another vision?" Saeji asked.

"And it's not a good one," Tazuka sighed. "I believe that a door to the darkness will open soon."

"The Living Gate," Saeji growled. "I knew it should've been killed that day."

"True, but it was innocent."

"Innocent or not, it will bring only death," Saeji said, unforgiving.

"Ryuki-kun will stop it. He's done it before," Tazuka informed.

"Yes, but I think that this time he's going to need help for this one," Saeji narrowed his eyes.

"I agree," Tazuka nodded. "So, I was just about to head out for some dinner. Mind joining me, Makai Knight?"

"Well, I am hungry. Lead the way, Arrancar-san."

* * *

_Though not by blood, I considered myself Ryuki-kun's older brother. He just reminded me so much of my own late little brother that he grew on me. We shared a bond and with that learnt from one another. He always had a positive outlook on life that brightened my spirits and I enjoyed teaching him a few new things about music that I knew, like an older brother should._

_I learnt so much about him. I learnt about his fears, his past, his likes, and his dislikes. I also gave him valuable advice, some which would affect the future. What puzzled me the most was that he was an anomaly. I could never clearly predict his future and it would always branch out into several directions. For example, one possible future was that he would one day turn into the most evil of villains the world has ever known. I could never believe that it could happen but it still worried me._

_Despite or because of all these possible futures, I still cared for him as a brother. I would very well risk my life for him, which I did._

_I had another vision and it involved my otouto, Ryuki-kun. He's going to have to make a difficult choice. I don't know what his decision will be, but let's just hope it's the right one._

-Tazuka.

* * *

The young girl who was their waitress for this evening served them their food and drinks. Tazuka had ordered two club sandwiches and a glass of ice tea. Saeji on the other hand had ordered a plate of spaghetti with a side of salad and a tall glass of soda.

"Thank you," Tazuka said, giving the girl a wink. She blushed and giggled before walking off.

(Saeji and Tazuka's conversation is in _italics_, thus they are speaking Japanese.)

"_And thank you for treating me to this meal_," Saeji spoke in Japanese as he dug in.

"_I'm not treating you. You're gonna pay for your own meal_," Tazuka spoke sternly.

"_I knew there was a catch_," Saeji sighed.

"_Never trust an Arrancar._"

Saeji rolled his eyes. "_So, tell me, have you had any interesting visions lately? I thought you lost that gift after you lost your Zodiac Power._"

"_My Zodiac Power just made my visions more vivid, clearer. I still get them but they are often vague and not as accurate as before_," Tazuka admitted, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"_Still you get a lot of business_," Saeji pointed out.

"_Only from women_," Tazuka chuckled in amusement. "_Although I feel they are more interested in seeing me than listening to their fortunes._"

"_They must enjoy the feeling of you holding their hands_," teased Saeji. "_So, seriously, anything new on the mystic radar_?"

Tazuka sighed, "_A few, really…mostly involving Ryuki-kun._"

"_As always_," Saeji replied. "_You worry like an older brother should_."

"_Like you don't?_" Tazuka spoke teasingly. "_You act as much as a brother to him as I._"

* * *

_Ryuki-kun has always been my favorite cousin. His sister, Neko, on the other hand just unnerved me a bit. It wasn't until I finished my Makai Knight training that I knew why. _

_She was the Living Gate. She had the ability to summon Horrors at will. At first I asked my father, who was also my master, why she wasn't killed. His only response was that her mother and father would not allow it. As much as he respected the two, they could be so naïve about the nature of horrors._

_As Ryuki reached his late teen years, I would talk to him. I taught him about the nature of Horrors. _

_Horrors were the vilest and most evil of demons. I hated them so much. They preyed on humans and fed on them to fill their endless hunger. My job was to cut them down. Ryuki-kun understood but he first believed those possessed by Horrors could be saved. I never told him about his sister since he wouldn't believe me so I brought him along one of my hunts._

_He learnt very quickly that I was right about Horrors._

-Saeji.

* * *

"_Yes_," Saeji agreed, "_While you were the one to teach him about music, I was the one to teach him about Horrors._"

"_Yes_," Tazuka nodded, "_Those things even make Hollows look tame._"

"_At least Hollows used to be humans_," Saeji responded. "_Horrors are just the manifestation of all that is evil and dark in the world. The true and physical manifestation of Yin. As part of the Yang, I must defeat them._" He slurped some more of his spaghetti. "_It's my life and my duty to send them back to their realm._"

"_True, Horrors cannot be saved. Hollows can…sort of_," Tazuka agreed. "_Ryuki-kun saved me too._"

"_He's such a little hero, isn't he?_"

* * *

_Ryuki-kun had this hero complex about him. No matter how bad a person was, if they were targeted by a Mirror Monster, he would still save them. He must take his job rather seriously if he was going to do that. I think that Ryuki is just too good for this world, to be honest. The only truly decent human being._

_Pause._

_OK, he's not exactly human anymore but his heart still is. Even if he is an Orphenoch, I still feel he's better than some members of the human race. Take the FOH for example who persecute mutants or those Puritans who use religion to justify themselves when it comes to killing mutants. The Huntsclan too who kill magical creatures indiscriminately. So many hate groups yet Ryuki would not turn into a killer._

_I could see it in his eyes that he'd killed and he hadn't enjoyed it. He didn't want to have to kill me. It takes a strong heart for that so no wonder the Keyblade chose him._

-Tazuka.

* * *

Tazuka laughed, "_Yes, he is. He dreams of becoming a Kamen Rider and he got his wish._"

"_He did say he would one day meet the original Kamen Rider_," Saeji said, recalling a boast from his cousin. "_How's that going?_"

"_He hasn't met him, but he says it would_ _one_ _day happen. He says that he will meet all of his seniors one day._"

"_He never loses hope, does he?_" Saeji asked.

Tazuka frowned, "_I think something is changing inside of him._"

"_You mean the new hairstyle or something more?_"

"_Internal more than external,_" Tazuka spoke cryptically.

"_He's growing up._"

"_But into what? That's what worries me._"

Saeji spoke calmly, "_Just let him be, Tazuka. He'll find his own way. He's not that naïve little 15 year old kid you first met. He's nearly a grown man._"

"_Yes, young Ryuki has grown to be a powerful youth_," agreed Kurenai, Saeji's sentient madouga ring. He spoke softly as not to attract unwanted attention. Talking rings weren't the weirdest thing in this city called Jump, but still weird.

"_So there's nothing to worry about_," Saeji said nonchalantly. "_He's a big kid now._"

"_Just because I shouldn't worry, doesn't mean I can't_," Tazuka protested, taking another huge bite of his sandwich. As he chewed, he thought, '_After all, I've already lost one brother._'

* * *

_As if I don't worry either. He's my cousin! He's family! Of course I worry too. To me, even with the new hairdo, he will always be that little kid I would watch practicing martial arts. He outgrew the name Ryu-chan rather quickly though I would laugh when his mother would call him that._

_He's not a little dragon anymore. He's found his wings, claws and fangs. He was a full blooded warrior, one who would make a fine Makai Knight if I do say so myself. He already has the weapon, a Keyblade, which could slay Horrors much like my own blade._

_Still, I get worried…he's my cousin and kinda like the little brother I never had._

_Great, I'm 23, and I already feel like my old man worrying like this._

-Saeji.

* * *

"Well, of course I worry too but we can't hold his hand forever," Saeji spoke. "I mean, just look at him. I bet even he can give me a run for my money."

Tazuka smiled proudly, "_I have been training him as of late._"

"_As have I_," Saeji pointed to himself. "_I've been teaching me some of my own moves as well_."

Tazuka chuckled. The two swordsmen finished their meal and the Arrancar called the waitress for the bill. She came with it and as the two paid for their meals; Tazuka took the girl's hand and stared at her palm. She blushed a bit as he traced his finger over the lines. She shivered a bit as he was giving her a palm reading. It was not an unpleasant shiver, though.

"I don't think you should be going home alone, tonight," advised Tazuka. "How about we both walk you home?"

"Sure, handsome," she winked and ran back inside with the money. Saeji chuckled.

"Wow, you picked up a girl," Saeji complimented with a grin. "Nice."

"I just saw that she was going to be attacked by Horrors," Tazuka said seriously. Saeji's expression turned to a grim one. "Just keep your eyes open, Makai Knight."

"You too, Arrancar-san."

* * *

_I was afraid that I was turning to be like Bruce. I mean, I know we had to keep our identities secret but did I really have to keep it a secret from my own team. I trusted them. Heck, some of Bruce's closest friends in the Justice League knew who he was._

_I just couldn't believe it took me almost 3 years before I told the other Titans my real name._

_Trust, for me, has always been an issue. I guess that's what you get if you were raised by the Batman. I ended up becoming obsessive and paranoid and sometimes I jumped to the wrong conclusion._

_I was wary of new people. Since Terra's betrayal I kept my eyes open for possible future betrayals. I knew it felt wrong but I was ready to do anything to keep my friends safe._

_When Draco came along, I was suspicious of him and I was suspicious of his friends too…_

-Timothy "Robin" Drake.

* * *

**Flashback…**

"_You don't trust me," said Shadowcobra simply._

_Robin turned to regard his new teammate. "Pardon?"_

"_You don't trust me that much, do you?" repeated Shadowcobra. Both Titans, well one Titan and one Knight, were standing on a rooftop. There had been a series of robberies going around this area and the two were conducting a stakeout. Robin had wanted to go alone but Shadowcobra volunteered himself since his abilities could be of assistance. After some insistence from the others, Robin agreed._

_Robin turned his attention back to his binoculars as he looked around. "Well, it's hard to trust someone that keeps secrets."_

"_Said the pot to the kettle," quipped Shadowcobra. Robin whirled around to look at him._

"_What's that supposed to mean?" Robin questioned, offended._

"_I'm just saying how ironic it is that you reprimand someone for having secrets while you have secrets yourself," Shadowcobra shrugged. "But that's just my own observation."_

_Robin frowned, "Well, I have my reasons for keeping secrets."_

"_As do the rest of us," Shadowcobra retorted. "I mean trust is a two-way street and to be honest I don't trust you either."_

_Robin looked back into his binoculars, choosing not to reply. Shadowcobra fell silent as well as he too looked through his own binoculars. The Knights had joined the Titans a few days ago and while they were welcomed, Robin didn't fully trust them. Then again, Shadowcobra was the same as he too didn't fully trust them either. In his line of work trust wasn't something you could give so easily. In his experience trust could be easily broken in an instant while it needed time to build._

"_I'm just worried about my friends," Robin finally spoke after a few minutes of silence._

"_Oh?" Shadowcobra quirked an eyebrow._

"_Well, you said it yourself that there are a lot of you Knights around, some good and some evil, like Copycat. If that's the case well…"_

"_You're not sure where I stand," Shadowcobra finished. "Well, that makes sense."_

"_I mean, when Draco first came along, I thought he was up to something. Then, he just gives Jinx a chance and well…"_

"_He's far too trusting for his own good," Shadowcobra finished again, earning an annoyed look._

"_Stop finishing my sentences for me," Robin ordered._

"_Well, it was fairly obvious. I was just voicing them out."_

"_You didn't read my mind, did you?" Robin didn't like it if someone were to do that._

_Shadowcobra shrugged, guiltless, "Like I said; it was fairly obvious. I didn't need to read your mind to know what you were going to say."_

_Robin paused. He then said, "So…Draco trusts people easily?"_

"_He gives people a chance," Shadowcobra clarified. "He has surprisingly good judgment when it comes to a person's character and he can easily trust others when he senses they are trustworthy. I'm not sure if he's an empath or just foolish but I believe it's a bit of both."_

"_You don't know for sure?" Robin questioned._

"_Well, to me Draco is a strange one. He trusted me when he had no reason to. The same could be said for Pluto. I just thought he was an idiot for putting his trust in us but still…"_

"_And yet you're all on the same team," Robin finished this time._

"_I just…trust him," Shadowcobra sighed. "It's such a strange feeling to trust someone like that."_

"_I know the feeling." Robin was thinking about his own friends, the other Titans. He could just trust them so easily, unlike his former mentor. He then detected movement in the corner of his eye and looked through his binoculars. There was a triumphant smirk gracing his lips, "Jackpot."_

_Shadowcobra eyes narrowed as he raised up his collar, "The robbers?"_

"_Oh, yeah. Let's go."_

**…End Flashback.**

* * *

**TAMARAN…Present time.**

Robin remembered how the last visit to Tamaran had gone. Starfire was about to be married to an alien resembling a large green…_thing_! It was Blackfire's fault and he'd been angry with her for that. Coming back here brought back some unpleasant memories but the most unpleasant memory of all was how close he was to losing Starfire.

Now they were back here, under better circumstances thankfully. Starfire would not be marrying anyone for some time, yet…

She did look beautiful in that dress. Of course she looked beautiful in anything she wore, like that prom dress she'd worn to Kitten's prom. That night had been mostly unpleasant for the Boy Wonder but dancing with Starfire made up for it. It was…sorta magical.

If Beast Boy and Cyborg knew he was thinking like that, they'd never live it down.

He was in one of the guest rooms within the palace. Nothing much had happened. Tomorrow, a ceremony would be held to annul Blackfire's banishment. It was not going to be easy, though. Galfore needed approval from the Royal Council who looked over the rules, laws, traditions and customs of the Tamaranean race. Banishment was easy since it was the ruler's wish, but to annul such a punishment would require quite some time. Banishment was a severe punishment for those who'd broken Tamaran's most sacred laws.

Robin just wanted to get home as soon as all was said and done. The city needed them.

"Robin?" he heard a voice and the Boy Wonder turned to see Starfire at the door. "May I enter?"

"It's your house, Star. I'm just a guest," said Robin. Starfire came in and closed the door behind her. "So, what's up? How did it go?"

"The council has adjourned for tonight to decide on the verdict tomorrow. Both I and Galfore had made our arguments but even though we are royalty, we must abide by the council's decision. They create the laws for our society and even the ruler is not above the law," Starfire reported.

"Oh, well, we better hope for the best then," Robin smiled. Starfire looked downcast. "Is something wrong, Star?"

Star went over to the bed and sat down. She patted the spot beside her and Robin walked over, sitting down next to her. "We need to do the talking, Timothy."

Robin blanched. It was obviously pretty serious if she was calling him by his real name. He removed his mask and looked at her. "What about?"

"When I was about to be…married…you came to stop it. When you heard about my betrothal, you started to act strange. May I ask why?"

"You know why, Star."

"But I wish to hear it! Please?"

Tim rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm not so good with my feelings Starfire. I mean, it took me a long time before I could even tell you what I've been feeling."

"I've had the feelings for you since we met," Starfire confessed, "And I didn't have trouble showing you."

"Yes, but, well…I'm only human."

"Not an excuse," Starfire said, crossing her arms. "I have waited patiently and even though we are now a couple you seem as distant as you were before."

"Well, I've been busy," Tim spoke in defense.

"But can you not take the time off to relax?" she asked.

"Kori, you know why I can't."

"Timothy, please…don't be afraid to trust me with your heart," Starfire said, placing a hand to her chest and the other to his. "I have trusted you with mine."

Tim sighed and he smiled sadly, "I was scared, really? Back home with Bruce I was just the ward of Bruce Wayne. None of the girls really liked me for me, just for my money."

"I am not like that," Starfire protested.

"I know, but had to pretend to be nice to them, for reputations sake," Tim explained further.

"Yes, because of your double-life, correct?" she asked, nodding. "We all hide a way a part of ourselves."

"Yeah, I mean…look at you," Tim pointed. "I mean, the first time we met you were all snarling, growling, breaking and blasting things."

Starfire blushed in embarrassment, "Yes, I was, wasn't I?"

"You were _really_ hot back then."

Starfire looked at him, eyes wide. "I was attractive to you?"

"More than that," Robin confessed. "It was kind of a turn on to see you like that."

"And the lip contact?" Starfire asked further.

"Well…for a first kiss it was kinda rough," Tim admitted. "You took me by surprise."

He then found himself lying on the bed with the girl on top of him, kissing him deeply. Once again, she'd taken him by surprise.

"How was that, then?" Starfire asked, rubbing her hands up and down his chest.

"OK, that was better," Tim spoke, flushed.

"Timothy," Starfire spoke, laying her head on his chest. He ran his hand through her red hair.

"Yes, Star."

"If we were to be wed, how would you want it to be?"

Timothy blinked and looked down at her with shock. "Huh?"

"I wish to marry someone I love and I believe that it is you," Starfire explained.

"I guess I'd want it in a church. I would wear a tuxedo and you would wear a white gown," Tim answered, honestly.

"Oh, I have seen such dresses," Starfire squealed, "They are lovely."

"How about you?" Timothy asked.

"Well…in most ceremonies, the groom would be shirtless."

"Shirtless!?" Tim exclaimed. Starfire giggled.

"It was to show that the male was strong and could pass on the strength to his children."

"Yeah, but shirtless?"

"It is my culture. Do not mock it," Starfire scolded playfully.

"Sorry." Tim then thought mischievously. "You know, if I have to marry you shirtless, why don't you wear that skimpy little thing you showed me?"

Starfire blushed a little. There was one piece of Tamaranean attire she had modeled for Robin and it was rather skimpy for Earth standards. It was comprised of two long and thin vertical strips that connected the bikini-like bottoms to a collar. The strips would only cover the nipples, leaving most of the breasts exposed. Such attire would be inappropriate on Earth but Tim had told her about some places that allowed women to dress on the beach in much less. There were even nude beaches, which Starfire wanted to visit with Tim.

"Oh, it is not appropriate for a wedding!" Starfire blushed.

"How about during the wedding night?" Robin suggested. Starfire blinked and smiled seductively.

"Well, beloved, that is another thing entirely."

* * *

_I love him. That is the only way I can explain my feelings. He was the first person who showed me any kindness when I came to his world known as Earth. At first we were opponents but then he released my shackles. I then absorbed his language through lip contact. It would be much later when I discovered what this strange custom known as 'kissing' really meant._

_I have felt something for him since that day when he helped me fight the Gordanians. He would not give up on helping me despite my words. In my language, the closest thing to the term 'nice' was 'rutha' which translated to 'weak'. It was a weakness to show any kindness to our enemies and I still considered him somewhat of an enemy._

_But then we fought together and a bond was created. He became my best friend and still is but now he is something more._

_One day we confronted each other with our feelings. I told him how I felt and despite his reluctance he too confessed his feelings for me. I was…elated! I flew with him into the air to celebrate this joyous occasion. I just couldn't stop flying because of my happiness._

_Eventually, we had to stop and return to the Tower…there we had our first real kiss._

_I know that he is the one that I wish to marry. We are young, but I have made my decision. I just hope that Galfore would allow it since Timothy is human and not royalty…but even if they say no…I DO NOT CARE!_

_I LOVE HIM! I LOVE HIM! I LOVE HIM! I LOVE HIM! And even if it hurts that he acts so indifferent I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HIM!_

-Koriand'r/Starfire/Kori Anders.

To Be Continued…


	78. PT078: Rise of the King

Part 78: Rise of the King

_We all imagine ourselves the agents of our destiny. Capable of determining our own fate. But have we truly any choice in when we rise... or when we fall... or does a force larger than ourselves bid us our direction? Is it evolution that takes us by the hand... does science point our way... or is it God who intervenes... keeping us safe?_

* * *

The whip was tied tightly around the alchemist's neck, threatening to cut into her skin. However, being a Homunculus, she hardened her skin. Clutching the barbed weapon in her hand, she crystallized the barbed whip and shattered it apart. She then turned her crystal hand into a blade and dashed straight at her opponent. She swung and stabbed her weapon at Richter who was forced to dodge but she was quicker and cut him several times.

Restoring his whip, Richter lashed his weapon out at Renia who leapt to the side and sprung herself once more to the side using his hand. The Centipede Orphenoch hissed and lashed it at Wyvern instead. However, the young sorceress created a dome of magical energy to block the barbed whip. She then fired energy bolts from the dome, striking the Orphenoch in his most vital spots.

"Eat crystal!" shouted Renia, firing crystal spikes at the Orphenoch general. Richter was struck several times.

"Heh!" snickered Richter. "Looks like I underestimated you children."

"Oh, you got that right!" Renia snorted.

"Well, it's time that you deal with the big boys!" the Centipede Orphenoch exclaimed before his lower body morphed. His legs were replaced by the entire body of a centipede. It was long and segmented with many, many legs. Wyvern and Renia's eyes widened in shock at this transformation. Finally, a pair of curved blades extended from the Orphenoch's wrists.

"Oh crap," Wyvern gulped.

"How do you like that, little girls?" Richter sneered.

He just had to say the 'L' word.

"What did you _say_?" Renia growled. Wyvern backed away from her friend in fear. The Orphenoch didn't know what he'd done so he repeated himself, foolishly.

"I said little girls, which you are," Richter spoke.

"THAT'S IT!" Renia roared, throwing off her overcoat, "IT'S GO TIME!!" Her Inzecter leapt into her hand and she attached it to her belt as she charged at the Centipede Orphenoch.

"HENSHIN!" the belt announced, "CHANGE PUNCH LOCUST!"

Roaring with a rage that many have seen before for making the most fatal of errors, which was calling Renia the 'L' word, the red armored Rider lunged at the Centipede Orphenoch. She leapt high up and pummeled his armored stomach, head and chest with her fists. The Centipede Orphenoch staggered back with each hit and Wyvern stood to the side, feeling useless. Seeing an opening, she chanted her magic words and curled her fingers into claws. The floor under the centipede body formed into several sets of hands that grabbed the body, immobilizing him. The Centipede Orphenoch's eyes widened as the pummeling continued.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SMALL MICROSCOPIC GERM THAT CANNOT BE SEEN UNDER A MICROSCOPE!? WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TINY MIDGET WHO SHOULD JUST GO AND JOIN THE CIRCUS!? I'LL SHOW YOU HERE LITTLE MISS SHORTY IS HERE!!" Renia the Red Locust Rider roared angrily.

"I (POW!) never (SMASH!) said those (THUD!) thing!" Richter tried to deny but with little success as he was being struck. "Let me finish!!" Richter swung his arms, attempting to slice Renia's head off. The girl ducked and then leapt up to land an uppercut to his chin, knocking his head backwards violently.

"Hah! That's what you get for making fun of me!" Renia jeered. The Centipede Orphenoch grew angry and managed to break the grasp on his centipede body. He swung his tail around and smashed Renia to the side, slamming her into the wall.

"REN!" Wyvern shouted. She tried to run towards her friend but Richter blocked her path. He looked at her maliciously and swung down his blades. Wyvern used her agility to somersault backward as the blades came down and got stuck to the floor. Chanting quickly, she launched an orb of mystic flames at the Orphenoch's head. He roared in pain as the mystic flames burnt through his organic armored hide.

Renia narrowed her eyes at the Orphenoch and then slammed her palms onto the floor. The transmutation circle formed beneath her hands and several crystal spikes shot out around her in a circle. She then sent the spikes flying like missiles, aimed straight at Richter. He got stabbed in the chest by the sharp crystals and wailed in pain.

"Does it hurt? Let me help!" Wyvern yelled and chanted another spell. She levitated the Orphenoch and slammed him against the ceiling and floor repeatedly. "And this is what I think of your books!" She smashed him into his bookshelf, scattering the works of literature he cherished so much.

The blow forced him back to his normal humanoid Orphenoch form, growling in pain. He still had the wrist blades but now blue flames licked his wounds.

Reaching down to her Inzecter, Masked Rider Red Locust/Renia flipped the hind legs up over the main body of the device. "Locust Jump," she called.

"LOCUST JUMP!" the Inzecter announced, transferring energy from it into her legs. She then leapt upwards. The Orphenoch general looked up to see her in the air. When she reached the apex of her jump, she reset the hind legs.

"Locust Punch!" she called out.

"LOCUST PUNCH!"

With a roar she came back down, rearing her energized fist back. When she came down, she smashed it down on his head, slamming him into the ground to create cracks on the floor. She pulled her fist back and walked away. The Centipede Orphenoch pulled itself out of the floor, groaning in pain. He generated his whip and stumbled towards his two foes. However, the damage had already been done as the flames grew more intense all over his body. He fell to his knees, and questioned, "How…? I am a general? How…could I…lose?"

Renia's armor deactivated and she gave a tired sigh. "That's what you get for underestimating your enemy for their size. Now, rest in peace."

With a howl, the Centipede Orphenoch's body exploded with blue flames before his entire body disintegrated and crumbled to ash.

Richter the Centipede Orphenoch was no more.

"Cassie, let's go," Renia called as she picked up her coat and put it back on, "Let's go find the others."

The young sorceress nodded to her friend, "OK!" they held hands and made their way towards the exit.

* * *

Terra fired her shoulder guns at Danuth who used his Squid Staff to block the shots by spinning it around in front of him, like a shield. He then shot a glob of ink at the green clad Inzecter Rider. She leapt to the side and the glob hit the floor. The part of the floor hissed as the ink corroded the surface.

Cyborg analyzed the ink's composition, grimacing, "That's strong acid."

"How strong?" asked Beast Boy.

"Strong enough to burn through Terra's armor."

Narrowing his eyes, Beast Boy began concocting a plan. He'd done it before to fight the Brotherhood, he could do it again.

The Squid Orphenoch lashed out with his tentacles but they hit a wall of stone Terra summoned. He blasted the wall with his ink instead, melting it to nothing.

"I see you," Danuth snickered as he aimed his staff at her, but then he was slammed in the side by a stampeding green buffalo. He slammed into the glass wall, hard. Beast Boy morphed back and gave his girlfriend a thumb's up.

Terra smiled under her helmet but shouted, "Watch out!" in a panic. Beast Boy looked towards Danuth and morphed into a rat, just before a glob of acidic ink hit his face.

Cyborg went into action, converting his fist into a wrecking ball and throwing it at the Orphenoch. Danuth had the air knocked out of him but then he threw his tentacles at Cyborg, binding him. Cyborg struggled but the tentacles were crushing him in a fatal embrace. He was immobilized as Danuth continued to squeeze.

"That's what you young ones get for disrespecting your elders," Danuth spoke.

"CAST OFF!"

"What!?" Danuth shouted as armor pieces smashed into him.

"CHANGE LEAFCUTTER ANT!"

Terra reached up to her shoulders and then threw her blades at the tentacles. They sliced through the appendages causing Danuth to fall backwards. Cyborg removed the dismembered tentacles off his body, sticking out his tongue in disgust as they turned to ash. He mentally swore off calamari.

The blades returned to Terra's hands like boomerangs as she took a stance. Mortuary had studied the Gazelle JyuKen style of martial arts and taught Terra a thing or two about JyuKen. Smirking, Terra dashed forward at Danuth, this time battling out with him melee style.

The Squid Orphenoch general swung his staff to strike but Terra proved more agile now. She kicked Danuth in the stomach before slashing at him repeatedly, sending sparks ripping off his organic white armor. The old and evil man howled in pain. Terra leapt up and went into an overhead swing. Danuth tried to parry with his staff by holding it horizontally above him but Terra chopped the shaft in half before slashing him straight down the middle. Blue flames erupted from the wound as the Squid Orphenoch stumbled back.

"Cy, Beast Boy Blitz: Revised!" Beast Boy announced and Cyborg nodded. Beast Boy morphed into an armadillo with spiked armored plating on its hide. He leapt backwards and rolled into a ball, setting himself inside Cyborg's barrel. Cyborg aimed as crosshairs appeared in his red mechanical eye, aiming straight for Danuth.

"FIRE!" Cyborg shouted, firing Beast Boy at Danuth. The changeling rolled and shot towards Danuth like a cannonball. Terra saw the Blitz at work and leapt to the side. As soon Danuth saw what was coming, he was too late and got struck in the chest, hard. He smashed against the glass walls, letting water leak in through the cracks.

Danuth morphed back to human form, exhausted, saying, "I am too old for this."

Terra, Beast Boy and Cyborg stood around the old man and Beast Boy frowned sympathetically. "Dudes, we just beat up and old guy."

"An evil old guy," said Terra as her armor deactivated. She scoffed. "He doesn't have much time left anyway." The blue flames were licking all over Danuth's body.

Cyborg scanned Danuth's body and detected that the cellular decay had increased rapidly. There was no way to save Danuth now.

Danuth coughed, smiling, "Thank you, kids, for giving an old man one heck of a fight."

"Um…you're welcome?" Beast Boy replied uncertainly and confused.

"This place is gonna fill up with water soon," Danuth spoke and instructed them, raising up a shaky finger towards the exit, "Go, now…before it's too late…"

Terra was conflicted. What could she say?

"We better go now," Cyborg said as he watched the cracks growing all over the walls. "This place ain't gonna be nice and dry in about a few minutes."

"Let's go," said Terra finally, casting Danuth a brief glance, before she led the way towards the door.

As soon as the door closed, Danuth closed his eyes. "This is how I should've died when my family was lost at sea." The glass walls shattered, causing the water to flood the whole chamber. Danuth's final thoughts were, '_I'm coming home…Maria…Billy…_'

* * *

Nami didn't look all that impressed. She mocked Jinx's Scarab armor instead, "That suit makes you look fat, girl."

Jinx shot back, smirking, "Well, at least I don't look like one half of a Surf and Turf dish!"

Nami growled and brandished her rapier, "You'll pay for that remark, bug girl!"

"Up yours crustacean!" Jinx jeered. She looked back to Snow Blood, "Help me out here?"

"Don't mind if I do," Snow Blood replied, an aura of cold arctic air rising around her.

Charging forward, Jinx swung her fist at Nami who dodged to the side and started to stab at Jinx with her rapier. The Scarab Inzecter user was struck several times in the chest, yelling out in pain as sparks were ripped off. Nami then punched Jinx in her helmet covered face, sending her stumbling back several feet.

"Heh, you're weak. I wonder what your handsome boyfriend sees in you," Nami mocked. Jinx looked up and glared at the Lobster Orphenoch through her visor. The female general boasted, "He deserves better. He should've gotten himself a pretty little Orphenoch like me. And when I mean 'like myself', I mean myself."

"You're not good enough for him!" Jinx snarled.

"Oh, and you are?" Nami shot back. "As if! You're human. He should be with his own kind. I mean, you humans are due for extinction anyway! Once the Orphenoch King has arisen, we Orphenochs will be the lords of the Earth while you human scum will end up pushing up daisies. Face it! He'll live and you'll die!" Nami smirked though it was unseen on her Orphenoch face, "But don't worry, I'll help him in his time of need." Nami emphasized this by running her free hand over her curvaceous body.

Jinx growled and fired a hex bolt, sending Nami flying and crashing into one of her paintings. The painting fell over her and tore when her head ripped through the painting. She looked down and saw red, "MY BEAUTIFUL PAINTING!!"

"Hey, that looks good on you," Jinx teased.

"I'M GONNA SKEWER YOU AND HANG YOU BY THE THROAT!!" Nami roared, throwing off her ruined painting. She charged straight at the armored witch but Snow Blood created a sheet of ice beneath Nami's feet, causing the Lobster Orphenoch to slip and slide across the surface, uncontrollably. She swung her arms around, trying to regain balance but was unsuccessful. Jinx stood in Nami's path and rolled her shoulders. She then raised up her right arm, clothes-lining Nami as she slid over. Nami's face smashed into Jinx's fist, sending her reeling backwards on the ice.

"How's that, bitch?" Jinx jeered at Nami who looked up at Jinx in rage. Snow Blood leapt in and froze Nami's body over, leaving only her head not covered in ice. The Lobster Orphenoch struggled in her frozen prison but could net get out.

"OK, we're done here," said Snow Blood, looking down at Nami with deep disgust.

"Let's go," Jinx agreed. And she waved at Nami, "Ta-ta, crustacean!"

As Jinx and Snow Blood turned to leave, Nami seethed with rage and roared, "IT'S NOT OVER!!" Her body erupted with a fiery blue aura. Snow Blood and Jinx sensed this and spun around and were caught in a blazing blue explosion. They both screamed in surprise.

* * *

Draco's head snapped up in surprise and then he yelled out in pain as the Alligator Orphenoch slashed him across the chest with his sword. J then sent Draco flying back with a powerful kick, sending him crashing into a wall. Wraith landed next to his friend.

"You okay, Ryuki?" Wraith asked as he helped the Dragon Knight up.

"I think so," Draco groaned, cracking his neck.

"What happened?"

"I sensed that Jinx and Snow Blood were in danger," Draco explained. "I think it's my Power of Pisces."

"Well, we better finish this walking handbag quick," Wraith told him. "The sooner we deal with this guy, the sooner we can help Jinx and the ice queen.

Draco nodded in agreement and summoned his Keyblade again. "I go low, you go high?"

"The usual," Wraith shrugged before they both charged at J.

The Alligator Orphenoch gripped his sword in one hand and held his shield in the other. "Come and get me," he challenged.

Draco swung down with his Keyblade and J blocked. At the same time, Wraith was using scimitar, the Shikai form of his Zanpakuto Kage Enbu. The Alligator Orphenoch was able to parry all their strikes, blocking with his shield and sword. He then knocked the two Riders backwards with a powerful blast of blue energy. Draco skidded to a halt and Wrath landed next to him.

"He's good," Wraith admired. "Now this is a fight."

"Well, we need to beat this guy quick," Draco informed. "Every second we waste is a second closer until the Orphenoch King awakes."

"OK," Wraith nodded, "Let's take it up another level!"

Draco banished his Keyblade drew his Survivor Card as the flames danced around him. Smiling under his helmet, Draco said, "I thought you'd never ask." His Dragauntlet morphed into the Dragblaster and the 'mouth' of the gun opened. Draco slid the card onto a port inside its mouth before snapping it shut.

"SURVIVE!" Draco called out before the flames engulfed him and dispersed, revealing him in his red and gold Survivor Mode. He slid in another card, his Sword Vent, and a golden blade extended from the Dragblaster. He re-summoned his Keyblade and gripped both weapons tightly.

"Let's take him down!!" Draco roared like his namesake and dashed at the Alligator Orphenoch. Wraith ran alongside him, gripping Kage Enbu tightly. The Alligator Orphenoch charged back, bringing his sword high over his head to slice his enemies in half.

* * *

The dust cleared away to reveal that Snow Blood had formed a barrier of ice to block the explosion and to protect herself and Jinx from the brunt of it which the barrier took. The barrier shattered and Snow Blood wiped the sweat off her brow.

"Woah, that was intense," Snow Blood spoke.

"You're telling-Urk!" Jinx was suddenly hauled up.

"Jin-Argh!" Snow Blood yelled as something grabbed her by the neck and hauled her up as well. The dust settled to reveal the Lobster Orphenoch. Instead of hands, she now had a pair of lobster claws gripping the two heroines by the neck.

The chamber had seen better days. The remaining paintings were torn in places and Nami seethed in rage, "You bitches made me ruin my paintings!"

Jinx struggled to pry off the claw clutching her neck but as she did, Nami applied more pressure. Jinx was alright considering she had armor and her neck was protected by Soul Fiber. Snow Blood, however, may not survive long and if that claw applied more pressure, the cryokinetic would become beheaded. Jinx had to think of something and fast.

"When I'm through with you I'll have your bodies stuffed and made into sex dolls!" Nami threatened. "Or I can just mount your heads on a wall!" She squeezed more. "I am not sure which to choose first."

Snow Blood's vision was growing blurry due to the lack of oxygen as Nami continued to squeeze the life out of her. She kicked her legs but she was weakening. Her hands slipped from Nami's claws as Snow Blood closed her eyes, growing limp.

"Snow Blood!" Jinx yelled and Nami threw Snow Blood's body aside like garbage. "You monster!" Jinx shouted.

"Now, I'm going to use this claw I used to kill your friend as a can opener to peel you out of that suit," Nami pressed the claw against the surface of Jinx's Strong Mode armor. "Now, where to start?"

"How about in hell? Cast Off!" Jinx shouted.

"Huh?" Nami then realized what it meant. "Oh, no!"

"CAST OFF!" the Inzecter roared at the command and Nami was forced to let go when the armor pieces exploded off Jinx and smashed into the Lobster Orphenoch's body. Most of the armor pieces imbedded themselves into the wall. Nami's body rolled to a stop and then she picked herself back up to glare at the armored witch.

"You witch!"

"CHANGE SCARAB BEETLE!" the Inzecter announced as Jinx's visor flashed. Jinx cracked her neck from side to side to get the soreness out.

"Well, now it's time we take it up a notch!" Jinx swore, "You're gonna pay for what you did to Ashleigh!" During the month they'd spend on the ChronoLiner, the two girls had bonded. They even had a slumber party aboard the train, trading stories and gossip. They shared a close friendship and it all started when Jinx'd suggested it, all because Ryuki and Craig were friends.

"Bring it on you little witch!" Nami screamed, clicking her claws.

"Clock Up!" Jinx commanded, slamming her palm on the special button located on her belt.

"CLOCK UP!"

* * *

"CLOCK OVER!" Draco's SB-Watch announced before he returned to normal speed. He'd landed several hits on J using his Keyblade and Golden Dragon Blade, but the Alligator Orphenoch was still standing. Even Wraith was having little luck.

"OK, he's tougher than he looks," Wraith admired. "Seriously, what does it take to bring this guy down?"

"I think I do, but I'm not sure if I want to use it," Draco said hesitantly, referring to the Hyper Inzecter. Using it had risks, like getting lost in another dimension for example.

"Then allow me," said Wraith. He readied his blade. "First Dance: Shadow Slash!" shouted Wraith as an arc of shadow energy was flung at the Orphenoch. The shadow energy slammed into J, causing him to slide backwards. Wraith looked at him in shock, seeing that his attack had barely scratched the Orphenoch's hide.

"Try that again, it almost tickled," laughed J.

"Fine then, chuckles," replied Wraith, preparing his blade again. "Second Dance: Ballad of Darkness!" Wraith slashed with his blade again. He then vanished and slashed again. He did this until ten arcs of shadow energy were slicing through Mr. J. The Alligator Orphenoch screamed in pain.

The Alligator Orphenoch's body became covered in blue flames before his body disintegrated and crumbled to ash.

"Heh, too easy," spoke Wraith victoriously. He looked over to Draco who had his head down. "Oh, sorry. I forgot how you felt about this."

"Reminds me too much of what I have to look forward to, unfortunately," said Draco sadly as he gazed into his own hands. "Come on, let's go." As he strode forwards, he froze.

"What's wrong?" Wraith asked curiously.

"It's not over yet!" Draco exclaimed, turning his attention back to the pile of ash which used to be Mr. J. The pile began to rise up and reform back into the Alligator Orphenoch. This shocked Draco. "Nani!?"

The Alligator Orphenoch grinned. "Like it? That's my special ability. I can reform myself each time whenever I get killed."

"Damn," cursed Wraith as he saw the reformed Orphenoch. "I fought a guy like you once. Bastard wouldn't stay dead no matter what I hit him with."

"Yeah, and what happened?" asked J.

"I blew him up with my car," said Wraith, smirking under his mask. "Now, this one should put you down for good!" He slammed his blade into the ground, disappearing into a shadow portal. "Third Dance: Ballet of Blades!" Several shadow portals opened around the Orphenoch general. Blades then exploded through the portals, each blade impaling J. Wraith was gasping for breath, the last time he had to release this much energy…No, he wasn't going to let that happen again. He refused to _awaken_… He fell to his knees and removed the buckle from his belt, reverting back to Warren.

"That should be the last of him," said Warren, breathing heavily. The Alligator Orphenoch turned to ash. However, seconds later, the Alligator Orphenoch reformed itself.

"Looks like you've exhausted yourself. Now that's a pity," said J, grinning wickedly.

"That…that's impossible," said Draco. The Alligator Orphenoch stood before the exhausted Warren.

"Any last words, punk?" asked Mr. J, smiling with rows of razor sharp teeth.

"Just one…" said Warren. Draco knew what was coming, but J was in for the surprise of his life.

"BANKAI!!"

* * *

Nami was being struck hundreds of time by Jinx, who was moving at Clock Up speed. Jinx was going to avenge Snow Blood's death. Therefore, she wasn't going to stop until this Orphenoch bitch was dead.

"CLOCK OVER!"

"HYAH!!" Jinx yelled out, landing a powerful punch to Nami's chest, sending her flying across the room and causing her to crash into her wall. She made an imprint as she was imbedded in it. Cracks began to form around her.

Jinx was not finished. Her visor glowed as she focused her hex energy into her hands. She then threw her hands at the Lobster Orphenoch, firing a beam of bad luck energy. Nami saw the beam coming and pulled her arms out of the wall to cross over her body, blocking the beam.

**KA-BOOM!!**

The explosion created a dust cloud that covered the entire chamber. Jinx tried to look around with her visor, scanning for any life signs of Nami, but found none. She breathed in exhaustion, satisfied that Nami was dead. "She has to be dead, now."

"THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK, YOU LITTLE BITCH!!" screamed Nami as she flew out of the dust cloud. She slashed at Jinx with her claws, ripping sparks off the hex mistress' armor. She then kicked Jinx hard in the stomach before spinning around to land a reverse roundhouse to her side, throwing her across the room. Jinx bounced against the floor before her body flung itself into the wall. Jinx groaned in pain.

Nami was seething, shoulders rising up and down in anger. "For the humiliation of ruining my beautiful face, you are going to DIE!!" Nami lunged straight at Jinx. Jinx reached down to her Inzecter and pressed the leg buttons. However, she was in too much pain and much too slow to press the buttons.

"1, 2, 3," the Inzecter announced. Jinx was in too much pain at the moment as her finger rested on the thorax button. Nami was getting closer. She needed a miracle.

Suddenly, arctic winds blew and Nami was shocked as her entire body was frozen in ice, leaving her stationary. She wasn't the only one as she saw Snow Blood, standing up, smiling.

"Hey," Snow Blood waved.

"ASH!" Jinx shouted happily. "How?"

"Hey, ask me later. First you need to finish this psycho off," Snow Blood jabbed her thumb at the frozen Nami.

"Gladly," Jinx grinned under her helmet before she pushed herself off the wall. She strode towards Nami, who was frozen literally and in fear. Jinx's index finger tapped the thorax button of her Inzecter ever so daintily

"SCARAB SMASH!" the Inzecter announced, filling Jinx with power. All that energy was arching all over her suit before it was focused into her right leg. Her visor flashed as Jinx bent her knee and raised up her leg. With a yell, she used a forward snap kick on Nami, shattering the ice encasing her and sending her flying up towards the ceiling. She blasted right through the ceiling creating a large hole as she screamed. Snow Blood admired Jinx's handiwork and whistled in appreciation.

"That's good distance," Snow Blood complimented.

"I know," Jinx agreed as her armor deactivated. She then hugged Snow Blood. "You're alive!"

Snow Blood hugged the other girl back. Jinx cried with joy. The two girls then pulled apart.

"So, how did you survive?" Jinx asked. "I mean, I thought you were dead."

"Oh, I'm a master at playing possum," Snow Blood winked. "All I had to do was put myself in a near hibernative state. I lowered my heart rate and held my breath as well as lowered my body temperature." She stretched her body and grinned proudly, "No sweat." Jinx punched her in the arm, "Ow!"

"Don't you ever do that again without warning me!" Jinx pouted.

"Sorry," Snow Blood apologised. "I needed it to be believable."

"It's still mean."

"Again, i'm sorry. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Snow Blood gestured towards the exit which was now open.

"Race ya!" Jinx challenged.

* * *

The force of the Bankai's activation sent the Alligator Orphenoch flying backwards. Shadow energy coursed through Warren's body. His blade began to change. It now looked like the blade of a sword, no hilt, just the blade. It was surrounded by shadow energy and floated in Warren's hand, which was also engulfed in shadow energy. "Meet my Bankai: **Odori No Shi!**"

Warren's outfit had changed as well. He still wore his normal trench coat, except it looked more like a tuxedo jacket. Warren lifted up his free hand and adjusted his hat.

Draco darted forward at the Aligator Orphenoch and attacked with his weapons. He was knocked backwards by J's energy blasts and then landed next to Warren. Taking an example from Warren's actions, he banished the Keyblade and reverted back to normal mode. Raising both hands into the air, he called forth the Hyper Inzecter. A green portal formed in the air and two items flew out of it. The first one was the Hyper Inzecter, which went into Draco's left hand while the Perfect Inzecter went into his right hand.

Warren gave Draco a look. "You sure you want to use that after last time? I don't wanna end up chasing you into another dimension."

"What choice do I have?" Draco asked before snapping the Hyper Inzecter to his belt. "Hyper Cast Off!" he commanded before pushing down the device's horn lever. It flipped back up, calling out, "HYPER CAST OFF!!"

His torso armor changed to silver and red and bulked up while armored plating showed up along his arms and legs. The Dragauntlet also vanished in the middle of the transformation. The antennae extended and his visor flashed green as the transformation was complete.

"CHANGE HYPER MODE!" the Hyper Inzecter announced, signaling the completed transformation.

Grasping the Perfect Inzecter, Hyper Draco shouted, "Ikuzo!" Draco charged forward with his Perfect Inzecter pulsing. In an instant, the Cutter, Scarab and Fire Inzecters all flew into the chamber and attached themselves to the Inzecter's blade. Acting quickly, Draco pressed the buttons in the correct sequence. "Time to finish this!!"

"SCARAB POWER! FIRE POWER! CUTTER POWER! HYPER POWER! ALL INZECTERS COMBINE!" Draco pressed the trigger on the handle, causing the Perfect Inzecter to announce, "MAXIMUM HYPER TYPHOON!!"

A red blade of tachyon energy extended from the weapon. Draco activated the jets on his back, which propelled him towards the Alligator Orphenoch. J prepared himself and darted forwards. However, with his superior speed, Draco was able to execute his attack first. He struck the Alligator Orphenoch with a powerful horizontal slash, causing blue flames to fly. The jets ceased and Draco touched down on the floor. He turned around and shouted, "Warren! Now!"

"Now, let's end this," said Warren. Warren began moving at super speed, leaving afterimages. He did this until at least one thousand images were swirling around the Alligator Orphenoch. "Now die! Thousand Shadows of Death!" All the afterimages charged forward until only Warren remained right behind the Orphenoch general. He returned to normal. Soon the Alligator Orphenoch fell to his knees, taking human form.

Draco approached the Orphenoch, disengaging his armor and sending all the Inzecters flying. Warren strode towards Mr. J as well, his clothing and Zanpakuto reverted to normal. Mr. J looked up at Warren who had his sword pointed at the fallen general's throat.

"Any last words?" Warren asked.

Suddenly, loud yipping could be heard and Draco could see a small and cute Chihuahua coming into the room. It ran towards Mr. J and leapt into the black man's arms.

"Chaco…" Mr. J spoke gently. Warren was dumbfounded and Draco's eyes shone with certain emotions when he saw the dog.

"Kawaii…" Draco sighed. He then watched as blue flames began to lick all over Mr. J.

"I have...one wish," Mr. J said as he held Chaco in his hands and raised the little Chihuahua up towards Warren, who sheathed his zanpakuto. "Please…take care of…my…Chaco…"

Warren took the small dog into his hands and gentle pet it. "I'll make sure he-"

"She," Mr. J corrected.

"Right, _she_ gets a good home."

Mr. J gave a gentle smile which was contrary to his prior behavior during the battle as his skin turned ashen grey. His body then slowly crumbled into ash.

He wasn't going to rise up after this. His life had finally ended.

Draco looked towards Warren who was holding a whimpering Chaco. "He…wasn't as bad as he seemed." He reached over and petted the Chihuahua. "If he could take care of a dog, then…"

"We should go," Warren spoke abruptly, holding Chaco protectively. If Warren was known for one thing, it was respecting his opponents' wishes, at least if they deserved it. A few had gained his respect and now Mr. J was among them.

"What about Chaco-chan?" Draco asked. "We can't bring her along with us. It'll be too dangerous."

"I know, but I don't know where to put her and she can't stay here." Warren looked down at Chaco who stared up at him with big eyes, imploringly. Warren sighed, thinking back to Mr. J. "We'll make Occultus pay for this, Draco. And I know exactly how…"

* * *

Mortuary and Saber fought for a long time. The Lion Orphenoch left scratches on Mortuary's skin but the leader of the Red Wolves had left his own marks as well. There were burnt marks on Saber's armor, caused by Mortuary's Necroplasm that he had used with his strikes. Sweat rolled down Mortuary's face. He'd used the Gazelle Style JyuKen to match with Saber's ferocity and despite not transforming into his armor Mortuary was still able to hold his own. That was why he'd been chosen to be a GekiRanger in the first place. He used the agility he had to dodge any and all fatal swipes.

Bruiser and Falconer did not dare interfere, as they had been ordered not to, and they both knew better than to disobey Mortuary. They were loyal and obedient to him. Plus, they knew this was pretty much personal.

Suddenly, Mortuary froze as his necro-sickness started acting up again. He coughed up necroplasm. Taking advantage of his opponent's condition, Saber quickly grabbed Mortuary by the throat. Bruiser was about to intervene when Falconer advised him against such a course of action, saying it may endanger Mortuary. Bruiser reluctantly agreed but he could just stand there, could he?

"Any last words, punk?" Saber asked and got spat on the face with necroplasm. "YOU'RE DEAD!" He began to squeeze.

As much as Mortuary wanted to finish this alone and with his own power and skill, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He shakily reached into his pocket and pulled out his Zodiac Deck. He summoned his belt and slid the deck inside, initiating the transformation.

The burst of energy threw Saber backwards as the armor formed over Mortuary. The Zodiac Knight of Aries crouched down, gasping for breath. Mortuary couldn't really question the power the Zodiac Armor and Deck gave him, but he considered it more of a crutch than anything. Nonetheless, it did hold some advantages. It did get him out of a pinch a few times and renewed his energy.

Mortuary's eyes focused on the Lion Orphenoch as his face twisted into a scowl of hatred. He swore, "You're mine!" before darting forward. Mortuary kicked hard at Saber, a green aura in the form of a gazelle surrounding him. He then shouted out, using one of the techniques he'd learnt as a former GekiRanger. With a shout, he manifested his aura into a physical form, a gazelle, and sent it at Saber. Saber was kicked by the gazelle's hind legs before he was impaled by its horns. The Lion Orphenoch roared in pain as the aura returned to Mortuary.

Saber could not stand this any longer. With a loud roar he lunged at Mortuary. The Red Wolf in Zodiac Armor smirked and then charged straight ahead, focusing his necroplasm into his fists and feet.

Saber roared and swiped at Mortuary but his opponent ducked down. Stunned, Saber was unable to comprehend what would happen next. An aura formed around Mortuary which manifested into the gazelle once more. This time, the head surrounded Mortuary's right fist with its horns aimed at Saber.

"HAH!! GAKIWAZA!! GAZELLE HORN STRIKE!!" Mortuary yelled, plunging his right fist through Saber's chest, the horns of the Gazelle Aura sticking out his back. Saber roared in pain but the roar was ceased when Mortuary punched into Saber's open jaw, hand glowing with necroplasm.

Saber's savage mind soon realized what Mortuary was about to do and his eyes finally displayed fear. Mortuary's eyes were filled with cold killing intent, focused entirely on him.

"This is for the Templars," Mortuary growled before he roared, "NOW GO TO HELL!!"

Mortuary pumped the Lion Orphenoch full of necroplasm that his entire body glowed with it as Mortuary forced it inside of him. Saber felt himself being incinerated from the inside out. His eyes snapped wide open as the inevitable came. Mortuary then withdrew his hands and shouted out, "GEKIWAZA! MAJESTIC GAZELLE KICK!" He quickly spun around, got on his hands, reared up and kicked with his legs. The force of the attack sent Saber flying backwards. He bounced against the wall and reverted back to human form as he landed facedown on the floor.

Mortuary removed the Zodiac Deck from his belt, causing the armor to shatter off like glass, before he asked for his gun from Bruiser. The larger boy knew better than to say no to his leader. He tossed the gun over and Mortuary caught it before making his way towards Saber. Saber was coughing blood as his body turned ash grey, blue flames licking all over his skin. He heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Mortuary. Mortuary pocketed his deck, squatted down and asked, "So, not so tough now, are we?"

"Please…" Saber begged. "Mercy."

Mortuary's eyes narrowed, and questioned, "Did you show your victims mercy?" Saber turned silent. Mortuary pressed the barrel of his gun against Saber's forehead. "Guess not. Goodbye."

**BANG!**

Saber's body disintegrated into ash soon after.

Mortuary wiped the sweat off his brow as he stood up. He smiled sadly as he'd finally avenged the Templars. For some reason, it wasn't as satisfying as he'd originally expected. At least Saber was gone now. "Well guys, it's time for us to go," said Mortuary to Falconer and Bruiser.

"Yes, I agree," said Falconer ominously. He then fired a beam from his PDA. Mortuary had not expected it and was knocked out immediately. Bruiser was shocked.

"Andrew, what are you doing!?" Andrew fired the same beam at Bruiser, knocking the big guy out too.

"Sorry, old friend, but this is something important," Andrew sighed. Markings akin to an Orphenoch appeared on his face as he went over and picked up Mortuary. Despite his weak appearance, he was able to easily pick up the leader of the Red Wolves and sling him over his shoulder. Andrew then changed into his new form, his Falcon Orphenoch form. He was a humanoid bird and the feathers that covered his body were steel hard. He had wings which hung down his back like a cape and talons for fingers and toes.

Reaching inside Mortuary's pocket, the Falcon Orpheonoch removed the Zodiac Deck. Snorting, he then threw it aside like discarded garbage before he spread out his wings and flew towards the exit, carrying his former leader with him.

* * *

Occultus stared up at the tube which contained the essence of the Orphenoch King. He'd found the Orphenoch King's original body many years ago. However, the King's body had died and decayed. Fortunately, Occultus was able to siphon the essence out of the body. All he needed was a worthy host to house the essence.

He already had a candidate in mind. At first, he wanted Draco to become his 'chosen one' but that had been a backup plan. His true 'chosen one' was due to come in any moment.

The double doors of his chamber swung open automatically as the Falcon Orphenoch flew in, carrying an unconscious Mortuary.

"I've brought him like you asked, Master Occultus," spoke Falconer, dropping Mortuary at his feet. He then reverted back to human form. "I hope we have a deal."

"Once the King has awakened, you will receive your reward, as all the Orphenochs loyal to me," said Occultus graciously.

Falconer had been Occultus' spy the whole time. It was unknown when he'd become an Orphenoch, but as soon as he did, Occultus had approached him and promised him a longer life than that which was allowed for an Orphenoch. Andrew did not want to die, but he didn't want to betray his friends either. However, he'd made his choice when his desire for life outweighed his loyalty to his friends. He didn't have much time left and if this was the only way to prolong his life…

He felt a measure of regret, but it was nothing compared to what Occultus had planned for the Orphenochs. He agreed that in this world it was survival of the fittest and Orphenochs were the rightful masters of this world, once humankind was eradicated.

"Grave, take Mortuary to the other tube," Occultus said to his apprentice. The boy bowed obediently and grabbed Mortuary by the leg before dragging him to the tube. Mortuary was starting to wake up. Acting quickly, Grave threw Mortuary into the tube before locking it, trapping him inside. The impact woke the guy up.

"Hey!" Mortuary shouted, banging his fists against the tube. "Let me out!" He saw Andrew, "Andrew! Get me out of here!"

"Sorry, Craig, but I'm not taking your orders anymore," Andrew shrugged.

Mortuary's eyes narrowed at Andrew, his former friend, "Warren was right about you all along,"

"Well, you should be careful of who you trust then, _boss_," said Andrew without any remorse.

Mortuary tried to activate his powers but then coughed, vomiting necroplasm. "Damn…my necro-sickness." He reached inside his pocket and then realized that his Zodiac Deck was missing. "Oh, shit!"

"Now, there is no need for such language," said Occultus, hands folded behind his back.

"Occultus, what are you up to?" Mortuary demanded, "Tell me!" He banged his fists against the inside of the tube.

"I'm resurrecting the Orphenoch King, and you're going to help me," said Occultus, "You see, Mortuary. I've been planning this for quite some time now. The tube next to you contains the essence of the original Orphenoch King. Several years ago I found the body of the Orphenoch King, but it has decayed. Fortunately, I was able to save its essence."

"So, what do you need me for?" Mortuary asked, though he feared the answer.

"Mortuary, you were born for this," Occultus spoke, "It's…your destiny."

"WHAT!?"

"You were created under the name Project: Xell by an organization called Dark Cronos," Occultus explained, "Guess who was the one who commissioned the project."

"You…" Mortuary concluded, horrified by the revelation. "It can't be."

"That's right. Though the idea was to create the perfect soldier by cloning the great sorcerer called Joachim Xell. Of course, that was part of the equation. Dark Cronos also acquired some Necrophyte DNA from some intergalactic benefactors which gave you your powers," Occultus explained further. "I think you know them. You've heard of the Deathtrons, right?" Occultus chuckled. "Well, that's enough history for today. Now, it's time for you to embrace your destiny. Be proud, you're about to be crowned the King of all Orphenochs."

Mortuary watched as Occultus went to the controls of this machine. Occultus gave Mortuary a chilling smile while Grave looked as stoic as ever. As for Andrew, he was looking away.

"Prepare to usher in a new era, my friends," spoke Occultus ominously. "The world and the future, is ours." He flipped the switch and Mortuary screamed.

The machine began to pulse with intense energy as the essence was being transferred into Mortuary's body, forcefully. The young Red Wolf could feel his consciousness and humanity slipping away with every second. He had to fight it, but the essence's influence was growing way too strong for him. It was starting to overwhelm his soul, mind, body and senses.

Andrew checked the computer attached to the machine. Panicking, he shouted to Occultus, "Master, it's overloading!"

Occultus laughed maniacally as he watched the essence of the Orphenoch King engulf Mortuary in blue flames. "My enemy now becomes my weapon!! How glorious!!"

Grave's stoic expression didn't change one bit and Andrew started to have second thoughts.

The overload continued and eventually the machine exploded. Grave stood before Occultus and generated a shield of Psycho Power to protect his master from the flying shrapnel. Andrew, however, was flung backwards by the explosion and crashed into the wall painfully.

There was a lot of smoke as a result from the explosion. Grave dropped the shield and Occultus showed his appreciation by squeezing the youth's shoulder. Looking up, Occultus could see the silhouette of a figure coming towards them from within the smoke cloud.

Grinning wickedly, Occultus exclaimed, "The Orphenoch King has awakened!!" He threw his arms into the air and reared his head back, laughing maniacally.

A blue glow was being emitted from the figure's eyes within the smoke. There was nothing but malevolent intent within them.

* * *

_For all his blunder, it is the sad province of Man that he cannot choose his triumph. He can only choose how he will stand when the call of destiny comes... hoping that he'll have the courage to answer._

To Be Continued…

I'd like to credit Shadow Element 13 for the opening and closing narrations, which he got from HEROES.


	79. PT079: Culture Shock

Part 79: Culture Shock

_All I know of Azarath came from the stories Raven would tell me and my father's memories, the latter being of a more sensitive nature (i.e.: invasion). Therefore, when I first arrived in the original Azarath, which had been turned into Trigon's domain, it wasn't as Raven had pictured it. Then again, she'd escaped to Earth before Trigon came to Azarath, for her own protective._

_Neo Azarath is a new society built by the survivors of the previous Azarath. From here, I can make my own observations. From what I have seen in their architecture, Azaratheans are a spiritual and religious society. However, I see no animal life here. I later discovered that this city was built upon a large floating rock in the middle of an empty space. Further exploration would be required for more data but that would be for later._

_Currently, I am in the home of Arella, Raven's mother. Raven had told me that her name back on Earth was Angela but when she'd been taken in by the monks of Azarath she'd been renamed Arella. I am not sure if it was voluntary or it had been designated for her. From where I had been trained, which was the Deathtron Academy; codenames were designated based on abilities, talents or personality. Rarely was it ever random._

_Now, meeting the real Arella for the first time (as oppose to meeting a manifestation of her within Raven's mind) was a bit of a surprise. I now know where Raven got her unearthly beauty from. _

_Like any mother, Arella interrogated me. I gave her as much as I could tell. I didn't go too deep about my past or my darker powers. Though Raven possessed similar talents with darkness, I doubt Arella would be accepting of me._

_What I do know of Azarath and the Azaratheans from Raven is that they do not rely nor believe in the use of technology. The closest society like that on Earth would be the Amish. Also, the Azaratheans evolved and adapted, delving into spirituality. This in turn allowed them to develop their mental and magical abilities. True, most psychics I know were born with the gift, but to develop it themselves took a lot of time, training and concentration. I wonder what I would learn from them._

_Azaratheans are also pacifists and peaceful by nature. Frankly speaking, I don't believe anyone can be that peaceful. Believe me, I've been to several planets that claimed to be peaceful, right before the inhabitants tried to have you for dinner, and use your skull as a drum._

_For now, I had to survive dinner with Arella first. I just hope I can do this. I have excellent table manners, but the look Arella is giving me is making me feel uneasy. The only person that could do that to me would be my own mother._

-Shadowcobra.

* * *

**NEO AZARATH…**

Dinner was more of a casual affair than celebratory, despite Raven's arrival along with Ichijyo's. The latter look down at his plate and grimaces slightly. He hadn't seen any animals so he doubted that the Azaratheans had any cattle or livestock. What they did have was vegetation, which they grew for food.

In Ichijyo's plates were familiar vegetables like sliced tomatoes, minced onions, lettuce leaves and sliced up cucumbers.

It was a salad. Luckily, there wasn't any garlic, which Arella had informed was due to Raven's warning since Ichijyo was allergic to garlic.

Sighing, Ichijyo indulged. No meat. Great…

Beast Boy would sure love this right now.

"I hope that your meal is satisfactory," spoke Raven's mother, Arella.

"It is," Ichijyo said, lying effectively. One of the lessons at the D-Academy had been lying and Ichijyo was the best. Masking ones emotions with false ones also helped with the illusion. "It's a wonderful salad." '_But where's the dressing?_' The salad was raw and bland to say the least. "Thank you for the meal."

"You're welcome," said Arella, her lips turned up in a small smile, which didn't escape Ichijyo's attention. "So, tell me, how have you been lately, Raven?"

Raven smiled, "Wonderful, mother." She smiled at Ichijyo, "Trigon's finally gone for good and now I am free to feel." She placed her left hand upon Ichijyo's. "And it's all thanks to my friends."

Arella frowned a little, regretfully. She'd warned Raven about making connections and friends before Raven was forced to leave. However, she was dead wrong in her assumption that such things would be bad. The friends Raven spoke of seem to have helped her in not only expressing her emotions, but to even feel more alive.

From the limited time she'd been allowed to see Raven, her daughter hadn't express much emotion due to the fact that Trigon could use those emotions to manifest himself within her. The strongest emotions would be anger and hate. The other emotions Raven was taught to keep at bay often had effects on the environment.

Arella now knew that she was wrong. Friends made Raven stronger. What she was seeing was not the Raven she'd known those many years ago. This was a new Raven.

And Arella welcomed it.

"So, Raven, can you tell me of your friends?" Arella asked, curious, and wanting to know more of Raven's life as a superhero.

Raven smiled, "Of course. Let me start with my best friends, Starfire and Beast Boy…"

As Raven told her story, Ichijyo was picking at his food. An uneasy feeling was slowly welling up inside of him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt something bad was happening back on Earth. He could also feel something starting up on Tamaran but without any information, he wasn't sure if these feelings were valid.

As a Deathtron, Ichijyo had to be both cold and logical. He couldn't do things based on hunches and instinct alone. Relying on instinct alone could get you killed, like many other rookies fresh out of the Deathtron Academy. He was lucky that he'd survived his first mission since that day.

Ichijyo felt someone shaking his shoulder and looked up to his left to see Raven, looking at him worriedly. He responded in kind, "Yes?"

"Are you okay? You kinda spaced out for a moment there," Raven said in observation.

"I'm sorry. I was just deep in thought," Ichijyo apologized.

"Are you sure? You barely touched your food," pointed out Arella.

"Maybe I'm not so hungry," Ichijyo stated, "But maybe I can have a few bites."

Raven looked at her fiancé worriedly. Something was off about him. Had it begun as soon as they stepped on Azarath or had it been during Arella's interrogation?

As Ichijyo took a sip of water, Arella decided to break the tension, "I find it strange that you two are engaged. My daughter isn't pregnant, is she?"

Raven's eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped. Ichijyo, on the other hand, began to choke on his water, his expression matching his fiancée's.

"P-Pardon!?" Ichijyo requested.

"I mean, you are both young adults but marriage this soon is still peculiar," Arella said. "Back on Earth, you only get married so young if you were drunk or…you got knocked up."

Raven was surprised her mother knew those terms while the blood was rushing up Ichijyo's face. Under his feet, his shadow was dancing erratically, in tune to his heartbeat.

"It isn't like that! No, no, it isn't like that!" Ichijyo denied truthfully. "I didn't get Raven pregnant!"

Arella sighed, "Good. I was hoping that my daughter wouldn't go _that_ far in a relationship before marriage."

Raven and Ichijyo were speechless and Arella caught on.

"You both have done it," Arella said in an ice tone. It was a statement, not a question.

Ichijyo gulped, a foreign feeling of fear rising up within him. He'd faced demons, enemy Knights, literal monsters, an immortal assassin, his former master, super criminals, psychos and seen every Asian horror movie without ever so flinching. However, there was one thing that still gave Ichijyo a sense of fear and doom: MATERNAL WRATH.

"We used protection," Raven spoke up, trying to put a more positive spin on things. Unfortunately, it sounded more like a confession.

And thus the room's temperature went down several degrees.

Ichijyo thoughts were this, '_Now I know what it feels like to get the 2nd degree,_' and, '_Maybe we shouldn't tell her about the tattoo._' Raven returned a mental agreement.

* * *

_As a scientist I've always prided myself in making scientific observations, mostly through participation. As such I have been studying the alien race known as the Tamaraneans with my observation subjects being two females of the race, a Koriand'r and her sister, Komand'r (my girlfriend)._

_Here's the data I've gathered so far:_

_1-Tamaraneans are a warrior race and as such possess exceptional fighting skills. Combined with their already formidable strength, they can be deadly fighters especially in wars._

_2-Tamaraneans are an emotional race. In other words they wear their hearts of their sleeves. Their abilities are activated by their emotions. Flight is activated by joy, their strength is activated by what is described as boundless confidence, and their starbolts are activated by righteous fury._

_3-Tamaraneans are like living solar batteries or solar reactors. They absorb solar energy through their skin. Solar energy is the fuel for their powers along with their emotions. They convert the energy they've absorbed into themselves for their powers. Also, they are immune from radiation due to this ability._

_4-Tamaraneans have 9 stomachs and a long prehensile tongue. They also have very strong teeth that can bite through steel. A majority of Tamaraneans have brown hair while the rest have red hair. This red hair determines their lineage to see if they are of noble decent. All Tamaraneans have green eyes. However, this does not include Komand'r who possesses black hair and violet eyes. Of course, all members of the species have orange skin which may look tanned. _

_5-Tamaraneans can survive in space without the need for spacesuits and can travel at the speed of light. I'm not sure if they can breathe in space or that they can hold their breaths for long time. This requires further research._

_6-Tamaraneans use 'lip contact' (kissing) to absorb knowledge from other races. This allows them to learn a foreign language in a matter of seconds. The process can also be used to allow another species to learn from Tamaraneans, though it could be temporary._

_7-Tamaraneans display affection through touching. I do believe the action is done through certain embraces, though I've only seen Koriand'r and Komand'r do so. Koriand'r seems to enjoy and shares it with all of us but Komand'r is more reserved._

_8-Skin to skin contact is most pleasurable for Tamaraneans, especially during acts of copulation. I found this out first hand._

_9-Tamaraneans are descended and evolved from a cat-like species. Whether these traits still exist within them remains to be seen, but I can say that they do possess the agility of their ancestors as well as flexibility._

_10-Tamaraneans eat like they fight: brutal and violently. In bed, well…that 's another issue altogether._

_There is still more I've yet to understand about Tamaraneans, but rest assured this scientist will not rest until he has learnt all he can. Right now, my Komand'r wishes to snuggle._

-Pluto.

* * *

**TAMARAN…**

"Man, that felt good," Takada yawned as he stretched his arms. The bottom half of his body was still covered up in the blanket. Blackfire was resting against his chest, smiling peacefully and serenely. Both were unclothed, which made obvious sense if what they did the previous night was any indication.

Last night had been unbelievable. Like many spots before, they'd christened the bed with their lovemaking. Blackfire even admitted that he was the only guy she'd ever done here. The Dog Knight took it as an honor.

Their clothes had been tossed about the room, lying strewn all over the floor in a mess. Takada doubt he would ever find his underwear anytime soon, but at least his Zodiac Deck was safe in his pocket. Of course, he would have to pick up his jumpsuit to check.

Blackfire opened her eyes, purring. She leaned up to her beau and kissed his lips, rubbing her hand up and down his chest. She remember him being lean their first time but ever since the incident with the nanobots, the boy had put on some muscles. Those nanobots sure improved on what was already so perfect in her eyes.

Blackfire was in no sense a virgin before she met Pluto. She'd had flings, one night stands, and boy toys before in the past, but all those gave her temporary relief. There was no affection, merely physical attraction and the need for sexual release. What Pluto and Blackfire had done many times before was unlike anything Blackfire had ever experienced. It was like he knew what to touch, how to touch it and when. His sense of timing was amazing and he could make her squeal and scream during the throes of orgasmic bliss.

Despite him being human, he was invulnerable to harm. She had scratched his back and left no marks and she had ridden him without breaking his pelvis. His stamina was also something else. It was probably due to his Zodiac Power, which he claimed could only be activated if he was in contact with his Zodiac Deck, or his invulnerability which enhanced his stamina. For a nerd, he sure was fit.

When Blackfire first knew about Takada's past, she was at first afraid that their relationship would end like so many others he'd had prior to their meeting. The fears were unwarranted and the female Tamaranean never had such fears before. Then again she'd never truly fallen in love before.

'_I guess me and Starfire are similar that way_,' thought Blackfire blissfully, listening to his heart beating.

"You know, Komi," said Takada, as he ran his hand down her back, resting at the small of her back. "We should be getting up."

"Why can't we stay in bed some more?" she whined, rubbing herself against him, causing him to shiver despite the warmth. She sure knew how to make him tingle.

"Well, it's because I really don't wanna miss breakfast," he told her. "Need to recharge, y'know?"

Blackfire blinked and laughed. She was briefly reminded of the previous night's feast, "You know, you really surprised me back there when you joined in."

"Hey, on Earth there's an old saying: when in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Earth sure had a lot of sayings. Most races just said what they meant without the use of figures of speech, idioms and expressions.

"I bet you impressed Galfore," Blackfire spoke up. "I mean if anyone can fight him over one of the dishes and win, he deserves some respect." She reached downwards and into the covers. She grasped something causing Takada to freeze up. He then began to moan. "You sure got mine."

"Uh huh," Takada responded, mind foggy with pleasure.

Blackfire removed her hand and the Dog Knight frowned. She slipped out of bed and Takada looked up and down the back of her body, his eyes resting on her shapely rear. Emiko had offered her a chance to be a model and with a body like that she'd be a hit on the catwalk.

Blackfire looked over her shoulder flirtatiously at Takada, smiling sensually, "I'm gonna take a bath. Wanna scrub my back?"

"HELL YEAH!" Takada whooped, throwing off the blanket and then grabbing Blackfire and then throwing her over his shoulder. He carried her over his shoulder and towards the bathroom.

* * *

_I thought I knew enough about Azarathean culture from Raven. Apparently, I was wrong. It would appear I was going to learn something extra about this peace loving society._

_And I thought I had culture shock when I returned to Earth after years in the Academy._

-Shadowcobra.

**

* * *

****NEO AZARATH…**

Arella had kept silent the entire dinner. She then picked up the plates and bowl and went to the kitchen to wash them. Both Raven and Ichijyo exchanged nervous looks.

Arella came back inside, wearing a serious expression. Ichijyo was unsure what she was going to do so she sat back down. Raven and Ichijyo were glued to their seats and Arella gave the two a cold hard look.

She then said one shocking statement, "You both need to be married, immediately."

Ichijyo and Raven nearly fell off their seats in shock.

* * *

_I know science, and I also know fashion)and believe me when I say that purple is so NOT my color. Blackfire always said I looked good in black and blue. Well, that's a relief. Even beaten and bruised (as if that could happen) I would still look dang good._

_But, seriously…purple!? _

_I've seen enough purple on this planet to last a lifetime. Frankly, it looks on all of them, but not me. Heck, even the snake doesn't wear ALL purple. He wears black to balance it out. Would so clash with his pasty white skin complexion._

_Me? I like blue? It's my signature color. Actually, to be more specific, I like Navy Blue._

-Pluto.

**

* * *

****TAMARAN…**

Blackfire and Takada stood in the room, fully dressed this time. She was in her usual black and silver ensemble. The Dog Knight, on the other hand, was dressed differently. He was dressed similarly to Ryand'r, which was a sleeveless purple bodysuit with the matching boots, and metal neck guard and armguards. Of course, he also had a loincloth hanging from the V-shaped silver belt around his waist. His Zodiac Deck was in a pouch strapped to his right leg. The only thing that remained from his original wardrobe was his headset.

"So, how do I look?" Takada asked his girlfriend. She responded by stalking over and slapping his butt.

"Nice!" she grinned.

Takada frowned, "Well, I don't know about you, but purple is definitely not my color." He closed his eyes and willed his nanobots to appear. They were so small they could crawl out of his pores. What Blackfire was seeing was swarm of _something_ crawling all over her boyfriend. The nanobots crawled all over the clothes and did some alterations. At the nanoscopic level, they were altering the color and design itself. The nanobots then retreated back into their host's skin. "Now, that's better."

Pluto had altered the color to a navy blue. His loin cloth was decorated with the symbol for the planet Pluto in silver. On his chest was a silver emblem that resembled a dog but more streamlined (the Maximal Symbol from Beast Machines). Also, his hands were covered in black gloves. He still had on the armguards and neck guard but his boots had now been turned black.

Pluto removed his headset and converted it into a circular badge before attaching it to the centre of his belt, making a buckle. "Now, that's better." He turned to Blackfire, "Well, whaddya think?"

Blackfire had seen Takada's nanobots to a lot of stuff, and altering clothing was nothing compared to all the other incredible things those mechanical critters could do. Smiling, Blackfire approached Takada, and whispered into his ear, "You look hotter than a super nova."

Takada smiled, taking it as a compliment.

Suddenly, shocking the couple before they could kiss, a quartet of guards barged into the room. They pointed their glaives at Blackfire and Takada.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Blackfire demanded angrily.

"Hey, what is your problem!?" Takada shouted as well.

"Blackfire, you are now placed under arrest!" one guard, the leader, shouted.

"On what charges?" Blackfire angrily asked, wanting to know what this was about. Hadn't she been pardoned of all her crimes?

"You are being charged with the assassination of Emperor Galfore!" the same lead guard stated, straight to the point, no pun intended (since he was holding one of those glaives at the couple).

The color drained from Blackfire and Takada's faces. Neither could say a word.

It couldn't be true, could it? By the grim and determined look on the guards' faces, the two Z-Titans knew this was no joke.

Galfore was dead…and Blackfire was the prime suspect.

To Be Continued…


	80. PT080: Difficult Choices

Part 80: Difficult Choices

_Hi, I'm Ant._

_Now I know you already know I'm pretty powerful but that's after making way too many sacrifices along the way. It cost me the life of my family, a girl so sweet, and countless others._

_I didn't plan on this happening, to be honest. I was only guided by my own heart as to where I went (Except that time when I went off the deep end)._

_In short, do not judge me because of my power. Seriously, if I could defy Creation Laws like the Dai Gurren Brigade or joined up with them...or started to recreate life like God...then and only then would I be considered too powerful._

_I am currently the owner of the ChronoLiner. From the looks of things...It's a combination of a TARDIS, with some more sprucing up (Mental Note: Go find Washu for consultation to make the inside look more Jurian)._

_That is already one of terms for expulsion from the Dragon Force. Time travel was forbidden and destroying a solar system…well, that was just wrong._

_I took my expulsion like a man and started to live my life like one my heroes...MacGyver, who solved problems._

_Who am I? I'm still a fourteen year old in a 29 year old body, nicknamed Ant, with a large load on his shoulders._

_-Antonis Fenton McCrown._

* * *

As Draco and Warren walked through the dark tunnel, the only source of light being the ball of flames the former was producing, all of a sudden the Dragon Knight of Combustion received a vision.

Unlike Tazuka, Ryuki had no control of the Power of Pisces. The visions he would have would appear at random times and often times during his dreams. They came as bits and pieces and never formed a clear picture. The times that they did show him a vivid vision…it was never a good thing.

Draco's eyes widened with horror. He screamed out, "CRAIG!" and then he ran forward at full speed. This shocked Warren and the interdimensional guest ran after his comrade.

"Draco, what's wrong?" Warren asked worriedly.

"Something happened to Craig, something bad! We need to hurry!" His feet exploded with flames that catapulted him forward like a rocket. Warren had to pick up speed to keep up with his friend. He held Chaco protectively in his arms and the small dog was whimpering. She could sense that something bad was happening. It was instinct.

* * *

Kat was in the surveillance room. She had been here for quite some time now. She had killed the guard, a weak Chimpanzee Orphenoch, while setting up bombs when she found this room. She had witnessed all the fights and was compelled to join in. However, she had a mission to complete.

She had set up bombs in certain strategic spots and once they were detonated, this whole temple would go down. Heck, those explosives could even sink Zandia with the power they're packing.

Her eyes scanned the surveillance monitors and when they came over the one displaying Mortuary being turned put into the tube, her eyes focused on Grave. She narrowed her eyes menacingly. That little shit had humiliated her! No, she was not going to let it stand! Before this whole place came down, she was going to dig him his own grave, and put him there herself as painfully as possible.

This she swore!

Sitting down in front of the monitors, she crossed her arms. A black unholy aura seemed to emanate from her very being. It was the darkest of auras, suffocating even, filled with lust, hatred, envy, anger and hunger…A hunger for power that was so strong that it had to be…inhuman.

Her finger tapped his custom SB-Watch. Just a simple tap of a button would bring this whole place down. As much as Copycat liked destruction, she wanted to see how this whole thing turned out.

Her lips were curled into an evil grin, so sinister, that it was befitting a demon more than a human.

Was she even human anymore? That was up to debate.

Her eyes then caught sight of something in the late Saber's chamber. Focusing her eyes, she knew what it was.

The Zodiac Deck of Aries! It was just lying there, discarded, forgotten, and right for the picking.

Grinning evilly, she stood up. With a simple twist she teleported from the room to where her bounty lay.

* * *

Grave's eyes opened slightly. He spoke in a stern and even voice, "There is an intruder."

Occultus looked towards his young ward. "An uninvited guest? Is it one of those heroes?"

"No," Grave responded with a shake of his head. "It's a cat."

Occultus realized what Grave meant. "So…Slade sent his little apprentice to ruin my fun. Well, my son, you know what to do."

Grave nodded and teleported out of the chamber. Andrew didn't know anyone could act so much like a…well…a machine. Grave just creeped him out. He was like Mortuary, save for that spark of humanity. Speaking of Mortuary, he looked towards what he'd become.

Andrew never really wanted to betray Mortuary, but he'd been left with little choice. As soon as the gang split up, he was killed and became an Orphenoch. He enjoyed the rush and the power it gave him, but then came the consequence of his decaying cells and DNA. In a matter of years he would be dead, again. Occultus had approached him. At first, Andrew tried to resist but then Occultus gave him a choice and Andrew chose that he wanted to live.

He became Occultus' spy. All he had to do was deliver Mortuary to Occultus. It was simple. When the Orphenoch King awoke, the genetic flaw in all Orphenochs would be fixed, granting them with not only greater power, but with longer lives at well. It was worth the exchange, really…really…

Was he trying to convince himself here or someone else?

The aura that came from the Orphenoch King was unlike anything Andrew had ever sensed from any other Orphenoch. It was massive but also feral to say the least. How much of the original Craig remained, he did not know. What he did know was that when the Orphenoch King rose…humankind would fall…and the Orphenochs would take their rightful place as masters of the world.

* * *

"Craig!" Snow Blood shouted, suddenly, shocking Jinx.

"What's wrong?" asked Jinx who was holding a flashlight. Snow Blood froze, "Ashleigh? Ash? Ash!"

"I can feel it!" Snow Blood answered, "Something has happened to Craig!" She ran ahead. "We need to hurry!"

"Hey, wait up!" Jinx called, running after Ashleigh. "Ash! I'm the only one here with the flashlight!"

'_Craig…_' Snow Blood hoped. '_Please…for God's sake…please be alright…_' She had lost him once; she wasn't going to lose him again. A chill ran down her spine and she was imagining the worst.

She just hoped she could get there in time.

* * *

Renia and Wyvern were walking through the tunnel when the two girls shivered.

"Brr…what was that?" Wyvern asked.

"I don't know, but I doubt it's good," Renia replied.

"We better get out of here," said Wyvern, holding herself to keep warm. "This place is freezing."

Renia frowned. Their only source of illumination being the lights that hung above the two. Not all of the tunnels had these crystals that glowed in the dark to provide light. Renia had taken one to analyze for later. Maybe she could even duplicate its properties in the future.

"Tell me about it," Renia agreed.

* * *

Beast Boy shuddered. Terra who was walking beside him asked, "You okay?"

"No," Beast Boy admitted. "The animal inside me is sensing some really bad juju and mojo on the other end."

"You're just imagining things," Cyborg said, using the built in flashlights that were on his shoulders to light their way. "My sensors aren't picking up anything."

"Even animals can sense an earthquake before it happens, Cy," Beast Boy informed. "This is one of those times."

"Please, guys," Terra begged, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Don't argue now." She was in no mood to play peacemaker at the moment.

"Just, trust me on this when I say something doesn't feel right," Beast Boy said, taking hold of Terra's hand and squeezing it. "I don't feel like losing you again."

"And you won't," Terra spoke, giving him a calming smile. Beast Boy tugged on her arm and pulled her down for a deep kiss. Startled, Terra eventually relaxed to kiss him back. Cyborg turned around to give them some privacy. "Wow, what was that for?" Terra asked after Beast Boy pulled away.

"Just felt like it, babe," Beast Boy grinned roguishly, which he pulled off well with his fang sticking out.

"Well, thanks." Terra kissed his cheek. "You're sweet."

Cyborg rolled his eyes. All this lovey-dovey stuff was reminding him of how much he missed Sarah.

* * *

Kat stepped over Bruiser's unconscious body and skipped towards her prize. Squatting down, she picked it up and looked it over. This was no fake, this was the real deal! She stood up gleefully.

"Oh, this is gonna be so sweet!" grinned Copycat. "Now, should I take the powers now or give this to someone else." She tapped her chin. "Ah, decisions, decisions." She heard groaning and looked over her shoulder to see Bruiser waking up.

"Ow…my head…" he grumbled. Kat rolled her eyes and walked over to the large boy. Taking something out of her utility belt, which was a small spray bottle, she squatted down and sprayed the contents into his face. He took a whiff and passed out from the knockout gas.

"Well, that was easy enough," Kat said, standing back up. She then looked back down at the deck she had in hand. "Now, what to do now?"

"Leave," spoke an angered and steely voice. Kat smirked, recognizing that voice. She turned around to regard the genetically engineered soldier.

"Hello, Grave," Kat purred.

"Copycat," Grave returned, eyes narrowed and glowing with his master's Psycho Power.

Copycat pocketed the Aries deck and took out her own. She called out, "Empowerment of the Zodiac Cat!" before sliding it into the slot of her Zodiac Belt. In a flash of light, glass shards encased her body and then morphed into her armor. The red eyes of her helmet flashed as she untied the whip from around her waist.

"What are you up to?" Grave asked suspiciously.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" responded Copycat, grinning under her helmet. "I'm gonna pay you back for what you did to me."

Grave gave a smirk, the first sign of emotion he'd shown for a good while now, "You want revenge on me so badly? What's the matter? Can't take getting beaten by a child?"

Snarling, Copycat lunged at Grave, ready to give him a peace of her mind. The young soldier darted towards her, hands engulfed with necroplasmic flames.

They were going to clash.

* * *

Occultus stood beside his newest minion, the Orphenoch King. With promises of repairing the Orphenoch Gene's flaw, Occultus would have full control over all his Orphenochs. The Orphenoch King was just a puppet as he'd always been before when he was once known as Craig. Occultus had been pulling his strings long ago and right now wouldn't be any different.

Andrew, however, wasn't feeling very certain about all this. The Orphenoch King frightened him. Was this the power of a 'perfect' Orphenoch? It radiated off the awakened Orphenoch King in waves.

Suddenly, the door into the chamber was blasted right open. Draco and Warren rushed right in. As soon as Draco's eyes went wide as his gaze fell upon the Orphenoch King.

The King appeared to be the pinnacle of physical perfection with a muscular build and ivory white organic armor. Hanging from his back was a light blue cape that mimicked insect wings. The Orphenoch King's head was insectoid in appearance, resembling a locust with his antennae and large blue compound eyes.

"Impossible," Draco spoke, trembling. This was the monster from his visions months ago after he'd defeated his evil future self. This was the true Orphenoch King.

"Is that the Orphenoch King?" Warren asked. Draco gave a silent nod. Noticing Ryuki's silence, he asked, "Hey, you okay? Don't freeze up on me now."

"But…how?" Draco asked. How was it possible?

"You seem surprised," said Occultus.

"Occultus," Draco growled. "What have you done!?"

Warren's eyes fell upon Andrew. He put 2 and 2 together and frowned deeply, "Traitor. I knew it."

"Unfortunately, Craig didn't believe you," said Andrew.

"Young Andrew here has been my spy the whole time, you see," Occultus informed.

"We trusted you!" Draco spat angrily, his grip around his Keyblade tightening. "Why!?"

Andrew morphed to his Orphenoch form, shocking the two. "Because I wanted to live."

Draco knew what he meant. The genetic flaw. "But…how can you…?"

"People have turned traitor for far less," Warren said, speaking from experience, "Trust me, I know."

"Well, if you also must know, Andrew here also delivered young Mortuary for me," Occultus said, patting the Orphenoch King's arm. "And he made a great host for the King's essence."

Draco's eyes widened, horrified at the revelation. The Orphenoch King was Craig.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Draco roared, his Keyblade vanishing and SB-Watch cracking from the energy he was releasing. The inhibitor malfunctioned and immediately Draco morphed into his Ifrit Orphenoch form. Releasing a feral scream, he charged right straight at Occultus, ready to gut him with his claws. However, he never got close enough as the Orphenoch King darted forward and smashed his fist straight into the Ifrit Orphenoch's face, sending him flying backwards. Draco reverted to normal form on impact.

Draco looked up, and said, "Craig! Craig, this isn't you! Fight it!"

Occultus shook his head, "He can't hear you, boy."

Draco fell silent and cursed in disbelief. How could he have let this happen?

The other Titans and Red Wolves entered seconds later. Jinx, seeing her boyfriend against the wall, ran over to him to check. "Baby, are you hurt?" She noticed the tears running from his eyes. "Ryuki."

"I…couldn't save him."

"Couldn't save who?" Jinx asked and Ryuki told her.

"So, that's the big bad King, eh?" Renia smirked confidently. "Doesn't look so tough to me."

"Let's finish this," spoke Terra, ready to battle. "We take this freak down and we take down Occultus."

"Red Wolves," Snow Blood commanded, "Attack!"

"Titans, Go!" Cyborg ordered. The two teams rushed at the Orphenoch King and Occultus.

Jinx shouted at them, "STOP!!"

They froze in mid-charge and tumbled to the ground in a heap.

"What!?" Snow Blood demanded.

"Yeah, Jinx! What's the deal!?" Cyborg shouted.

"The Orphenoch King…is Craig!" Jinx yelled, earning everyone's attention.

Everyone froze at the revelation.

"And that bird Orphenoch there is really Andrew," Warren added as he joined in, "Turns out he's been working for Occultus all this time."

"No way…" Wyvern said in disbelief. "You're lying! That can't be! Andrew's our friend!"

Snow Blood looked towards the Falcon Orphenoch and asked, "Andrew?" Instantly, he morphed back to human form, "ANDREW!?"

Cassandra's heart broke as a result.

Andrew wore a neutral expression as he looked upon his former teammates. "Sorry, guys, but I decided to join up with the winning side."

"How could you!? After all we've been through!" Terra cried. Andrew turned his gaze away. To be betrayed by a friend…This situation brought back unpleasant memories to Terra. She'd betrayed the Titans in the past and was now betrayed by her own friend. It was karma.

"Well, I actually gave Andrew here an offer he couldn't refuse," Occultus explained, earning glares. He was so much like Slade to the Titans. Manipulative and evil…

"So…" Snow Blood said shakily, eyes on the Orphenoch King, "That really is…" She shouted, "Craig!!"

"Young Craig Smith has embraced his destiny and soon the Era of Man will cease as the dawn of the Orphenochs' Age will commence with me as its leader," Occultus spoke boastfully.

"Not if I can say anything about it!!" Renia yelled, firing spikes at Occultus. In an instant, Andrew turned into his Orphenoch form and used his wings to blow them back to Renia. Occultus shook his head in disdain.

"Really? Did you really think that would work?" Occultus asked.

"After we're done with you, you're gonna wish you never messed with the Titans!" Cyborg shouted, charging up his sonic cannon.

"And then we'll turn Mort back to normal!" Beast Boy added. Occultus responded in kind.

He laughed.

"You think you can cure this? This isn't a disease," Occultus said, gesturing towards the Orphenoch King. "He can't be cured! Being an Orphenoch isn't something you can cure! Ask your friend there!" he pointed to Draco, "He should know better than anyone of you."

"Urusai!" Draco shouted, standing up with Jinx by his side. Tears still stained his face. He was going to save Craig, he had to.

"Well, now," Occultus folded his hands together. "I might as well watch as you fight my new puppet. Andrew, lend a hand, will you?"

Andrew nodded and faced the heroes. As he was ready to fight, something unexpected happened.

There was the sound of something being pierced followed by a scream. Looking down, Andrew could see a sharp point sticking out of his chest. His head slowly swiveled around to see that it was one of the Orphenoch King's tentacles, which was really one of his elongated fingers. The others were shocked by this as they watched Andrew's body slowly becoming petrified. The Orphenoch King removed his tentacle, shrinking it back into his finger, before approaching the petrified traitor. He then slowly tapped the body and it crumbled to dust.

"Good," Warren uttered, "He deserved it."

The Orphenoch King squatted down and they watched as he collected the ashes. He opened up his mouth and started to shove the ashes inside, swallowing them. Beast Boy blanched and turned away, looking rather ill. The Orphenoch King was eating Andrew, committing cannibalism!

Occultus realized that the Orphenoch King needed to be fed. Though he'd lost Andrew, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. Grinning, he said to the Orphenoch King, "So, you're hungry!" He pointed towards Draco, "Well, there's another tasty morsel there! Go and get him!" The Orphenoch King didn't budge from his spot. Occultus grew angry. He shouted, "Do you hear me!? I said go! Kill them! Attack them! Do as I say!"

The Orphenoch King remained stationary. Occultus lost his patience and grabbed the King's shoulder.

Big mistake.

Occultus saw a blue flame that flew straight at him. It incinerated most of his robes and his hair. He screamed as the flames tore into his flesh. He was then sent flying into the wall with incredible force.

There was silence before someone spoke, "Dude…"

The Orphenoch King had just attacked Occultus. This could only mean one thing…

…Trouble.

* * *

Copycat and Grave had been exchanging blows for quite some time now, neither of them letting up. Grave then sensed something wrong. "Master?" he uttered. Copycat took this as her chance and struck Grave hard in the stomach with her fist, causing him to double over. She then gave him a right hook in the face, followed by a left and then a roundhouse kick that sent him flying.

Grave struggled to get up, trying to use his Psycho Power. Unfortunately, Copycat had turned that ability against him, copying it and adding it to her arsenal of various powers she'd copied. He sent a blast at her but she returned another blast at him, with double the intensity. He was smashed into the wall, hard, making a crater on impact.

Copycat casually made her way towards him. He grabbed him by his hair and hauled him up, her other hand to his throat with her claws tickling the skin. She could finish him off right now but she had a job to do. She dropped the weakened Grave and headed out.

After this…Zandia would be a thing of the past.

At least it'd go out with a bang.

* * *

"HENSHIN!"

"CAST OFF!"

"CHANGE LEAFCUTTER ANT!"

"CHANGE SCARAB!"

"CHANGE PUNCH LOCUST!"

As hesitant as they were to fight the King, they had to face facts that Craig was gone. The Orphenoch King had overtaken him and if he could do what he did to Andrew and Occultus to the rest of them, they had to take him down…no matter how much it hurts.

Draco was hesitant. Could he kill his best friend?

The Orphenoch King fixed his gaze on them and snarled. He then let out a roar that echoed around the chamber. It sounded like he was screaming…

…or CALLING…

Draco heard it and realized what it meant. "Minna, he's calling the other Orphenochs!"

The realization came to them fast as they could hear something stampeding into the chamber from the many tunnels.

Renia spoke ominously, "They're here…"

* * *

Ant was sitting in the cockpit of the ChronoLiner. He had picked up all the people that followed his specifications. He just hoped he could get there in time.

"Wait for me, fellas," spoke Ant as he piloted the time train. "You guys better be alive by the time I get there."

* * *

It was pandemonium in the large chamber as the massive army of Orphenochs battled with the Titans and Red Wolves. The invading heroes were horribly outnumbered. Luckily for them, the Inzecter users could use Clock Up to handle these numbers.

Draco had advised them to not kill these Orphenochs. They were only pawns that Occultus had been manipulating all this time. Of course, these Orphenochs were now under control of the Orphenoch King. Why it hadn't worked on Draco he didn't know, but he was glad for it.

Warren had transformed once again into Kamen Rider Wraith as Draco transformed back into his Zodiac armor. Brandishing their weapons, a Zanpakuto and Keyblade, respectfully, they battled against the Orphenoch King. Their strikes did little damage against the Orphenoch King's armored hide. This could either mean the Orphenoch King was far too powerful, or that Draco's heart wasn't in it. After all, this had been his friend. This was still Craig.

Wraith pushed Draco out of the way as an energy blast went sailing at the Dragon Knight. As a result, Wraith got hit and flung into a wall, reverted to his normal human form.

"Warren!" Draco shouted, his armor vanishing. "Daijoubu?" Warren shoved Ryuki away. "Warren-san?"

Warren poked Ryuki in the chest, "Kid, get your head in the game!"

"Demo," Ryuki tried to protest but Warren grabbed his shoulders, shaking him.

"That's not Craig anymore!" Warren snapped. "Now, help me bring him down."

Ryuki was unsure. "I don't know if I can…"

"Kid, the world needs us, or else all human life on Earth will cease to exist. Do you want that?"

"I…" Ryuki hesitated in his answer. Could he kill Craig to save the world? He'd been put under the same kind of pressure when he'd battled his sister to save the Multiverse, but he was able to save it without killing her. However, now, he had no other choice.

Before he could answer, the ChronoLiner came crashing into the scene, causing Orphenochs and heroes alike to scramble so they wouldn't end up getting crushed by the massive machine. A door in the side opened up and Ant hopped out of the ChronoLiner.

"Hey, guys," Ant waved, ducking under a swipe from a Crab Orphenoch. He grabbed its claw and threw it into another Orphenoch, causing them to fall.

"Ant, what are you doing!?" Warren shouted.

"Hey, I brought some help!" Ant waved and then he pointed towards the ledge where 17 people stood. They were all clad in suits that had insectoid features save for one who looked reptilian and another themed after a demon. Ryuki's eyes widened in shock as he saw them.

"Who…who are they?" Jinx asked. She recognized Faiz/Xander, Oni/Ryan, Kaixa/Shinji and Delta/Selene, but the rest of the men were strangers to her. However, Ryuki had once described to her a band of brave heroes that had saved the world many times before. They were called the…

"K…k…Kamen…" Ryuki stuttered out. Everyone watched as the warriors called out their names and Ryuki felt he was about to faint.

"Kamen Rider Ichigo (#1)!"

"Kamen Rider Nigo (#2)!"

"Kamen Rider V3!"

"Riderman!"

"Kamen Rider X!"

"Kamen Rider Amazon!"

"Kamen Rider Stronger!"

"Kamen Rider Super-1!"

"Skyrider!"

"Kamen Rider ZX (Z-Cross)!"

"Kamen Rider Black RX!"

"Kamen Rider J!"

"Kamen Rider ZO!"

"Kamen Rider Faiz (Xander)!"

"Kamen Rider Kaixa (Shinji)!"

"Kamen Rider Delta (Selene)!"

"Kamen Rider Oni (Ryan)!"

"WE ARE KAMEN RIDERS!!"

And then there was an explosion of flames behind them to announce the amazing and heroic presence of these legendary warriors. Ryuki couldn't believe his eyes. The Riders…the real Kamen Riders…were here.

"Let us help out new junior member out, alright?" said Kamen Rider Ichigo. The rest of the Riders nodded in agreement, going, "Hai!"

Any other time Ryuki would've gone and ask for their autographs but now wasn't the time. The only reason the Kamen Riders would be here would be for the safety of the world.

The Riders leapt off the ledge and joined with the Titans and Red Wolves, battling with the horde of Orphenochs. Ryuki shouted to them, "Sempai-tachi! Don't kill them! They are only being controlled!"

"OK, kiddo!" Faiz shouted back as he gave an Orphenoch a powerful kick.

"We can try!" added Delta, ducking under a blow before she unhooked her Delta Blaster and began firing.

Kaixa was rushing at the Orphenochs, slashing with his Blaygun. He had set it to minimum. He didn't want to kill them either. As far as he could tell from Ant's explanation, these Orphenochs were under mind control which was coming from the Orphenoch King.

Ant decided to join in the battle and fastened a belt around his waist. He then took a card out of a case attached to the right side of belt. The card was actually a train ticket depicting a man clad in armor. The belt buckle was rectangular with a white clock face for an emblem. Ant called out, "Henshin!" before sliding the ticket into a slot to the right of the buckle.

"**ANT FORM!**" the belt announced. Shards of energy bonded with his body before solidifying into a suit of armor,

Ant's Rider form was pretty much a black bodysuit with white boots and gauntlets. His upper torso armor was mainly white with a red chestplate and rounded shoulders. Like his namesake, his helmet bore large compound eyes and antennae, like an ant. A scarf also hung from his neck. In this form, he was known as Kamen Rider Chronos.

"OK, let's have some fun!" Chronos said as he charged forward. He started to punch and kick at Orphenochs who were in his way.

Oni charged forward, bashing Orphenochs aside with Hibiki, his drum clubs. He approached his old crewmates, "Warren, Ryuki, are you two okay?" asked the Vizard Rider.

"Hai," Ryuki said, standing up with some difficulty. His wounds were healing slowly but they still hurt. He had a shaky grip on his Keyblade. Warren on the other hand had seen better days.

"That's Craig, isn't it?" Oni asked. Ryuki gave a weak nod of regret. "What happened to him?"

"Occultus happened, that's what," Warren replied, gripping Kage Enbu. "That bastard went too far."

"Can we save him?" Oni asked.

"I…I don't think we can," Ryuki said with guilt. "It's my fault he's…"

"Kid, don't blame yourself," Warren told him. "Now, come on, we need to finish this."

"Hai," Ryuki said as he got out his Zodiac Deck and his belt fastened around his waist. "Henshin." He slid the deck into the belt, allowing his Zodiac Armor to encase him.

"Shatter!" Warren commanded, once again transforming into the Skull Rider, Wraith.

"Ikuzo!" Oni commanded, brandishing his clubs. Wraith was gripping Kage Enbu tightly as Draco stood with them, hands tightly around his Keyblade. The trio rushed at the Orphenoch King.

As the grand battle between Titans, Red Wolves and Riders against the Orphenochs continued, there was a rumbling sound as a pile of rubble collapsed, revealing Occultus, singed and missing a large amount of his skin. He also had none of his hair left. Luckily his armor was still intact, though a little scorched from the blue flames that had burnt him.

Things were getting out of control. The Orphenoch King was not obeying his commands and had actually summoned all the Orphenochs to assist him in the battle. It only served to make Occultus angrier. This was not how it was supposed to happen! The Orphenoch King was supposed to be his puppet, making him the ruler of the world! It was his right! It was his destiny!

"I won't have this!" he growled. "I'll take the King's power for myself! I will take this world as my own! This is my right!"

Completely ignoring the grand battle, Occultus staggered to his feet and began charging towards where the King, Oni, Draco, and Wraith were doing battle.

One powerful blow from the Orphenoch King and Warren was flung to the back of the room, reverted out of his Skull Rider form, watching as his friends tried to stop the Orphenoch King.

"Looks like I have no choice…" muttered Warren has he struggled to his feet. He rolled up the sleeve on his left arm, revealing mystic seals on his arm. "RELEASE!!" exclaimed Warren as he ripped the seals off his arm. Suddenly, he felt immense pain as black energy crackled all over his body. He stumbled but then the pain grew more intense as he began to grunt and convulse. Then, he began to scream out as even more energy was coursing through his body. His eyes glowed with white energy.

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!**"

First to change was Warren's trench coat. It melted onto his skin. Out of his back unfurled two pitch black angel wings. His right arm flexed as his hand and turned into a black claw. Two small spikes shot out of his forearm. Large curved spikes shot out of his shoulder. Next his left arm flexed as it turned into a black claw. Where his seals once were there was now a strange metallic looking whip. It was serrated on both ends and seemed to be imbedded in his arm. The end of the whip swung back and forth off of his forearm. Curved spikes shot out of this shoulder as well. Strange glowing markings formed on his left arm. The rest of his body then turned pitch black.Warren's mouth vanished into the shadows of his body. His pale white hair vanished and was replaced by flickering black flames. His black eyes now glowed white with energy.

Introducing the Angel of Death, Wraith Angel Form!

"_Now we end this,"_ said Wraith, unfurling his wings.

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!" Occultus roared as he attempted to strike at the Orphenoch from behind. However, by giving away Grave most of his Psycho Power, he couldn't do much else. The Orphenoch King gave Occultus a look and sent the now powerless old man flying into the wall. His head hit the wall with a crack, knocking him out.

Draco witnessed Warren's transformation to his Angel Form. Knowing fully well that such a transformation was done only during dire emergencies, which this was, he had to accept the next course of action…they had to kill the Orphenoch King.

Wraith slammed into the Orphenoch King, causing the creature to fly backwards. Wraith followed him quickly, slashing at the King with his claws. Wraith then blasted the Orphenoch King with shadow energy, blasting him through the wall. "Craig, I am sorry about this, but you will not suffer long, my friend." He lashed out his whip, slicing the Orphenoch King across the face. Wraith then swung his whip around, wrapping it around the Orphenoch King's neck.

Faiz Accel Form rushed past Wraith and smashed his fists into the Orphenoch King. After his form timed out, he leapt back from a strike, allowing both Delta and Kaixa to perform their Lucifer Hammer and Golden Smash attacks, respectively. They were knocked back by the Orphenoch King and tumbled on the ground.

"Ryan-senpai…we have to…" Draco began and received a sympathetic look.

"I know," Oni nodded. Draco then used the Pactio card to call forth his ultimate Keyblade, the Masked Rider Sword. In the time that'd passed since he'd attempted this, it took a lot of energy from Jinx. Now, he could do it himself quite easily without the need for her to invoke the power of the Pactio. It was the result of a lot of training that he'd done with Jinx to control their Pactio.

Oni rushed at the Orphenoch King, holding his Guitar Axe, Zanki, over his head and brought it down on the Orphenoch King. The Orphenoch King blocked with his powerful forearms and slammed his palm into Oni's chest, sending Oni flying backwards. The demonic Rider touched down and took out his Trumpet Blaster, Ibuki. He blew into it, firing a shockwave that smashed into the Orphenoch King, dragging him across the ground. Snarling, the Orphenoch King smashed Oni into the wall using his eyebeams.

Draco removed the Dragon Zodiac Deck from his belt and inserted it into the slot behind the Keyblade's blade. "Liner Drive Form!" he called out as his armor changed, taking on the Drive Form in an instant. His red visor flashes as he rushed forward, aiding Wraith as he fought with the Orphenoch King. Oni decided to lend his strength to the others who were fighting the Orphenochs. The bodies of unconscious Orphenochs were lying on the floor, some injured and others dying. Of course, the latter was due to their genetic breakdown.

Draco slashed and swiped with his Keyblade, knocking the Orphenoch King backwards, making sparks fly. With each strike, memories came to haunt him. He remembered how he and Mortuary first met, he remembered Mortuary eating his cooking, he remembered when Mortuary helped to train him and he remembered when they'd fought alongside one another to save the world…and now he was fighting his own friend to save the world.

The blade came down and the Orphenoch King caught it. Draco couldn't pull it away since the Orphenoch King was stronger. He watched as the Orphenoch King's eyes glowed and he was ready to launch his attack.

Draco shut his eyes, waiting for the strike, but it never came. He opened his eyes to see the Orphenoch King, trembling.

He then heard a voice.

It was Craig's.

"_Ryuki…kill me…now…_" the Orphenoch King spoke with Craig's voice. It was faint, but Draco could hear it.

"But…" Draco began to protest.

"_KILL ME NOW!! PLEASE!!_" Craig/the Orphenoch King pleaded desperately. "_I don't want to live like this!_" For a second, Draco could see his friend inside the Orphenoch King, in deep pain. "_I don't want to do this…Don't hesitate. Finish me off, please…_"

Draco couldn't hesitate. As much as he hated to do this, he had to do it, for Craig. He knocked the Orphenoch King backwards with a bash of his Keyblade and spun the turntable hilt. At the same time, Faiz had entered Blaster Form and had entered the code into the Blaster to perform his Crimson Smash kick. He leapt up and then came down on the Orphenoch King, smashing him in the head with his foot. The Orphenoch King howled in pain as he was knocked backwards. He picked up his Faiz Blaster and activated its Blade Mode before slashing at the Orphenoch King who dodged. The Rider was knocked back by a vicious kick to the gut.

Wraith and Draco looked at each other, knowing what needed to be done. Wraith focused his shadow energy into his hand, which then took the form of a medieval blade. He flew at his former ally. "_Blade of Heaven! Holy Shadow Slash!_" Wraith appeared behind the Orphenoch King, as several gashes appeared on the Orphenoch King. The Orphenoch King roared out in pain.

The Keyblade's turntable hilt spun several revolutions before the blue Rod Drive Form's mask lined up with the blade. It glowed blue along with the clock emblem in the centre of the turntable hilt. The golden energy tracks appeared under his feet and he rushed straight at the Orphenoch King at full speed like a bullet train. He gripped his energized blade and rushed straight towards the Orphenoch King.

"FULL THROTTLE BREAK-DENSHA SHISHOU (Train Stab)!!" Draco roared with tears streaming down his face, hidden under his helmet, as a blue aura in the shape of the ChronoLiner enveloped him.

At the same time, Faiz entered a code into his Blaster. Setting it down, he then leapt up with the aid of his jets. His extended right foot was enveloped in red photon energy as he dropped down towards the Orphenoch King. This attack, like the Crimson Smash, was a powerful kick called the Blaster Smash.

Both Riders unleashed their attacks, which slammed straight into the Orphenoch King. There was a bright flash of crimson and blue power from the impact that blinded all that were present.

Draco could hear Craig's voice as he spoke two final words, "_Thank you…_"

* * *

Copycat stood at the coast, looking up at the temple. With a smile, she said, "Sayonara," and pressed the detonation button on her watch.

* * *

Draco banished his armor and weapons and went to check on the body of the Orphenoch King. The attack hadn't obliterated the Orphenoch King since his body now lay there, unmoving.

"Craig," Draco spoke hopefully as he reached towards the Orphenoch King.

Warren had reverted back to normal and could barely stand now. The transformation took too much out of him. He looked over and his black eyes filled with hate. "YOU!" Draco looked where Warren was looking and saw Occultus, trying to escape. However, that wouldn't happen as shadow energy engulfed the old man and flung him towards the angered Skull Rider. "I'm going to make you pay…"

"What, do you want me to beg for my life?" wheezed Occultus. "Not going to happen, whelp."

An orb of black energy appeared in Warren's hand. "No, Occultus. I won't make you beg for life, you'll beg for death. This is not hatred, this is retribution. This is not revenge, this is justice. But this is only the beginning, Occultus. Only the beginning. Your final judgment will come from God." He placed the black orb against Occultus' head. "Now, it's time for your _penance_!" Warren placed the black sphere into Occultus' head.

Occultus' body began to convulse. He opened his mouth, trying to scream, but no sound came out. "Do you feel that? All the pain? All the death? It's your fault, Occultus. All the pain you're feeling, is all the pain you've caused. It won't kill you but it will never end either."

Suddenly, the entire chamber rumbled as the sound of several large explosions erupted. The floor began to crack as rocks went flying. The ceiling was also coming down as the place shook. Fighting stopped in an instant.

"The place is coming down!" Draco shouted.

"Evacuate! Everyone, get inside the train, NOW!" Ant shouted from the ChronoLiner.

The Riders, Orphenochs (now human form and free), Titans and Red Wolves all quickly boarded the ChronoLiner. The Orphenochs carried their wounded aboard the ChronoLiner, choosing survival over defeating their opponents. Snow Blood noticed something. "Hey, where's Billy?"

"Right here!" Bruiser shouted as he ran towards the time train. "Wait for me, guys!"

"Hurry up you big dope!" Wyvern shouted. The big boy climbed into the time train as Wyvern and Snow Blood helped pull him inside..

"Draco, we have to go!" Jinx shouted, tugging on his arm.

"But, Craig!" Draco yelled, looking over where the Orphenoch King was lying, motionless.

"There's no time!" Jinx pulled him into the time train and the doors all slid close.

Ant, who was in the cockpit, piloted the ChronoLiner out of the temple as it collapsed. Draco pressed his face against the window, watching as they left Zandia behind. Watching as they left Craig behind…

'_No…_'

* * *

Copycat watched with satisfaction as the temple exploded, sending pieces flying. The large demonic statue also collapsed. She could see the ChronoLiner flying out of there at full speed, carrying a large cargo. With a shrug, Kat boarded her submarine again and pulled down the hatch. The submarine rolled back into the water.

She called up Slade on her communicator, reporting the status of her mission to Slade. Not only that, she was admiring the Zodiac Deck in her hand. With a cruel smile, she crushed it in her hand and felt the rush of power that came with the absorption of new Zodiac energy.

Her eyes flashed as the Power of Aries was added to her arsenal of Zodiac Powers.

Ant had arranged to return all the Orphenochs Occultus had duped to their proper homes and families. If not, he could find them new homes. Currently, the Red Wolves and Titans were in the dining car, exhausted as hell. Renia was not there. She was probably in her room, crying over the loss of Mortuary. Bruiser had been absent during the entire battle so he had to be told the entire story.

"Andrew…was a spy?" Bruiser repeated what he'd heard in disbelief. "No, that can't be true."

"That's what I thought so too," Wyvern sighed. "But I guess we should've seen it. He was shiftier than usual."

"And Craig?"

"He's gone," said Snow Blood, hugging herself.

Angered and filled with rage, Bruiser roared and lunged at Draco. Draco pushed Jinx, who'd been tending to him, out of the larger boy's path and was hauled up by his jacket and slammed against the wall.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!" Bruiser roared. Cyborg and Beast Boy (gorilla form) tried to pull him away but since Bruiser's strength came from his emotions and those of others, anger being the strongest, Cyborg and BB could not pry him off. Draco didn't try to defend himself and looked away in shame. "YOU KILLED HIM!!"

"Let him go, Billy!" Snow Blood ordered sternly.

"But, Ash-" Bruiser began to protest.

"That was an order, Billy. It was not a request." Judging from the tone of her voice, which was as icy cold as her powers, she was too hurt by this. However, she wasn't going to take it out on Draco.

Bruiser reluctantly put Draco down and the Dragon Rider slumped down against the seat of the booth he was sitting in. Jinx went over to him to check on him.

"Are you okay?" Jinx asked.

"Hai," Draco nodded. Physically: yes. Emotionally…that was left for debate.

"And, besides, he wasn't the only one responsible," spoke Xander in Draco's defence from his spot in the dining car. Both Selene and Shinji were negotiating with the rescued Orphenochs. "I was there too."

The Kamen Riders that Draco had grown up to admire were onboard the ChronoLiner too. Any other day he'd be excited but after what'd happened, he was not in the mood. "I need to go get some air," Draco said. Jinx stood up and allowed him to pass by. He walked towards the door with his head down, avoiding eye contact with anybody.

Once outside the dining car, Draco leaned against the wall. He slid down and ended up sitting on the ground with his knees against his chest. He hugged his knees and cried with his head down.

He was breaking down, emotionally. Tears were streaming from his emerald eyes. They were tears of pain, regret, grief, guilt and sorrow.

"Gomen nasai…" he apologized.

* * *

Ant entered the train car and turned on the lights with a flick of the switch. He looked about all the boxes and crates which had been stacked up to create a path in between them. This car was specially made for important cargo only and none was more important than the one he'd stored here. He walked forwards, mumbling, "I sure hope Draco won't be pissed at me."

"He'll understand," spoke someone who walked in behind him. It was Warren. "I'm glad I was able to pick him up in time."

"Yeah," Ant agreed. The two walked towards a tarp that was covering something. The owner of the ChronoLiner pulled the tarp away to reveal a stasis pod not unlike the ones used by the Sabretrons or Deathtrons. Wonder what was inside? "His body is healing, but I'm not sure about his mind."

"Once I'm through with him, he'll be back the way he was, with some improvements," Warren assured Ant. "Back home I have friends in high places. I'll put every resource I have towards getting him help."

"Let's just hope you're right," said Ant, tapping a few buttons. The oval window on the pod was fogged up, hiding the face of the person sleeping inside. The fog was cleared away revealing the face of the Orphenoch King!

"So, how do you plan on helping him?" asked Ant.

"I'll bring him to Dr. Strange and Dr. Fate first. They can take care of the mystical matters. Then I'll call in Dr. Richards and Hank Pym for the science end. Once we have him back to normal, I'll bring him to JSA headquarters to get his mind back in order," said Warren. "Craig…we'll bring you back," Warren promised, placing a hand on the pod, "I swear."

* * *

Emiko Narukawa was enjoying the sea breeze on her private motor yacht. The only source of company that she had was her two bodyguards, a blonde with short hair and a brunette with long wavy hair. She often went on these leisurely cruises to relax and gain inspiration for her next set of designs. She stood at the bow, looking up at the stars, when she heard one of her bodyguards approaching her.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Madam, we found someone drifting out at sea and brought him up onboard," reported her bodyguard, the blonde.

"Oh, my," Emiko gasped. "Where is he?"

"I'll take you there," the bodyguard said as she led her employer to where they'd put the one they'd rescued. He was on one of the cabin beds with a thick blanket covering his body. The radiator had been switched on to provide warmth and his clothes had been hung up to dry. He didn't look so well since he had cuts and bruises all over his body, which were slowly healing.

"He's just a little boy," Emiko observed, walking over to the young boy who was only 13 years of age in appearance. Her maternal instinct kicked in as she ran her hand through his damp hair. "You poor dear," she said, "How long have you been lost at sea, alone and cold?"

"What should we do with him?" asked Emiko's second bodyguard, the brunette.

"We shall return home and put him in a hospital to be treated," Emiko said seriously.

The boy was no simple boy but Emiko didn't know that. She didn't know that she could be making a grave mistake. What she did know was that he needed help.

* * *

_Heroes have heart, heroes have strength, and heroes put the lives of others before themselves. I thought it was so easy to be a hero. All I had to do was to protect the innocent and save lives._

_I was wrong._

_A true hero sometimes has to make the biggest call of his life for the greater good. A true hero has to make the toughest choice of all._

_Whether it was the right choice or wrong one is up to interpretation._

_I'm not the true hero here. The true hero was Craig Smith, a good friend of mine who sacrificed himself to save the world._

_If only I had been able to save him…_

_If only…_

_I may have saved the world…but I failed a friend…_

_Can I be called a hero?_

_Can I?_

_Do I even deserve the name Kamen Rider?_

_Tell me, please…_

_-_Kamen Rider Draco.

To Be Continued…

ZK Chromedragozoid: Well, that's a tragic end to the Orphenoch King Arc of ZKD Vol. 3. I'd like to thank my friends, Ten-Faced Paladin, Shadow Element 13, Ant Crown, Zombi 138 and Hikari Ino for their help and the characters they lent me for this epic. Also, for those who ask, I only chose the pre-2000 Riders because of their classic feel, OK?

Shadow Element 13: I was glad to be allowed to work on such a great fic. It was truly an honor. I'm glad Warren got a chance to shine in this fic, and you'll be seeing more of him later in "Hyper Dimension Wars", as well as my fic "The Wraith". Like I said, it was a pleasure.


	81. PT081: The Trial of Blackfire

Part 81: The Trial of Blackfire

_Sometimes questions are more powerful than answers. How is this happening? What are they? Why them and not others? Why now? What does it all mean?_

* * *

_I've heard that justice is blind so it needs good people to see for it. However, the amount of good people in justice is severely lacking so bad people take advantage of the law to further their own goals. Innocent people get hurt all the time and not even the law can protect them. They deserve justice and it takes people like me to give them that._

_Justice…what does it really mean? I'm fighting for it and even I am still trying to figure that out._

-Timothy Drake.

* * *

Pluto's eyes looked towards Blackfire before darting back to the royal guards. Either they were high or really believed that Blackfire was capable of murder. Then again, from what he'd been told by her about what most of her people thought of her, it did look like they saw Blackfire as nothing more than a murderous monster.

One of the guards thrust forward with his glaive but Pluto grabbed the blade of the pole arm with his bare hand. His eyes glowed a metallic blue color before he snapped the blade in half as he growled, "Don't you dare touch her!"

The other guards took this as an act of hostility and instantly rushed to take Pluto down. The Knight of Immortality prepared to fight when there was a shout.

"CEASE THIS AT ONCE!"

The guards stopped in their tracks and turned towards the door to see Starfire with her hands on her hips and eyes glowing bright emerald green. Robin was at her side too, wearing a deep frown. The guards mumbled amongst themselves before leaving.

Starfire approached her sister, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Sister, are you unharmed?"

Blackfire looked away, ashamed that she had to be protected like this. "I'm fine, Kori. You didn't have to stop them, you know?"

"But I had to," Starfire rebutted. Blackfire looked to her face.

"Is it true? Is Galfore really…?" Blackfire couldn't say it but she had to, "Is he really dead?"

Starfire nodded her head, wearing an expression of grief and sorrow. Blackfire looked down to the ground, clenching her fists.

"And they believed I did it," Blackfire concluded from the way the guards were about to take her in by force.

"Yes, they do," Starfire stated.

"Why?" Blackfire asked.

Starfire sighed and spoke, "Sister, your best option is to come peacefully with me. A trial will be held before Galfore is given his final farewell."

"You don't really think she did it, do you?" Pluto asked, aghast by this. "I mean, I knew she used to be bad but I don't think she's capable of murder."

"Be that as it may, my sister is the prime suspect," Starfire frowned. "Even I, the crowned princess, cannot stand above the law."

"So, what's going to happen? How does this trial thing work?" Pluto asked.

"There will be a magistrate to judge the trial, guards acting a security, and the Tamaranean council will be present as well to act as jury," Starfire explained.

"Is this going to be public?" Pluto asked. He didn't want Blackfire to be given any further grief because of this.

"Only family and witnesses will be allowed to attend," Starfire answered. "We do not make such things public knowledge unless it is required."

"OK," Pluto nodded. "Blackfire, you want to go through with this?" he asked his girlfriend.

"Of course," Blackfire answered quickly. "I've been framed and I know it."

Starfire nodded, "Very well, but you need to be taken to a holding cell until the trial begins."

"Hey, it works for me," Blackfire shrugged. "It's not like I've never been locked up before."

The guards returned to take Blackfire away. She waved at Pluto who waved back sadly. He just had to help her. He had to.

* * *

Blackfire was roughly thrown into a cell with cuffs around her wrists that negated her powers. She scowled at the guards who glared at her. She was an abomination to them and banished. She wasn't even supposed to set foot on this planet ever again. They suspected she'd swayed Starfire with one of her tricks and weren't going to treat her kindly. Of course, with their lives depending on it, they couldn't leave marks on Blackfire knowing well that Starfire would defend her. So, they locked up the cell and stood vigilant in front of it, backs turned towards Blackfire.

Blackfire knew she could easily escape. She had her Fire Bracelet still on her wrist and just by sending a pulse she could summon her Inzecter and Clock Up her way to freedom. However, that could hurt her already fragile standing. She was confident that the others could help prove her innocence.

She had hope in them, especially her beloved. '_Yoshi…I hope you got a plan to get me out of this jam…_'

* * *

"Oh, I hope we can prove my sister's innocence soon," Starfire said worriedly, biting her lower lip.

"Unfortunately, they won't let us go search for clues in Galfore's bed chamber," Robin rubbed his chin.

"Starfire, what's the worst that Blackfire will get if she's judged as guilty?" Pluto asked, but he was not going to like the answer.

"She will be sentenced to death," Starfire answered, heart filled with fear. "That is the punishment given to those who murder the ruler. That, or eternal banishment but it is often always death."

"That is way bad," Pluto responded. He couldn't let Blackfire die, not like this.

"So, we better work fast and find clues to help clear her of the charges," Robin spoke up. "But how?"

Pluto thought this over and then got an idea. "Starfire, I think I know a way to clear Blackfire's name."

Starfire's eyes shone happily, "Really?"

"Are you sure?" Robin asked skeptically. Some of Pluto's ideas in the past had a habit of often backfiring on him, taking them along the ride. One instance was the shrink ray incident.

Pluto nodded, "I do, but I kinda need yours and Robin's help."

"OK, we're listening," Robin paid attention.

"What can I do?" Starfire asked.

"Starfire, I need you to stall the trial. There's no doubt they will put you on the witness stand so when they ask you about Blackfire, just keep on talking," Pluto instructed.

"You mean babble?" Starfire inquired.

"Babble, rant, give a long-winded speech," Pluto listed, "Whatever, just stall."

"I understand."

"Robin, you are gonna help me look for clues," Pluto said. He explained his plan further. "I mean, you've been trained as a detective so you're the only one I can trust to help me right now."

"You got it, Pluto," Robin nodded in agreement. He was a defender of justice and this was one of those times to be what he claimed to be.

A few minutes later, Ryand'r approached the trio. Pluto narrowed his eyes at Starfire and Blackfire's younger brother. Something about him just didn't settle right with the Dog Knight. His nose kept twitching whenever Ryand'r was in the room. Ryand'r scent just didn't sit too well with him for some odd reason.

"Sister," Ryand'r called, "You must've heard the dreadful news."

"I have, dear brother," Starfire said solemnly. "Galfore is dead." Her k'norfka was gone.

"He was a fine ruler and warrior last I heard and he took great care of us," Ryand'r spoke. "Our treacherous sister has gone too far!" His eyes blazed.

"Brother!" Starfire gasped. "You do not believe that Blackfire is responsible, do you?"

"Sister, she has brought so much grief to you and our world. There is a darkness in her eyes that you surely remember. I do not doubt that she is guilty!"

Starfire was horrified. "How can you say such things?"

"Because I saw her exit Galfore's chamber before he was found dead," Ryand'r spoke up.

Pluto's eyes widened at this and an idea formed. '_So, he is the witness. Good to know…_' He approached the younger Tamaranean boy and said, "OK, kid, even if you're a prince and Blackfire's brother, I don't appreciate anyone talking smack about my girl."

Ryand'r frowned. "Excuse me, but who are you to speak to me in such a way?"

"Oh, you know me, Princey. You just chose to forget, that's all," Pluto scowled. He'd had experience with royalty in the past. A past assignment haunted him where he had to guard a princess from kidnappers.

Ryand'r eyes narrowed. "So, the rumors of my darker sister procuring a human for a lover are true." He looked Pluto up and down, unimpressed. "How pathetic, no wonder she chose you. You must be her lapdog."

Pluto was steamed at the comment. OK, it was true that he was her lapdog to some degree, but he wasn't going to give Ryand'r the satisfaction of having the last word. "Listen here you little-!" Robin grabbed his arm and began dragging him away. "Hey, Robin! Wait! Stop tugging!" He shouted at Ryand'r while shaking his free fist, "This isn't over!"

Ryand'r sighed and said to Starfire, "Dearest sister, why do you keep such inferior beings as friends?"

Starfire frowned at Ryand'r, a little surprised by his mannerism. This was so unlike the brother she knew. She spoke in their defense, "Ryand'r, you are my brother and I love you, but do not ever insult my friends. You do not know them as I do."

Ryand'r scoffed, "They are nothing like us, sister."

"That is true, but that is what makes them special. Also, I do not think it is wise for you to take that tone with me," Starfire warned. Ryand'r replied with a silent glare. "I shall see you at the court." She turned away from her brother.

"As will I," Ryand'r said as he watched Starfire's retreating form.

* * *

Blackfire held her head down as she was being taken to the Grand High Court of Tamaran. It was a large purple building, resembling a temple. A statue erected in honor of X'Hal stood at the forefront of the building. Crowds of Tamaraneans of both genders and of all ages stood at the side of this dark parade. They spat names and insults at Blackfire. If she wasn't so desperate to clear her name, she would've lashed out at them for speaking such words at her. The Fire Inzecter would give her the power needed to bash some heads but she had to be patient. She needed to trust her friends and sister.

She needed to trust her friends to clear her name. Her life was in their hands now.

* * *

Robin and Pluto peered from their hiding spot, which was behind a pillar, to see the two guards standing watch outside of Galfore's bed chamber. "OK, Robin. You know the plan?"

"Why do I have to be the distraction?" Robin grumbled. He was the leader of the Titans. He wasn't meant to act as distraction. He was usual the one in charge and in the lead. He wasn't the the distraction. Not anymore, at least. The last time he remembered acting as distraction for anything was when he used to be Batman's sidekick.

"Because I'm the only one with nanobots floating in his bloodstream," retorted Pluto logically. "Now, go and distract them. I need a swarm for this and I doubt I can send them out without getting noticed."

"Fine," Robin agreed reluctantly. "But you so owe me." Robin walked towards the guards as Pluto prepared his little swarm. "Hi, guys," Robin waved, putting on a fake smile. The two guards crossed their glaives together in front of the door.

"Halt!" the first guard began.

"None shall enter!" the second guard finished.

Pluto had his nanobots clumped together in a small ball the size of a golf ball and then rolled it towards the door. The small golf ball of nanobots had been programmed to maneuver towards the door before separating and crawling under the door. Pluto just hoped Robin could distract the guards long enough so they wouldn't notice.

Pluto watched as his nanobot's ball stopped at the door, slipping behind the guards, before it dispersed into the swarm of nanobots which then crawled under the door. Robin looked out of the corner of his eye to see Pluto giving him the signal. Robin waved, "Well, see ya, fellas," before joining with Pluto.

"Thanks, Rob," Pluto complimented as he activated his headset's HUD.

"You owe me big time," Robin reminded.

"I know, now let's hope my nanobots can find some clues." Pluto could see what his nanites were seeing. He could see the dried blood on the floor where Galfore's body had laid. The body was currently being prepared for the 'final farewell' as Starfire had called it.

"Find anything?" Robin asked.

"Not yet," Pluto spoke up. "Damn, why don't these Tamaraneans have surveillance cams to hack into?" he grumbled. After a few minutes he cursed in frustration, "Crud, nothing in there to prove Blackfire's innocence!" He removed his headset.

"So, now what?" Robin asked.

Pluto looked towards the guards. "Time to do it the old fashion way." He sent out a bolt of lightning that struck the two guards. It knocked them both out simultaneously. He blew at his finger as if it was a gun barrel. "Oh, yeah. Come on, Robin."

The two walked to the door, stepping over the two unconscious guards, before opening the door. Inside, it was like how his nanobots had seen. It didn't look like there were any signs of a struggle. Galfore's scent and the smell of his blood saturated the place but then Pluto's nose picked up a eerily familiar scent.

Robin had been looking for clues when he caught Pluto's expression. "What?"

"Watson, I think I may have just solved the mystery," spoke Pluto in a fake British accent. He had his nanobots create a pipe and hat similar to the ones worn by a famous fictional detective. "We must make haste go to the court to clear fair Lady Blackfire's name at once!"

Robin looked at his friend quizzically, "Why are you talking like that?"

Pluto made the hat and pipe vanish stating, "Sorry about that. It's because Shadow made me read a lot of Sherlock Holmes. Plus I've always wanted to do that, Timmy."

Robin sighed, rolling his eyes, "Just tell me what you found out."

* * *

Blackfire stood in the centre of the court, ankles shackled to the stand. A pair of guards flanked her. The council of Tamaran's wisest looked towards her with contempt and scorn. The magistrate that sat at his bench was heavily built and had a long beard. Unlike Galfore, however, he was much older looking. Guards were also stationed next to the magistrate and the beside the council/jury.

"Princess Komand'r," the magistrate spoke, "You are accused of assassinating Emperor Galfore. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Blackfire spoke.

The council mumbled amongst themselves. To them Blackfire appeared unremorseful for her crimes. Starfire and Ryand'r stood to the side, the latter wearing a neutral expression while the former wore one of worry.

"Well, I shall summon two witnesses: one to speak for your defense and another to speak for your prosecution. For your defense, I call Princess Koriand'r to the stand."

Starfire sighed and looked towards her sister who refused to return her gaze. With shoulder back and head held high, Starfire floated towards the witness stand. If she was following the plan correctly, her job was to stall.

"Princess Koriand'r," the magistrate began. "Is it true that Princess Komand'r once had you framed for the theft of a Centauri Moon Diamond?"

Starfire told the truth, "Yes, she did." That answer made Blackfire flinch.

"And did she not try to marry you off for her own gain?" the magistrate asked further.

"She did," Starfire nodded as well and Blackfire was filled with guilt. Maybe this was karma teaching the dark haired Tamaranean a lesson.

"So, would you please tell the court why you believe in Blackfire's innocence?"

Starfire began from the beginning, starting with when the Gamemasters had captured them. With her strong memory and many words, she was going to stall for all it was worth.

* * *

Both Pluto and Robin flew towards the court. Actually, Robin was riding on Pluto's back as the Dog Knight flew them towards the court. Either way, they were headed there.

"Are you sure about this?" Robin asked Pluto. "I mean if you're wrong…"

"Not about this I'm not," Pluto retorted. "I knew there was something off about him."

"But how are you gonna prove it?"

"Oh, just trust me, Robin. Just trust me."

* * *

Starfire went on with her tale and thus finished with, "And that is why I believe that my sister has changed. She is no longer the evil person you believe her to be."

The council had grown bored with her tale and barely listened to her words. The magistrate spoke, "Well, that is a nice story, but I do believe that it is the turn of the prosecution."

"Yes, Your Honor," Starfire nodded before floating off the stand. Ryand'r floated past her, grinning maliciously, before touching down on the stand.

"Prince Ryand'r, you have sworn to tell the truth, correct?" the magistrate asked.

"Yes," Ryand'r answered, "And nothing more or less." Blackfire could barely hold back a scowl.

"So, can you tell the court of what you witnessed?"

Ryand'r pointed towards Blackfire, "Late last night I saw her exiting Galfore's chamber with her hands covered in blood!"

"Bastard!" Blackfire roared but was restrained by guards. The council was in an uproar.

"I demand order in this court! ORDER!" the magistrate bellowed. "So, are you sure you saw this?"

"Yes, and she is without a doubt, guilty."

"Well, I would need to ask if the council shall agree," the magistrate said before turning his attention towards the jury of council members. "So, what say you?"

The lead council member stood up after discussing with the others, "We find Princess Komand'r to be-"

The double doors swung open as Pluto and Robin stormed in. The Dog Knight shouted out, "I OBJECT!"

The council began to shout loudly at the rude interruption, leading towards the magistrate to shout at them to be silent, which they did after a few moments. The magistrate glared at Pluto who waltzed into the courtroom with Robin in tow. Starfire's eyes shone happily as Ryand'r scowled.

"What is the meaning of this?" the magistrate questioned as Pluto approached the bench.

"Your honor and honorable council members, I am but an Earthling so I am an alien to your world. You may believe I am ignorant of your customs and traditions and in some ways I am. However, what I do know is how to tell right from wrong," Pluto spoke up.

"So, what is it you object?" the magistrate asked.

"That Blackfire is guilty," Pluto said. Blackfire grew a smile. She knew her man had a plan.

"This human is out of his place!" Ryand'r objected angrily. Pluto turned to look at the prince.

"Am I?" Pluto asked. "You say that late last night you saw Blackfire exit Galfore's bed chamber, right?"

"Yes, I did," Ryand'r spoke confidently.

"Well, that can't be true," Pluto pointed out, smirking, "Because Blackfire was with me all night long." He added, "There is no way she could've been seen exiting Galfore's bed chamber when she was with me giving me the ride of my life!"

Blackfire groaned and blushed, mortified. Robin slapped himself in the forehead. He knew Pluto would brag but at a time like this? It wasn't exactly appropriate. He was a goof sometimes, but even he knew when to be serious. Starfire's cheeks took on a pink tint at the brazen admission.

"So, someone here is lying," Pluto concluded.

The council mumbled again together but Ryand'r shouted out to them, "How can you believe what this human says!? He's an outsider!"

Murmurs went through the room. It was unlike Ryand'r to be so vocal about anything. Since he had returned to Tamaran, he was acting much like the prince everyone expected him to be. Many people believed Galfore's death weighed heavily on him.

"An outsider, true, but I'm not the only one, and I also know the identity of the killer!" Pluto announced, raising his hand.

"So, who is the assassin?" the magistrate asked, interested to hear what this human had to say.

"The killer is…" He dropped his hand and pointed straight at… "Prince Ryand'r."

The courtroom was in an uproar as Starfire gasped in shock.

"HOW DARE YOU!?" Ryand'r exploded, "How dare you accuse me of such a crime!?"

"That is a heavy accusation," the magistrate spoke. "Can you offer proof?"

"Well, let me explain." Pluto began. "First let's see what Blackfire stands to gain from this. Nothing. With her reputation here, doing so would only hurt her standing. She is already banished so this would lose her the right to be welcomed back."

"It is an act of revenge," Ryand'r stated.

"True, but that's why I decided to do some snooping around," Pluto said. "You see, Robin and I entered Galfore's bed chamber and came across a few clues."

Ryand'r eyes widened.

"However, I was unable to bring the evidence here," said Pluto dejectedly. Ryand'r smiled.

Ryand'r spoke menacingly, "You dare come in here and accuse me of assassinating Galfore. Guards! Seize him!"

The guards went to apprehend Pluto but the magistrate stopped them. "Now, hold on and be patient!"

"Thank you, your honor," Pluto said. "Now, I may not have evidence on me to prove that Ryand'r is guilty nor do I have any to prove Blackfire is innocent." He finished, "However…I can prove to you that somebody here is lying." The nanobots swarmed out of his skin and around his arm before forming into an elaborate gun-like device. "This is an EMP generator. It can shut down machines or mess up their systems if used in large doses. But, a small dose of the Electromagnetic Pulse can temporarily shut down things like, I don't know…" His eyes fell on Ryand'r, "Pretender tech!" He fired a beam straight at Ryand'r, striking him in the chest. The guards immediately went and grabbed Pluto as Starfire gasped at the attack.

"You have crossed the line!" the magistrate roared as the council members all roared out their objections and outrage of Pluto's action.

Pluto wore a smile and said, "Watch."

Ryand'r stood up, his body convulsing as he mutated and changed shape. After a few seconds of electrical arcs sparking and the body morphing, standing in the Tamaranean prince's place was something else entirely.

It was a humanoid figure that was metallic silver in color with no facial features. What made up its face was a Deathtron emblem. This was a Deathtron Pretender.

The council and magistrate became silent as the Deathtron that had disguised himself as Prince Ryand'r was revealed. The Deathtron looked at Pluto with anger, although you couldn't really see it since he didn't have a real face. In an instant, the guards who had seized Pluto acted quickly and immediately rushed and pointed their glaives at the Deathtron's neck. The Deaththron Pretender glowered, "How did you know?" His disguise and act had been perfectly flawless.

"It was elementary, really," stated Pluto, once again quoting Sherlock Holmes. "You see you were making a few glaring mistakes that made you highly suspicious. I mean you set yourself up as the only person to have witnessed Blackfire leaving Galfore's chamber even when it wasn't true. You were just banking on your disguise as the prince that you didn't expect anyone to suspect you. It was a perfect disguise, mind you, and well, as cliché as my answer is…" Pluto said as he tapped his nose. "The nose knows. You just smelled really rotten since I first saw you."

"So you better give up now," Robin spoke up.

"Why did you pose as my brother and frame my sister?" Starfire asked.

The Deathtron Pretender chuckled, "It was a simple plan, really. Kill the emperor, frame the 'evil princess' and take over since the crowned princess would be in too much grief to take up the responsibility. Then, the Deathtrons would be free to siphon this planet for its energy and take its people as slaves." He glowered, "Of course, I would've gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you meddling humans."

"Thank you, thank you, I take all the credit," Pluto waved.

"Then where is my brother?" Starfire questioned. "Tell me!"

The Deathtron Pretender shrugged, "Who knows? He maybe dead for all I care, which I don't." Starfire began to cry.

"Well, you're going down," Robin said sternly.

"And way down to Chinatown!" Pluto added.

"This isn't over!" the Deathtron Pretender roared. He morphed back to Ryand'r, "I was not only able to take on Prince Ryand'r form, but his powers as well! If I'm going down, you all are coming with me!" He raised both his arms to the sides and sent the guards flying with blasts of green energy bolts. He floated upwards, an aura of green surrounding him before he blasted at everything and everyone. The other guards immediately escorted the magistrate and council out of the court to safety, leaving only the Titans.

Starfire growled in anger, eyes glowing with emerald flames. Pulling out her Pactio card, she shouted, "Adeat!" Her Starblade was formed in her hand from the card.

"Henshin!" Robin commanded, holding his communicator up to his face.

"_Standby!_" it responded before he locked it into his belt buckle. "_Activation!_" His own Rider armor activated.

Starfire let out a yell and flew upwards to battle with this Deathtron who'd give her grief by murdering Galfore and posing as her brother to frame her sister. She swung her blade at the imposter in a horizontal arc to take off his head. He ducked down and slammed his fist into her gut, making her double over in pain before he smashed his heel into her chin, throwing her backwards. Robin leapt up and performed a flying kick but his ankle was caught and he was spun around before being thrown into a wall. The Pretender wearing Ryand'r face looked towards Blackfire. "Now, you die!!" He shot a starbolt at her.

Pluto flew towards Blackfire and created a shield to block the blast. He then fired a lightning bolt at the Pretender. The Pretender dodged but Starfire tackled him to the ground. The sword wielding princess and imposter rolled along the ground, trading blows.

Pluto undid Blackfire's cuffs. She massaged her wrists and smiled at her boyfriend. "You were awesome," she complimented.

"Thanks," he grinned but then received a slap to the face. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Only I get to brag about what we do in bed, alright?" Blackfire reminded, frowning deeply.

"Yes dear, and sorry but I was in the moment," Pluto spoke defensively.

Blackfire pulled him over towards her and gave him a deep kiss. The romantic moment was interrupted by fighting as they watched to see Robin and Starfire battling the Ryand'r imposter. "Come on, puppy! Let's go! It's payback time!" She summoned her Inzecter and it attached to her bracelet. "Henshin!"

"HENSHIN!"

Pluto smiled and summoned his own belt before sliding in his Zodiac Deck, "Henshin! Empowerment of the Zodiac Dog!" In a flash of light, glass shards bonded to his body before forming his armor. The two Riders shared looks or determination before flying to engage the Deathtron Pretender in battle.

The Deathtron Pretender shot Starfire with his eyebeams, throwing her off. He picked himself up but was then slammed in the stomach by an armored Robin. He grabbed the fist in his stomach and then spun around to throw Robin over his shoulder.

He spun around to see Pluto and Blackfire coming at him. He grinned, expecting this to be an easy move to counter.

"CLOCK UP!"

Suddenly, Pluto disappeared. The Deathtron Pretender panicked and then…

"CLOCK OVER!"

STAB!

The Pretender felt something pierce through his body. Looking down, he saw a blade protrude out of his chest. He turned his head to see Pluto standing behind him. Pluto twisted the blade and said, "You really shouldn't have fucked with me and my girl. Taste my voltage, bitch!" He sent his electricity surging through the Pretender's body, via his sword. With a smooth maneuver, he withdrew his sword from his convulsing enemy, who sparked with electricity. He flickered between his true and Ryand'r forms, screaming.

"CAST OFF! CHANGE FIREFLY!"

Blackfire discarded her heavy Strong Mode armor and flew at the convulsing Pretender, now stuck in his true form since Pluto had shorted out his disguise. Robin was running along next to her. She reached to her Inzecter and pressed the thorax button, charging up her attack. Robin reached down to his belt buckle and flipped open the communicator. He pressed a button and heard it announce, "_Excel Charge._" A stream of light flowed from his belt and into his right foot, charging up his attack.

"METEOR FIST!" Blackfire's Inzecter announced as she threw her fist forward. Robin leapt up and then swung his right leg forward. The powerful punch and kick combo smashed into the Pretender, sending him flying.

The Pretender continued to on his unscheduled flight, flailing his arms and legs about. He saw a green flash and looked up to see Starfire coming down, holding her Starblade over her head. Her eyes glowed with righteous fury as she screamed out, "YOU HAVE DISGRACED MY FAMILY! NOW PERISH!" She brought down the blade and sliced the Pretender straight down the middle in half before she adjusted her grip and then finished it off with a horizontal slash, segmenting the imposter further into 4 pieces. Since he was just a machine, albeit one that could mimic emotions, he was still just that.

The Pretender exploded in a fiery blaze, leaving nothing in sight.

Starfire stabbed her Starblade into the ground, tears streaming down her face. Her tears were shed for Galfore as well as her brother who she thought she'd found at last.

* * *

Several hours later, the magistrate and council reached a decision. With all the evidence presented by the defense as well as the words spoken on her behalf and not to mention saving Tamaran from being enslaved by the Deathtrons, Blackfire was not only welcomed back to Tamaran, but regained her rights to the throne as well. Also, she was cleared of all charges for assassinating Galfore.

However, it was not a time for celebration. Galfore's body was being taken to the spot for his final farewell, which was basically a Tamaranean funeral. Robin, Pluto, Blackfire and Starfire attended as they watched Galfore being laid down to rest.

"Here on Tamaran, we do not bury out dead. Instead, we burn their bodies so that their souls can transcend and join with X'Hal. We believe that our souls hold our energies and that when we die, we join and become part of X'Hal," Starfire explained as she watched the ceremony.

Starfire and Blackfire both picked up their torches which burned with green fire before walking over towards Galfore's body which lay upon wood. Starfire and her sister said goodbye in their native tongue before setting Galfore's body ablaze. They stood back with their people, watching as Galfore became part of X'Hal. Galfore's body burned in the colors of the Tamaraneans' eyes, an emerald blaze of glory. Reigning for a short time but bringing peace to this world, that is what he deserved.

Starfire hugged her sister and cried against her chest as Blackfire did her best to comfort Starfire. Their parents were gone and so was Galfore. They also had no idea if their own brother was still alive. Thus, they were the last of the And'r line.

Off to the side, both Robin and Pluto yearned to be for their loves more than anything else. Still, they knew their time would come. The sisters would need their time to mourn before they could rest comfortably in another's embrace.

* * *

Days later, Starfire was crowned the new empress. She stood at the balcony, wearing the crown and decided to speak to the people. She didn't make it a long speech but summarized her feelings in one sentence, "I am not ready to rule."

The people murmured at her choice of words as Starfire continued, "I am not ready for such a huge responsibility despite your confidence in me. I do not believe I can rule as well as my parents and Galfore. But, I do know of another more deserving." Starfire looked behind her to see Blackfire, Robin and Pluto. "My sister." Blackfire gasped. This shocked the people too.

"Kori, you don't have to do this," said Blackfire, trying not to accept this act of kindness from Starfire. It was her pride that wouldn't let her. "I don't deserve it."

"But you do," Starfire said before removing her crown and beckoning Blackfire over. The black haired Tamaranean walked forward with her head high and shoulder back. She couldn't really refuse an order by the crowned princess, could she?

Blackfire bowed and Starfire placed the crown over her head. Blackfire mused, '_I almost missed how this felt_.' She then stood up to face the people.

"I give you Empress Komand'r!" Starfire exclaimed and the people murmured. Blackfire frowned and began to speak.

Blackfire spoke, "Alright, I know many of you think of me as nothing more than an abomination. I know most of you also see me as non-deserving of this honor after all I've done or what you think I've done. However, I have learnt from my mistake and paid the consequences for them. Now, I know it will take time but this planet still needs a ruler. I am that ruler. I have learnt how to serve the people instead of serving myself and by the name of my parents, Galfore and X'Hal I shall do it! This is a start of a brand new age for our people!" She threw her fists into the air. This elicited cheers from the people. "Long live Empress Komand'r!"

"LONG LIVE EMPRESS KOMAND'R! LONG LIVE EMPRESS KOMAND'R!"

Starfire applauded before hugging her sister. Pluto and Robin applauded as well. Pluto then gloated, "Dude, my girlfriend is an empress! How wicked awesome is that?"

Robin just rolled his eyes in response. Some things never change.

* * *

_I'm glad for two things. 1: I am glad that my sister has forgiven me and believes in me, and 2: I have the love of a good man, even though I have to train him to be the right kind of man for me sometimes._

_I love Yoshiyuki Takada. Even if he can be a bit of a dork sometimes, he's the one I've claimed as my own. He has brains, brawns (though the former can be questionable at times due to his lack of common sense) and a good heart. Though he makes mistakes, he means well. I find it cute that he tries so hard to make others happy._

_He's only human, but I know I'm making the right choice. He is the one for me._

-Komand'r.

* * *

_To everything there's a season and a time to every purpose. The Earth spins at a thousand miles an hour as we desperately try to keep from being thrown off. Like the first blush of winter that signals a great migration, was there any warning of their arrival? A sign, a single event that set this chain into motion? Was it a whisper in God's ear? Survive, adapt, escape… And if we could mark that single moment in time? That first hint of the prophecy of approaching danger… Would we have done anything differently? Could it have been stopped or was the die long ago cast? And if we could go back, alter its course, stop it from happening, would we?_

To Be Continued…


	82. PT082: My Life

Part 82: My Life; Present, Past and Future

To my friends I am known as Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa. To my teammates I am known as Shadowcobra. To my enemies…

Well, I've been called a lot of different names by them; some insulting, others ludicrous, and a few which just plain hurt.

My friends, despite me considering them as such, don't know much about me or my past. What they know is what I've allowed them to know. There are things about me I do not feel comfortable sharing, especially with those closest to me.

What could I say to defend myself? I've done a lot of terrible things in my life that I feel regret for doing. There are things I want to take back but know I couldn't.

My first day of school, an Earth school, had not been pleasant. The kids saw me as a freak and didn't dare to approach me. Those who did approach me sought to make my life miserable.

They paid the price. I wreaked havoc on the school. To put it mildly, imagine that scene from "The Exorcist" and you have a pretty good idea of what I did with my powers.

The dark power from my father flowed through my veins…my mother's holy power flowed through my veins too…but which was I? Was I dark or light? Was I both or neither?

Such questions could drive a normal person insane. Fortunately or unfortunately (whichever way you like to look at it), I was anything but normal. My life was pretty much a void of dark depression. Face it. Having dark powers like mine didn't win me many friends.

Since normal schools were out of the question, I was sent to the Deathtron Academy at a young age. I was only 8 years old and from then on I learnt several very important lessons:

Survival of the fittest.

Do whatever it takes to get the job done.

And don't take slag from anybody.

I learnt these from a teacher of mine. Someone I looked up to. His name was Crackdown.

* * *

It was just one of days, really. I was being mocked for being an Earthling and the only reason I got into the Academy was because of my father. I didn't have any friends. Not that I wanted to. Instead, I just focused on my studies. The Deathtron Curriculum was more advanced and challenging compared to those of a simple Earth school. However, things like hierarchy never changed.

One day it got so bad that I ran, crying. I sat in the corner and that was when he spoke to me.

"Hey, kid. Are you okay?" he asked me. I looked up and saw one of the many Deathtrons that worked as instructors here. He was known as Crackdown. To be honest, all the staff went by a codename. His armor was green with black tribal markings. Of course, this armor was directly attached to his body. Nearly all of his body had been replaced by machinery and so he was a cyborg. The only organic part was his head, which was completely bald and he had red eyes. The left one was mechanical and had a scar there. He also had dark goatee. His skin was a pale color too and he had the same tribal tattoo markings on his face. The Deathtron symbol was on his chest.

"Oh, it's you, Mr. Crackdown," I spoke timidly, wiping away tears. He looked me over and sighed.

"The other cadets giving you trouble?" he asked. I nodded. "And you just ran away crying?"

"What else was I supposed to do?" I responded.

"What else? You're a Deathtron! And Deathtrons don't take slag from nobody!"

I blinked. "Don't take slag from nobody?"

He smiled. "You're young, kid, but even so you gotta show them whose boss. I've heard about you. You're one really smart kid. From what I can tell you'll be out of here pretty early and may even end up on the Secret Police."

"The Secret Police?" I asked aloud. He shushed me and leaned down to whisper.

"It's called the Secret Police for a reason, kid." He winked at me. "OK, so, you're being bullied?"

"Not exactly," I said. "I can hear what they're thinking. I didn't care but then I realized they hated me."

Crackdown sighed. "So, they hate you. Heck, I don't particularly like any of my fellow instructors either. I can barely tolerate them sometimes."

I smiled a bit.

"Listen, kid," he spoke, giving me advice, "Don't take slag from them. If they even think it, show them whose boss. You deserve as much respect as anybody. Doesn't matter which planet or galaxy you came from. Be proud of what you are and what you do. Do some damage if you have to so you can give them a clear message. Remember to NOT take slag from nobody."

I stood up straight and saluted, "Thank you, Sir, Mr. Crackdown, Sir."

He ruffled my hair and said, "Now, get back in there and show them who's boss!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

Thus, I let loose. Sure, I got into trouble and traumatized a few students, but now they had another valid reason to avoid me. It was now of fear rather than hate or disgust. Now they respected me out of fear. Back then I enjoyed it.

Nobody gave me slag. I wasn't going to take it. If they were going to dish it out, I was going to give it back, with interest!

I even managed to survive the toughest test of all. It was gnown as "The Gauntlet". 100 of us were put into a chamber and instructed to fight until only one man was left standing. I walked out after many hours, with injuries that had been inflicted on me but they were nothing compared to the injuries I inflicted upon the other 99 inside.

A few years later I graduated. With my exceptional scores and being first in my class I was immediately promoted to the rank of Captain. Months later, I was promoted to the rank of Commander. That was only because I exposed the previous commander of being corrupt, power hungry and totally unworthy of his rank. I don't know what happened to him but I bet it was unpleasant. Fat bastard deserved it.

I wasn't just any Commander. I was Commander of my own division in the Deathtron Secret Police. My team's job was to track down the worst Deathtron criminals and traitors and bring them to justice. We were at peace with the Sabretrons and wanted to start afresh, despite our less than savory reputation.

I remembered Crackdown's words when I busted this one criminal. I was in my Deathtron Armor, which was themed after a snake, a king cobra to be precise. My codename was Shadowcobra.

This criminal used to be a student in the Academy but was expelled for trying to kill one of the instructors. His codename was Tantrum if I was not mistaken and was prone to fits of rage. He was a humanoid bull, like a Minotaur, but decked in powerful armor. He was wanted for evading arrest and killing several officers. Thus, I made it my mission to track him down.

That was when I met _him_ again.

* * *

I entered the cargo bay to find my man had already been taken down. His horns were missing. Standing over his immobile form was someone I hadn't seen in years.

"Crackdown!" I exclaimed and he stared at me. He was as I remembered him, save the armor on his arms and legs didn't seem to match with each other. He still had his goatee but now had spiked shoulder armor. I watched as his left hand turned back from a chainsaw. In place of his right hand was a hook. He gave me a smile as I took off my helmet. He recognized me instantly, giving me a fond smile.

"Well, my boy," he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Coming after him, but it seems that's not necessary anymore, Mr. Crackdown," I spoke. I saw that Tantrum's horns were in his hand. "So, why did you take his horns?"

"There are trophies, really," stated Crackdown. "I just love collecting trophies."

I gave him a look. Something was off about him. "Mr. Crackdown, you just disappeared from the Academy. What happened to you?"

"Let's just say I found a better business opportunity. He walked into the light and my eyes widened when I saw that his Deathtron symbol has scratch marks running over it. From the looks of things they were self inflicted. Only Deathtrons who denounced themselves did that.

"Mr. Crackdown…" I spoke up, realizing what was going on. "You're a…"

"I'm a bounty hunter now, kid," Crackdown said. "I love teaching, I really did, but this is my true calling. That's why I left the Academy and the Secret Police. Too many rules that held me back."

"What are you going to do to Tantrum?" I asked.

"Oh, turn him over to someone, collect my bounty, then move on to my next job," he shrugged. "Hey, you can even come with me. Maybe we can be partners." When he meant 'someone', I knew he wasn't talking about the Deathtron Secret Police or anyone in association. In this world, if you had enough credits, you could issue a bounty on anyone.

I shook my head, apologizing, "Sorry, but you won't be collecting your bounty. Tantrum is coming with me."

"Sure, you can do that," said Crackdown. "But you gotta go through me."

I put on my helmet and glared at him with a deep frown. "That sounds like a challenge, Crackdown."

"So, let's see if a kid like you can stop me."

"I don't take slag from anybody, Crackdown, not even you," I hissed.

We charged at one another.

* * *

I had the power and skill but Crackdown had the experience. I lost, he delivered Tantrum, and then he was gone.

It was a blow to my honor. I was a Commander within the Deathtron Secret Police force and was beaten by a bounty hunter.

As much as I admired him, he was a traitor to the Deathtrons for turning into a bounty hunter. He was a traitor to justice.

One day I was going to bring him down and bring him in.

* * *

Aside from Crackdown, there was another Deathtron I knew who left a not so positive impression on me. His name was Swindler and he was as trustworthy as a pedophile you left your children with.

The first time I met him was during a raid. Swindler was known as an arms dealer and often bought weapon cheap or stole them, modified them, and then sold them at a higher price to the highest bidder. It was a lucrative business, especially during big wars. With the war over, Swindler had to turn towards other business opportunities, most likely renegades who wanted to restart the whole war.

I had a few officers with me and one rookie fresh out of the Academy. He looked up to me. As far as I can remember his name was Bloodhound and he had sharp senses. However, he was also very eager to prove himself.

We arrived when Swindler was setting up another deal to sell some performance enhancement chemicals he managed to procure for himself. The drug was called 'BERSERKER' since those who took it, even at small doses, would turn into a raging berserker. It increased the adrenaline levels and gave the user strength. However, taking so much of it caused irreparable damage to the brain. Those who survived ended up as mindless vegetables. It was a fate worse than death.

Though it was a drug, the term 'chemical weapon' would be more accurate. Regardless, it had to be recovered before it fell into the wrong hands. Plus Swindler needed to be taken in before he did anymore damage.

I was trying to set up a plan but Bloodhound was too eager and charged in, disobeying my orders. I chased after him. Soon, I heard gunfire. When I found him, Swindler was standing over him. From the empty look in Bloodhound's face and the pool of blood he was lying in, I knew I was too late.

Swindler escaped by creating a smoke cloud as a diversion. He left his merchandise behind and fled. I left carrying Bloodhound's body.

He was my responsibility. I felt guilt and sorrow. He was so young and so eager to prove himself. Well, at least he died in action.

After that I left and returned to Earth to stay with my family. The rest, as you know, is history.

It wouldn't be years later until I met Swindler again.

* * *

Swindler laid low for a few years before he resurfaced, this time on Earth. He was selling stolen Deathtron weaponry to gangs. The ones he sold them were cheap while the expensive ones were saved for more wealthy clients. Of course, the gangs wanted more and robbed banks and jewelry stores to pay Swindler for bigger and better weapons.

This time he was in Jump City and after gaining some parts he had built himself a 'Clock Down' device. It functioned on similar principles as the Clock Up system and as usual he was trying to sell it to Slade of all people.

Swindler was a smooth talker. He tried to butter Slade up with compliments, saying things like, "You got quite the reputation here, Slade. A criminal mastermind plus you look great by the way."

Slade was unimpressed but listened to Swindler anyway. He also asked how Swindler got the frequency to call him and all Swindler said was he got it from a friend of a friend.

Copycat didn't trust him one bit. Good for her.

Swindler explained, "This device here can slow down anything. I'm talking about the perfect weapon to shutdown your enemies for good. They won't be able to move or do anything and be stuck in a state of complete suspended animation. They will be like statues. A fate worse than death, don't you agree? It affects anything and anyone within a set radius and you are safe from it by wearing a special wrist band. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Before Swindler could close the deal, Raven and I ambushed him. Despite the weapons he had on him, he wasn't much of a challenge against the two of us working together. Soon, he was stunned and cuffed.

Swindler immediately recognized me. "Oh, it's you," Swindler said.

"You know this creep?" asked Raven, referring to the Deaththron she and I had caught.

"His name's Swindler," I stated, "He's an illegal arms dealer wanted in several galaxies and star systems. He buys weapons cheap, modifies them, and then sells them to anyone who's willing to pay big credits. Sometimes he just steals the weapons or even trades them. He's wanted for terrorism and rumor has it that in a war between two tribes of the same planet he's been selling weapons to both sides, prolonging the conflict."

"Hey, I'm an entrepreneur," the purple-eyed Deathtron said. "I make deals. War just provides me with the opportunity."

"You also destroy the lives of innocents," I responded coldly. "The Deathtron Secret Police has been hunting you down for years for trading Deathtron technology, illegally I might add."

"Hey, business is business. A guy like me needs to make ends meet, y'know? I mean, your company's selling Deathtron tech too. Why should you hog the business?"

I clarified, "Smart Brain_ reverse engineers_ Deathtron technology into products the public can use. We do not mass produce weapons for military purposes."

"But you do manufacture weapons," Swindler retorted. "That stun blast you used on me is Deathtronian tech if I remember. A stasis blaster, right? Plus these cuffs are Deathtron tech too. They are negating my powers and weapons."

"Well, we had to use them since you're dangerous," Raven spoke. "You're an arms dealer."

"Which is why you're going to be shipped off to a prison asteroid where people like you are kept," I coldly stated.

"Oh, come on! Can't we make a deal?" Swindler whined.

"You're a smooth talker, Swindler, but I'm not buying."

Swindler grumbled.

"So, how did you end up on this side of the galaxy?" I questioned.

Swindler answered, "Well, if you must know, a mutual bounty hunting friend of ours told me of the great business I could get here. For a dirtball it sure has a great location."

I scowled at hearing about Crackdown who was a former member of the Deathtron Secret Police turned bounty hunter. "He's no friend of mine." No, he wasn't a friend. He was once my mentor.

"Well, he's got some fond memories of you," Swindler taunted.

I knocked him out with a telepathic blast. I didn't want to hear anymore from his poisoned mouth.

* * *

Months later, the Titans received a visit. It was someone I hadn't thought I would see again after a very long time. It was after we managed to capture Warp after he went on a crime spree using his future technology. After what'd happened before, during a fight with the Titans, he could no longer return to the future. He was stuck here in this time period and was trying to find a way to fix his technology.

"Long time no see, kid," spoke the person. He was humanoid and bald with tribal tattoos on his face. He was decked out in a suit of hi-tech armor. It was mainly green and black with tribal markings. His right hand was a hook while his left hand, which could transform into a chainsaw, had sharp clawed fingers. He had an artificial eye fitted where his left eye should be. Also, on his chest was a Deathtron symbol, though there were slash marks over it to mark that he was no longer aligned with the Deathtrons.

"Crackdown," I hissed.

"Wait, Shadow," Robin spoke up. "You know this guy?"

"His name is…" Shadowcobra began.

"I'm Crackdown," spoke the former Deathtron. "I'm a bounty hunter and this creep here is one of my bounties." He placed a foot on Warp's back to emphasize his point.

"I never thought you'd be interested in Earth criminals," I spoke up, the scowl on my face never leaving. "You were always after more infamous intergalactic criminals." Blackfire had a bounty on her. Luckily I was able to solve that problem.

"Hey, I'm here on Earth and needed the currency," defended Crackdown. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking my bounty and cashing in. Don't worry, though. I'm taking him to the local authorities."

"Hold it," Robin spoke up. "You're not taking him anywhere." He was reaching to his utility belt.

"I never asked your permission," Crackdown spoke, aiming his hook at Robin.

"Robin, just let him go," I said in defeat.

"But-" Robin tried to protest.

I reminded, "As long as the criminal goes to prison that's all that matters."

Crackdown smirked, "I knew I could count on you, kid. I taught you well."

Everyone looked at me. Crackdown gave me a salute before grabbing Warp and dragging him away to claim his bounty.

Later, at the Tower, I explained everything about my relationship with Crackdown.

"Crackdown used to be an instructor at the Deathtron Academy," I explained. "He was tough but he earned everyone's respect. Of course he disappeared for a few years and when he turned up again he was a bounty hunter. He doesn't even consider himself a Deathtron anymore."

"OK, so, he's a good guy?" Beast Boy asked hopefully.

"Not exactly the words I'd use to describe him," I replied. "He's the type of person who often delivers his bounty in the former if the bounty states "Dead or Alive". Not only does he receive huge payments, but he enjoys taking personal items of the criminals he captures as trophies."

"So, he took something from Warp?" Robin asked, worried. Crackdown didn't seem all that trustworthy.

"Well, he just keeps them as trophies," I defended. "He would most likely frame it and mount it on a wall or put it up on his trophy case." I've seen his trophies in the past when he offered to show me. "But, let's just say he's just as bad as the criminals he goes after. I would be careful dealing with him. After all, he taught me to do whatever it takes to get the job done."

We didn't encounter Crackdown again, though. However, I have a feeling we'd be seeing him again soon. I only hope it was under better circumstances.

* * *

**Present Time…NEO AZARATH…**

Walking down memory lane always manages to calm me down. Thinking back on my past reminded me of how much I've changed through the years. Today, another change was about to occur…I needed to be really calm for this. I couldn't feel any anxiety.

Because…

Because…

I can't believe it myself, but…

But…

(Sigh…)

I was getting married. Luckily, it was to Raven. Still, it wasn't by choice that I was marrying her today. Her mother, Arella, unfortunately found out about our affair. We were clearly in love but I then learnt that all Azarathean women had to remain virgins before marriage. It was law. Failure to abide by that law was punishable by…

Let's just say that for a society of pacifists, they had a lot of creative ideas for capital punishment.

With rules, however, there were loopholes and the only way to solve his problem was via marriage. This was the reason why I was dressed in a white robe with a hood pulled down. This was how Azaratheans would wed. It would be held at a temple where monks and nuns would chant. The monks would chant for the groom while the nuns would chant for the bride. The one to perform the ceremony would be the high priestess, dubbed Azar.

I remembered seeing that scowl on Raven's mother's face. It was one of contempt and if I knew better she was holding back the urge to strangle me for defiling her daughter. If I could only read her mind to know what she was thinking. Of course, Azaratheans had strong mental shields that came with years of practice.

As Pluto would say, I was royally screwed. Best be a man and suck it up.

I was escorted to the temple with monks flanking me, carrying candles. I pulled my hood up to hide my face. I entered the massive temple, which was golden and beautiful with stained glass windows. There was a bed of white flowers and doves flying in the air.

How there were doves and no livestock would forever escape me. Then again, doves were used to carry messages in Azarath. Each family had at least one dove to carry messages. Therefore, doves served a great purpose here.

He just hoped it wasn't wedding invitation. Raven was heavily affected by this change and he could sense her distress. She didn't feel like she was ready but she didn't have much of a choice.

I entered the temple. There were benches lined up in two rows creating a path in the middle towards the altar. There stood Raven since I recognized her aura. She too was in a white robe and had her hood down, allowing her long violet hair to fall down like a curtain. I swallowed and strode forward.

There stood Azar, clad in gold and not white, and with graying hair in a bun. She had both a gentle yet firm expression fixed on her face. From how Raven had described her, she had fond memories of her former teacher.

I pulled down my hood and looked up. I glanced at Raven who had her head down.

"Now, we shall commence the ceremony," spoke Azar, "But first, the parents of both parties shall stand beside them."

I saw Arella coming up to stand next to Raven. I frowned. My parents weren't-

"Ichi-chan!" a familiar female voice called.

I blinked. '_What the deuce?_'

I turned towards the temple doors to see my mother, running at full speed, with that look on her face and…oh no…

She immediately grabbed me and pulled me into a suffocating hug. As much as I loved this woman, I needed to tell her to realize her own strength.

She put me down and I could finally breathe. She was dressed in a pink business suit, her favorite color, with long flowing skirt. Her hair was done up in a stylish bun.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" I asked, "How did you get here?"

"Oh, your father arranged that," she spoke and there I saw the man I dreaded to see. I would be in so much trouble about this. I was getting married while I was so young. This may not look good in his eyes. He was dressed in his best suit, all black, and with that serious expression on him.

He looked down at me and I met his eyes, nervously. What was he going to say? What was he going to do? I saw that the monks and nuns hadn't acted or done anything. Raven was shocked but Arella and Azar hadn't done or said anything in alarm.

Something was up…even pacifists would've reacted somehow.

"So, getting married, son?" my father, Ichiro, said. His face was strictly neutral. I was definitely in for it.

"Yes, father," I said, bowing. I felt extremely tense, waiting for him to react in some negative way towards what was happening.

"Aren't you a little young?"

"I am, but…"

He sighed.

He spoke to Arella, "Angela, did you scare my son into marriage?"

I blinked.

Angela?

Wasn't that Raven's mother's real name?

Arella smiled and said, "Well, he did bed my daughter and they are already engaged. I might as well help move things along."

"Oh, Angela-chan! You're still as funny as ever!" my mother giggled.

Just what was going on?

Even Raven was confused.

"Alright, time out!" I exclaimed, "Can anybody please explain to me what is going on?"

* * *

I finally got the story. About 20 years ago or so, my parents were friends with Arella who back then was known as Angela Roth. Angela came from an abusive family and got in with the wrong crowd. The wrong crowd happened to be Trigon's worshippers who wanted to sacrifice her to the demon lord. Trigon came, raped her, and impregnated her, before slinking back to his dimension.

My parents rescued her and brought her to Azarath. She was eternally grateful to them.

When Trigon attacked Azarath, my father and mother helped the survivors escape into a new dimension to rebuild their society, dubbing it Neo Azarath. They even made sure Raven reached Earth safely.

That about summed it up.

* * *

"You _know_ each other?" I asked after they told the story.

"Yes," Arella nodded.

"So, you've known about me all this time?" I asked, looking straight at Arella.

"Well, why shouldn't I?" she asked. "I did help deliver you."

My eyes widened and I shouted, "WHAT!?"

"Mother!" Raven exclaimed, "You delivered him?"

"She also helped deliver your sister and brother," Ichiro explained. "She's also your godmother."

As out of character it would be to react in such a way, I did just that.

It was only appropriate.

I fainted.

* * *

I woke up to see Raven hovering over me. I said to her, "I had the strangest dream…"

"That we were getting married, then your parents came, and you found out my mom delivered you and was your godmother?" she inquired.

I blinked. "How did you…?" Oh God. I looked down at myself. I was still in the white robe, lying on the floor. "It's all true, isn't it?"

"Yup," she nodded as she helped me up, "Who would've thought that my mom delivered you."

"And that she was my godmother," I added. I looked towards Raven, "That would mean you're my god-sister."

She blanched. "Please…don't say that when we're about to be married."

"So we still have to go through with it?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," she nodded. "It's easy, really."

I sighed, "Let's just get this over with."

Strangely enough, I was both nervous and excited at the same time.

* * *

The ceremony started again, this time with my parents by my side. Both Raven and I were holding candles as Azar produced a candle with a flame on it.

"Light your candles," she instructed and we did as told, lighting our candles with the small flame of hers. "Now, recite your vows."

"I, Raven, daughter of Arella, take thee to be my husband under the eyes of Azar. We shall be united forever more, to care for one another, be together in sickness or in health, till death separates us and until death reunites us again."

"I, Ichijyo, son of Keiko and Ichiro, take thee to be my wife under the eyes of Azar. We shall be united forever more, to care for one another, be together in sickness or in health, till death separates us and until death reunites us again."

My mother began to tear up and my father sighed. "Keiko, must you really?" he asked her. Weddings were joyous occasions to be sure, but…crying?

"I can't help it. I always cry at weddings," she said as she wiped her tears away. My father made a quiet sigh before he continued watching the ceremony.

My mother and father were as different as day and night…but I guess that's what makes them compatible, oddly enough.

I turned to look at Raven and then exchanged our candles before blowing them out. Then, we touched foreheads. My hair had been combed so that my Mark of Sin was visible as it touched against her chakra jewel. She looked at me softly and I returned it with a loving gaze. We then separated, turned towards Azar, and bowed.

She spoke, "Now, I dub you, husband and wife."

For some reason, hearing those words made me incredibly happy.

Then my mother swept me and my new wife in a bone breaking hug, squealing, "MY SON IS ALL GROWN UP!!"

My father palmed his face as I groaned, telling my mother to release us. Arella then walked towards me, face stern. She spoke, "I hope you can take care of my daughter, Ichijyo."

"I shall, madam," I answered.

She smiled, "Call me Arella. You're family now."

"Of course, Arella."

Her stern expression returned and she spoke into my mind, '_If you hurt my daughter, godson or not, I will hunt you down and turn you into a eunuch!_' It was threat and one she was serious with.

I paled further and my pupils dilated. I gave her a nod and returned her message which she took. She seemed satisfied with my answer, but that promise was still echoing in her eyes.

* * *

Raven and I were later taken to a room where we would spend the night together for the first time as husband and wife. The bed looked soft and comfortable and the sheets were made of silk. Scented candles were also placed around the room to promote a relaxing atmosphere and provided some dim lighting as well. It felt strangely romantic too.

Raven sat on the bed, looking at her hands. I sat down too.

"This day has been weird," she said to me.

"Tell me about it," I returned. "Now we're married."

She stared at her engagement ring, "And we didn't even have the right rings."

"About that," I said, taking out a box. She stared at it.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"My parents brought it along and slipped it into my hands after the wedding." I handed the small velvet box over to her. "Open it."

She did and gasped as she saw two gold bands with stones on them. One stone was violet while the other was black. "Are these…?"

"Our wedding rings," I finished. I took the box back and took out the ring with the violet stone on it. She shakily took out the one with the black stone. I put the box aside. "Your hand, my beautiful blackbird."

She extended her hand to me and I slipped on the ring, "With this ring, I thee wed." I then gave her my hand and she slipped on the second ring.

"With this ring, I thee wed," she repeated, looking at me with eyes watering. She then pushed me onto the bed and began to kiss me with all it was worth.

We've been through a lot, a whole lot, things people our age could only imagine in their best dreams or worst nightmares.

She pulled her lips away from mine, cheeks flushed and then I saw a look in her eyes I recognized whenever we were about to make love.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked, tracing circles on my chest.

"Sure," I nodded slightly.

"I'm not wearing _anything_ under this robe."

That instantly put a smile on my face, despite my flushed cheeks.

To Be Continued…

* * *

Swindler's Bio: Swindler is a well known arms dealer with little conscience. He is responsible for prolonging several wars. He doesn't care if anyone gets hurt as long as he can make a profit. He'd even sell his own mother for the right price. He's also heavily armed with weapons he keeps for personal use. His armor can generate a shield that is capable of deflecting the most powerful of blasts. He is also equipped with an arm mounted cannon that shoots a devastating energy blast. His armor is lime green and purple with the Deathtron symbol on his shoulder and he wears a helmet with a purple visor. He is more or less a coward without all his weapons and proves to be more of a businessman rather than a fighter. His "best friend" is Crackdown, a Deathtron Bounty Hunter whom he also provides with weapons and upgrades and Crackdown provides him with possible business opportunities.

* * *

Crackdown's Bio: Crackdown will hunt after any bounty worthwhile. The Deathtron Secret Police let him do his business since he delivers criminals they issue bounties on. Swindler is just an unscrupulous business man. If I know Slade he might be interested in making deals. Swindler is all about the money. Any currency would do. He could even trade weapons and maybe some exotic items. Copycat has little trust for ppl like him since Swindle has his eye on her armor and her Excel System. I mean, he's the type of guy who would sell anything if the price was right and buy stuff cheap so he can sell it at double the price. He's smart but arrogant as heck.

Crackdown is kinda the guy who delivers a criminal dead or alive, mostly the former than the latter. He and Shadowcobra went after the same target once and well...it didn't end pretty. Crackdown has most of his body parts replaced and modified with advanced cybernetics so he has mismatched body parts and armor. He also has interchangeable parts. Also has a habit of collecting 'trophies' from his 'victims'. A memento if you will.


	83. PT083: 2 Months Later

Part 83: Two Months Later

_It is man's ability to remember that sets us apart. We are the only species concerned with the past. Our memories give us voice. They bear the witness to history, so that others might learn, so they might celebrate our triumphs and be warned of our failures_.

* * *

2 months had passed since the battle at Zandia. Upon returning to the Tower, Draco immediately locked himself up in his room. It was obvious that he'd been crying in his room. Whenever he came out, he smiled, but it was really only a mask. It was just like when he'd first come to the city. It was after Tazuka's death.

2 months ago he'd, reluctantly, gone to inform Vincent Harker, Mortuary's adopted dad, of his adopted son's death before being thrown out by the angry man. Draco couldn't blame him, really. It was after all _his_ fault that Mortuary had died.

A memorial service had been held in Mortuary's honor. Friends and family came…well…most of them came. Draco couldn't bring himself to attend. He just felt that he didn't deserve to be there. Of course, he'd been coerced into attending though, albeit reluctantly, to pay his respects. Afterwards, Ashleigh, Cassandra and Billy left to travel the world.

Jinx was the most concerned as was Brimstone. They didn't know what to do and were unsure of how to help him.

Renia had also been affected by Mortuary's death. Her temper was shorter and she would yell out in a rage before storming out of the room to blow off some steam via the training room. She had beaten up several training dummies before shredding them to ribbons. She didn't want anyone to see her crying.

Shadow and Raven hadn't returned from Azarath, but news of their marriage did reach the Titans. Starfire and Robin had returned a month earlier but Pluto and Blackfire stayed on Tamaran. Pluto was working on restoring Tamaran's tropical environment.

At first he was reluctant to stay but then he received a surprising message…

It was from his mother. She had miraculously awakened from her coma. Venus brought her immediately to Titans East Tower to send a transmission to him. At first Takada was shocked and couldn't believe it but there she was, his mother, smiling.

Sure, his mother had been upset about her husband's death but had moved on. Takada and his mother had spent hours talking through the computer screen. He'd told her everything that had happened in the last 4 years. She laughed, cried and was shocked. Also, she finally got to meet the girl her son had chosen as his girlfriend. Sure, she was an alien, but since she could make her son happy, she was happy too. She hoped that one day they got to meet in person.

What Takada didn't know that Reika's revival was all due to some 'divine intervention'. Libra had gone to Heaven and met with his old friend, Ryo Takada. Ryo knew that his wife was in a coma. He couldn't bear to see her suffer that way so he begged Libra, who he knew was Kyousuke, to revive her. Libra couldn't do it but Ryo decided to pay the price.

Ryo was willing to stay for eternity in Hell as long as his wife was revived. He wanted his family complete again, even without him. Libra tried to talk him against it but Libra knew better than to deny his old friend and teacher. After pulling some strings, Ryo was taken to Hell but he wore a smile on his face. He wouldn't be tortured, hopefully.

Reika gave her son her blessings with his mission and just hoped he would succeed. She had faith in him. Apparently, her son had neglected to tell her about his previous failed experiments.

Blackfire had never seen Takada so happy. She remembered when he'd been so happy after winning her hand. He had to go through the X'Handal tournament, fighting various suitors to make himself worthy in the eyes of the Tamaraneans. He'd also humiliated a few men since he was human. Too bad for them that he wasn't a normal human.

The happiness he showed that day at the end of the X'Handal was nothing compared to the happiness he showed when he saw his mother, awake at last.

Takada had no idea of the deal his father had made but it was for the best. He didn't need to know about his father's sacrifice.

Draco, of course, wasn't as happy as he seemed. Jinx knew it. She could see it. The pain in his eyes was apparent. They'd lost their usual shine. She grew worried about him. For 2 months he'd driven himself hard in his training, forcing himself to the brink of exhaustion. The failure of losing Mortuary had caused this.

She'd tried to make him feel better. He even got to speak with his idols, the Kamen Riders. They gave him their condolences. A few of them understood, really. The one she got to know as V3 even confessed to having witnessed his whole family being slaughtered before his eyes.

He even got a few words of advice from Kamen Rider Ichigo/Takeshi Hongo.

"_A Rider's strength stems from tragedy._"

Ryuki's interpretation was that he had to become stronger to avoid another tragedy. However, in doing so, he was pushing his friends away.

He was pushing _her_ away.

* * *

Warren did not want his friend to go down a path of self destruction so he decided to take matters into his own hands. He went off into the city with Chaco, who he'd hidden in a special sub-space pocket during the battle to keep her safe. He'd promised the late Mr. J that he would take care of the dog and he was going to keep that promise no matter what. Warren, upon seeing the state this Earth's Titans decided to stay until things got back to normal, relatively speaking. He paled. "Rae's gonna be pissed," he said to himself

He was going to meet three other special people who could help him deal with Ryuki's problem. They were the people who Ryuki considered as brothers.

They were Saeji Takuma, Ryunosuke "Ryan" Kazama and Tazuka Mizuki, also known as the Red Fanged Makai Knight REDDO, the Vizard known as Kamen Rider Oni, and the Arrancar known as El Pasenderos Aguarius, respectively.

He was going to meet them at an outdoor café. Chaco was walking alongside him on a leash, yipping happily. The small Chihuahua had made friends with Brimstone, Draco's pet demon dog. Ryuki was walking alongside him after being convinced by Jinx to take some time off. He'd been training non stop and needed a break. Brimstone was on a leash he was holding.

Warren had met Tazuka and Saeji when they had come to visit the Tower. From what Warren gathered, Tazuka was an Arrancar and Saeji was a Makai Knight. Both were like brothers to Ryuki. They became friends shortly after meeting and having a 3-way spar.

Warren had also contacted Ryan. The Oni Kamen Rider had been part of their ChronoLiner crew which had saved the Multiverse months ago. Warren knew Ryuki looked up to his sempai.

Saeji and Tazuka were already seated at a table, waiting for Warren and Ryuki to show up. They had already ordered and were drinking coffee while snacking on some cheese and crackers. They were both talking as they waited for the remaining members of the meeting to show up.

"Ryuki-kun is not doing well," Saeji sighed. "Last time he was this bad was when you died, I believe."

"True," Tazuka sighed. "Unlike me, however, Mortuary is not going to come back."

"Human life. So fragile and so irreplaceable," Kurenai, Saeji's magic ring, sighed. "How I pity you."

"Hey, guys!" Ryan greeted as he sat down after pulling himself a chair. He set his guitar case down. "So, when are they coming?"

"Hello, Ryan," Saeji greeted. He and Ryan had met a while back when a few Horrors and Hollows decided to work together. It'd taken their combined efforts to destroy a Hollow-Horror hybrid created when a Horror and Hollow bonded. It hadn't been an easy battle.

"Greetings," Tazuka greeted. Despite both of their races being opposite, they learnt to at least tolerate one another. They weren't friends but they were still allies. The only common factor they shared was their friendship and fondness with Ryuki.

The waitress came to take Ryan's order. He simply asked for a sandwich and a tall glass of cold milk.

"How has Ryuki been doing?" Ryan asked bluntly, but with concern in his voice.

"Not well," Saeji sighed. "He's sealing himself up and not letting anyone through."

"Frankly, Jinx is unsure what to do and is worried about their relationship," Tazuka nodded.

"From what's going on, I don't think it's going to last soon as long as this problem isn't solved," Saeji said observantly. "I mean, I like the girl too."

"Same here," agreed Tazuka. "He's happier with her than he was with Alex or Caitlin." Jinx at least understood what it was like to have power she didn't like. Ryuki didn't particularly like being an Orphenoch. At a moments notice he would turn into a rampaging monster. Only Jinx had the ability to get close enough to calm him down.

"Hey, here they come," Ryan pointed and both Saeji and Tazuka turned to see Warren and Ryuki approaching them with their dogs. As soon as Ryuki saw them he looked a little hesitant to approach. He nearly turned around but Brimstone forced him forward. Ryuki didn't have the strength to argue and just surrendered.

Warren and Ryuki sat down and the waitress came to take the new arrivals' orders. Ryuki ordered a tuna fish sandwich and a glass of milk while Warren ordered some black coffee and a club sandwich. The dogs both lay on the ground, resting.

"Good afternoon, Ryuki-kun," Tazuka greeted. Ryuki gave a brief nod and Tazuka frowned. He knew Ryuki would be in mourning but it'd been 2 whole months. He should've moved on by now. However, things were different. It was taking a lot longer for Ryuki to recover because it had been him that had killed Mortuary. He'd done so with his own hands.

"So, anything new happening?" Ryan asked, trying to make conversation, "I mean, how's the drumming?"

"Haven't played the drums, really," Ryuki answered. The waitress came with their orders and Ryuki lightly nibbled on his sandwich. "I just wasn't in the mood."

Saeji blanched. Seeing Ryuki like this was foreign. He remembered that his cousin was more active than this but he seemed so melancholy right now. It didn't suit him. Sure, there were moment of sadness but he got over them fast. "Anything interesting with the Titans?" his cousin asked.

Ryuki sighed, putting down his sandwich. He had taken small bites. He didn't seem to have an appetite, "I know what you're all trying to do and I'm fine. I'm dealing with it."

"You're not," Warren objected. "We're all worried about you."

"You don't have to be," Ryuki responded. "It's my burden to bear, alone. I'll carry it myself on my own shoulders. You don't have to help."

Warren frowned, "Kid, it's affecting everyone. They're all worried. I'm worried. You need to let it go."

Ryuki stood up, glaring, "I don't know what you're talking about." He tugged at Brimstone's leash. "Let's go, Brimstone." He slammed money on the table. "Keep the change." He grabbed the sandwich and took a large bite out of it before drinking the rest of his milk. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and started to walk. He didn't get too far as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Let me go," he said slowly.

"Not until you sit down and talk," Tazuka said sternly.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is. You're hurting." Tazuka then pulled his hand away when he felt Ryuki's body heat up like a flame. "Ow!"

"Just…leave me alone," he requested. "I really need to be alone."

"You don't have to be," spoke Saeji. "You got friends and family who care about you."

"They shouldn't," answered Ryuki. "I'm a killer."

Before anyone else could protest, Ryuki had teleported away with Brimstone.

"Well, that idea worked," Ryan commented sarcastically.

"Not in the mood, Vizard," Tazuka growled.

"Bite me, Arrancar," Ryan shot back.

Tazuka was tempted to reach for his sword. Really.

Tempers were rising, Warren realized that. Whatever was going on with Ryuki was affecting everyone around him.

Even Warren's temper was rising. "That's it! I'm gonna go beat some sense into him!" Warren then thought worriedly, '_I sure hope he doesn't do anything stupid. Jinx is counting on me. If anything were to happen to him she'll kill me._'

Saeji stood up, leaving money on the table, "We should go after him."

"I would if he hadn't hidden his energy trail," Tazuka stated. "He's learnt to hide it."

"Yeah, thanks to some lessons from me," Ryan added. "But, seriously, he's not exactly in his right mind. Where could he have gone?"

Tazuka appeared thoughtful. He had an idea, "The one place he would go."

"What do you mean?" Saeji asked.

"When I died, he visited my grave to apologize," Tazuka answered.

They all knew where Ryuki was headed.

* * *

Ryuki arrived at the cemetery with Brimstone. The hellhound looked up at his master with concern filling his yellow eyes. Ryuki ignored the look as he kneeled down in front of a gravestone.

Mortuary had been his friend. Sure, they had their differences and the first time they'd met Mortuary had intended to put a bullet in Ryuki's head, but they managed to become friends despite a very bad first impression. They'd helped one another and even saved the Multiverse together. Now, he was gone.

Ryuki remembered attending the memorial service. It couldn't be called a funeral, really, since there was no body present. This stone here was placed only to remember Mortuary by after his death. Ryuki had spoken a few words in Craig's honor, before everyone left. He had been the last to leave.

All the time, he could feel Vincent Harker glaring at him, blaming him for the death of his son. He was right. It was all Ryuki's fault that Craig was dead. If only Ryuki had been strong enough then maybe Craig wouldn't have been turned into the Orphenoch King.

Ryuki had begged Ant to go back in time to change things but the owner of the ChronoLiner had declined. Ant drew the line when it concerned drastic changes to the timeline. As much as Ryuki hated to admit it, changing things may cause irreparable damage to the timeline. Ryuki just couldn't risk it.

It was still tempting though.

"I'm sorry," Ryuki apologized, eyes cast down with tears falling. "It should've been me! Not you!" He balled his fists, "Why did you have to die!? Why did I have to be the one to kill you!? Why? WHY!?" His shoulders shook as he sobbed. "Why…?"

He heard footsteps. Feeling the aura he knew who it was. "Hello, Jinx."

"Warren told me you'd be here," she said, kneeling down next to him. "How are you holding up?" She hated to see him cry like this.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" he returned, looking straight at her. "I'm fine."

"We're all really worried about you," Jinx explained, "And, for the record, you're not fine."

Ryuki remained silent.

"Please, talk to me," she begged. He stood up, "Baby?"

"I'm going to take a walk. I'll see you at the tower." As he turned to leave, he felt a tug at the back of his jacket. He gasped when he felt a pair of arms wrapped tightly around his torso. He demanded, "Let me go."

"No!" she snapped, stubbornly. "Now until you talk to me."

"Please…" he said, nearly begging. "Let go. I don't want to hurt you."

"Too late," she whispered but he could hear it, "You already have."

He dislodged her arms and spun around to face her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked her. She looked up, tears running from her eyes and down her cheeks, ruining her makeup. He hated to see her cry, he really did. It broke his heart. "Jinx?"

"We're drifting apart," Jinx informed him, "It's like you're a stranger to me and I don't want to lose you!"

"We're not drifting apart," he denied.

"We are!" she insisted, clenching her fists. She asked, "When was the last time we made love?"

He blushed at hearing her say it. Then he frowned guiltily when he finally remembered.

It had been two months since they'd been together, intimate with one another. He hadn't been gentle with her. In fact, he had been like an animal. He took her and ravaged her violently. She had screamed but he hadn't stopped. When all was said and done, she ended up bruised and crying. He held her in comfort.

Since then he'd been too afraid to touch her. He was too dangerous to be around.

"I hurt you," he reminded.

"I know, but I forgave you," Jinx spoke. "You were hurting and I shouldn't have tried that with you."

"Wasn't your fault," he objected. "I could've killed you." He thought, '_Like I killed Craig._'

Jinx looked imploringly into his eyes. She confessed, "I went into your room."

His eyes widened, "You did what?" 2 months ago he had not allowed anyone entrance into his room.

"I saw the bags. You're going to leave," Jinx continued. She didn't want him to leave. He had done so when Tazuka had died.

"I have to," he reasoned. "The team doesn't need a killer like me."

"Where are you going to go?" she asked.

"Far from people, so I don't end up killing anyone again," he said dejectedly.

"Damn it, Ryuki Leonard Hasuma! You didn't have a choice!" she yelled. She knew she was in the cemetery, standing on holy ground, but she didn't care at the moment. "You did what you had to do!"

"But at what cost? Craig's life!?" Ryuki yelled back. "I'm supposed to save lives, not sacrifice them, not for any reason."

"No one ever said being a hero was easy," Jinx stated.

"I can't even call myself that," he looked away in shame. "I'm a killer. I'm no hero." He remembered the words Vincent Harker had used the day he'd informed him of Craig's death: murderer and monster. He was right.

He looked at his hands and saw them as his Orphenoch hands, with sharp claws. He could see the blood on his hands from the people he'd killed. He would always see it. He could never wash it away. He could never wash away his sins.

"Yes, you are!" Jinx insisted, "You saved all those Orphenochs!"

The Orphenochs that Occultus had manipulated. As much as they wanted to be 'perfect', they hadn't known that Occultus had just been using them. When the King came, their minds had been controlled yet again. Though many of them had been angry at him for denying them a chance at a longer life, they finally understood that they had to live the way they wished, not the way Occultus had wished. In fact, they never intended to be stuck as Orphenochs.

That what the King would've done. He would've stabilized their DNA at the cost of their humanity.

Such a cost was not worth eternal life.

"I might've condemned them too," Ryuki stated. "They'll die."

"They have the serum," Jinx said. "Smart Brain is providing them with it."

"That's good."

Jinx looked at his face. It looked lethargic, like he hadn't had enough sleep lately. He also hadn't eaten much. Though he smiled and insisted he was fine, he was far from it.

Two months he had been in pain, but he needed to move on. He had to move on. Craig would've wanted it that way.

"Want to sit down?" she asked.

"I think I'd like that," Ryuki nodded, giving a small smile. It didn't reach his eyes, though.

* * *

Kat was taking a stroll around town, alone. She was bored. She had been bored for two months. So far, her life had been reduced to training the other villains who know formed the group called 'Tartarus'. Though a few had potential, the rest were just fools.

"I deserve better," she muttered.

'_Yes you do_,' a voice in her mind agreed. It was like hers but darker and more demonic. '_You deserve minions that are worthy for the likes of you and reach your specifications_.'

"Damn right. The only ones I can count on are Rose and Cathy." Where was a Mirror Monster when you needed one to fight? It just wasn't fair! "Ugh, I need to hit something!"

She felt a tap on her shoulder and spun around angrily. "What?" It was a man in a three piece black business suit and wearing sunglasses. He had short brown hair. "OK, who are you?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Are you Miss Neko Katherine Hasuma?" he asked, "Also known as Copycat?"

Kat's eyes narrowed, "Who wants to know?" How did he know about her? Maybe she could kill him to get rid of some of her stress.

"My employer sent me to ask for your assistance. It regards your brother."

Kat glared, "Don't ever mention _him_."

"I see you dislike him," the man observed.

"What was your first clue?" Kat snorted. "Are you going to continue wasting my time or are you going to get straight to the point?"

"Well, you see, my employer also wishes to _take care_ of him," the man explained, "It's for personal reasons, really."

"Whatever," Kat crossed her arms, "What do you want me to do and what do I get in return?"

The man smiled. "You will be greatly rewarded. Why don't we talk as we walk?"

"Sure, whatever," she responded, bored.

* * *

"I've been ignoring you, haven't I?" Ryuki asked Jinx. They'd been sitting for quite awhile now.

"Ya think?" she replied sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm just…"

"You're hurting, we all are," Jinx finished. "I mean, Renia is more pissed off as usual if you haven't noticed."

"She did blow up at Beast Boy," Ryuki said, remembering what happened one day. Beast Boy was lucky to have gotten away from Renia's wrath alive.

"And his tofu breakfast buffer," Jinx added, giggling as she remembered seeing all that tofu on the kitchen floor, walls and ceiling. That laughter turned infectious and Ryuki found himself chuckling too. Jinx smiled, having able to make him laugh again. It was a good sign.

He then froze when he heard a ringing in his ear. "I need to go," he told Jinx. She knew that look already by now.

"I know," Jinx nodded. She took out her compact and opened it up to show the mirror inside. "Here, use this."

Ryuki reached into his pocket and pulled out his Zodiac Deck. He thrust his right hand, which was clutching the deck, out in front of the mirror before calling out, "Henshin! Empowerment of the Zodiac Dragon!" and then he slid the deck into the belt. Glass shards and flames enveloped him, forming his Zodiac Armor of the Dragon. He took in a deep breath of air before focusing on the mirror. He reached forward with a finger before he was sucked inside the mirror portal.

Jinx sighed as she held the compact to her chest. '_Come back to me…_'

* * *

Gazelles. Why did it have to be Gazelles of all things? Gazelles had been Mortuary's Zodiac Beast and seeing them just further reminded Draco of him. Regardless, Draco charged forward and fought. He drew his cards and summoned his sword and shield before he began slashing at them ferociously. They struck at him but he used his shield to block and deflect their strikes before countering with his blade. He used his legs to kick at them and dodged their attacks. He also bashed at them with his shield.

Over the years he'd gotten better at fighting the monsters of the Mirror World, with a little guidance of course. Also, with his enhanced Orphenoch senses and abilities, he was more than a match for them in his armored state.

He dropped his weapons and sent the Gazelles flying with a telekinetic blast. He froze a few and shattered them with telekinesis. He flung fireballs at a couple of them and they burst into flames. Reaching to his belt, he then pulled out his Survivor card. His Dragauntlet morphed into the Dragblaster before Draco put the card inside its 'mouth' before snapping it shut.

"Survive!" Draco called out as the flames enveloped him and changed his armor to its Survivor Mode. The Gazelles recovered and charged at him. Drawing another card before sliding it inside his card reader, he prepared his attack.

"Survivor Final Vent!"

Dragonzer roared as it transformed into Dragonrizer. The dragon flew down and blasted the Gazelles with fireballs, destroying a few. Draco leapt up and landed on his dragon's back, straddling it. With a roar, Dragonrizer flew towards the ground, reconfiguring its body into its motorcycle form before it touched the ground. The wheels screeched as they made contact with the ground.

Draco performed a wheelie and the dragon blasted flames at the remaining Gazelles, trapping them, before it dropped down and then rushed straight at them. A flaming aura engulfed Draco and Dragonrizer as they raced towards their target.

"DRAGON METEOR FIRESTORM!!" Draco roared as he accelerated, running the Gazelles over and ramming straight through them. Each and everyone one of them exploded in a fiery blaze. Their energy cores rose up into the air following their defeat. Dragonrizer roared as Draco got off it, calling forth his fellow Contracts. They all rushed in to partake in the feast of energy. Sighing, Draco let his Survivor Mode armor fall away to reveal his normal armor.

As he turned to exit, Draco's danger senses were set off. He spun around in time to see a stream of blue flames headed straight for him. He rolled out of the way and got on one knee to see who, or what, had attacked him.

It was a Zodiac Knight, at least he thought it was.

The 'Knight' was clad in black armor. Under it was a navy blue bodysuit. There were yellow stripes on the sides of his chestplate and silver piping on his shoulders. Armor also clung to his thighs. Equipped to his right arm was a thick silver gauntlet. His helmet was mostly black with a silver mouthpiece resembling insect mandibles and his visor was pitched black and bulbous like insect eyes. There was a pair of black antennae sticking up from the forehead. His belt, however, was what set him off from the other Knights. Its design was different as it concealed the deck inside of it, only revealing a round yellow emblem and a slot for the cards. Of course, the slot for the cards was on the left side instead of the right.

Draco instantly knew this wasn't one of the original Zodiac Knights.

"Who are you?" he asked the newcomer.

"Your executioner," was the answer he received before the mysterious newcomer raised up his silver gauntlet, pointing it right at him. There were gun barrels equipped to it but it wasn't firing bullets. It was firing blue flames like a flamethrower.

Draco dodged the flame blasts. Once again, life had thrown him another curveball. Just who was this guy?"

"But if you need a name, call me Alternative-01," Alternative-01 added before firing more flames at Draco.

Growling, Draco shouted, "Time to fight fire with fire!" He shot his flames at the flames coming at him, pushing forward with all his might. Alternative-01 seemed to be struggling as he grasped his flamethrower gauntlet with his other hand. It would appear Draco had the advantage.

Or so it seemed.

Draco suddenly shouted in pain as he felt sparks being ripped off his back by a devastating strike. He lost concentration of his flames and was engulfed by the blue ones belonging to Alternative-01. He would survive, though, but his armor was scorched.

Alternative-01 stopped his assault and said, "Oh, and here's my partner." Copycat walked over to stand by Alternative-01's side. "Zodiac Knight Copycat."

"Onee-chan?" Draco questioned as he struggled to stand on his feet, his armor smoking with scorch marks. "Why?"

"We both hate you," Copycat informed, wearing her large clawed gauntlets known as the Feline Claws. "So why not work together to take you out?"

"We both made a business arrangement," Alternative-01 added. "She helps me defeat you and will be rewarded." He reached down to his belt and pulled out a card. He swiped it over a slot in his silver gauntlet and the card vanished into blue flames as the gauntlet announced in a female digital voice, "_Sword Vent._" A black lance appeared in his hands as he strode forward towards Draco with Copycat following.

They attacked Draco in tandem, striking him with their weapons and causing sparks to fly off his armor, eliciting pain filled screams. A few more violent strikes sent him reeling to the ground.

Draco knew his end would come, as did all Orphenochs. He knew he would die one day, but he never expected it to be today. Regardless, he wasn't going down without a fight. He managed to push himself back to his feet but was slashed again by Alternative-01 and forced to the ground yet again. Draco panted as he laid facedown on the ground. He felt as if his entire body was numb. He was flipped over and then Alternative-01 had him pinned down with his foot, his lance aimed at the Dragon Knight's throat.

"My employer is seeing all this as we speak," Alternative-01 informed, tapping his visor. "He would be so pleased that I manage to kill you."

"Why does he want me dead? Who is he?" Draco asked hoarsely.

"Might as well tell him," Copycat said, shrugging. "He's gonna die. He deserves the courtesy."

Alternative-01 considered her words and answered, "My employer is named Vincent Harker." Draco's eyes widened under his helmet, "And this is for the life of his son. A life for a life."

Vengeance. Vincent Harker was swearing vengeance.

"And now, you die!" Alternative-01 shouted before thrusting down his lance. Draco shut his eyes, the final thoughts in his mind were of his friends.

'_Sayonara, minna…_'

Seconds past and the strike never came. He did hear the sound of metal piercing metal followed by a gurgling sound and cracked one eye open and then both his eyes shot wide open.

Alternative-01 was standing, stunned, with sharp blades sticking out of his chest. Blood was dripping from the wound and blades, which were really Copycat's claws. She stood behind him, her red eyes gleaming. She'd literally stabbed him in the back. Shaking, Alternative-01 turned his head to look at her and asked, "W…Why?"

"I said I'd help you," she reminded Alternative-01, "But I never said you could kill him." She removed her claws from his back. The blood dripped off her claws to the ground. "Killing him is my right, my destiny, and I will not let anyone else take it from me." Savagely, she attacked her former partner with her claws, causing him to scream out as sparks ripped off his armor. She continued her vicious onslaught, torturing him with each strike.

"YAMERRO!" Draco shouted, grabbing his sister from behind by her waist. She struggled in his hold. Draco shouted to Alternative-01, "Nigerro! Hayaku!"

Staggering, Alternative-01 made his escape just as Copycat managed to force Draco to let go. The two siblings then began to battle with one another, trading blows and sending sparks flying off their armor.

* * *

Alternative-01 needed to get out of the Mirror World and fast. Already his armor was suffering from the effects of this world's atmosphere. It was fizzling and vaporizing in the air. He dropped to his knees, weak and suffering. He started to crawl towards a nearby exit. He was unsure what would kill him. Would it be the mortal wound Copycat had inflicted upon him or this world?

It would be neither.

He heard footsteps approaching and lifted up his head to see who was coming. He feared that it would be Copycat but instead it was another Knight.

It was Shadowcoba.

Sighing, Shadowcobra said, "An artificial Knight, and I thought Global Justice's attempt was a mockery. Oh well."

"Please…help me…" Alternative-01 begged, "Please…my wounds…" He reached for Shadowcobra, pleading to him for help. "I'm…going to die…"

"Oh, that I can agree upon," Shadowcobra replied before reaching to his belt and pulling out a card. "Your life ends here."

Alternative-01's eyes widened as he realized the meaning behind Shadowcobra's words. He attempted to crawl away but he wouldn't be getting too far.

"Final Vent!"

Shadowcobra rushed at Alternative-01 with Genosnaker slithering swiftly behind him. The Snake Knight then leapt up, did a back flip, and Genosnaker reared his head back before opening its mouth, firing a stream of acid and venom, catapulting its master at his target.

"GENOCIDE CRASH!!"

Shadowcobra performed a bicycle kick which slammed into Alternative-01 and sent him flying after several violent hits. He screamed as his armor exploded.

Shadowcobra touched back down on the ground, watching the entire blaze. He was about to leave when he noticed something at his feet. He pulled it into his hand with his shadow powers and inspected the item. It hadn't been ruined. The item was a black rectangular case that resembled a Zodiac Deck, but instead of a crystal there was a round yellow emblem with the serial number ALT-01 inside written in black. Shrugging, Shadowcobra walked away with his 'trophy'.

* * *

Draco was thrown to the ground and Copycat stood over him, ready to kill him. She studied him and grimaced when she realized that her armor was vaporizing. "Damn," she cursed. "Out of time already." She then walked away, leaving him there to die. Fighting him had been dissatisfying, like he wanted to die. If he wasn't going to take this fight seriously, he was better off dead anyway.

Draco struggled to get back to his feet to find a reflective surface. A mirror, a window, even a puddle would work. The cemetery's Mirror World counterpart was close. He found a small puddle and reached into it before he was sucked into the exit portal.

He saw darkness afterwards.

* * *

_There are many ways to define our fragile existence, many ways to give it meaning. But it is our memories that shape its purpose and give it context. The private assortment of images, fears, loves, regrets. For it is the cruel irony of life that we are destined to hold the dark with the light, the good with the evil, success with disappointment. This is what separates us, what makes us human; and in the end, we must fight to hold on to._

To Be Continued…

Krylla Orchid is credited for the term "X'Handal" which I used in this chapter. Thanks, Krylla.


	84. PT084: Freedom and Separation

Part 84: Freedom and Separation

_Evolution is an imperfect and often violent process. A battle between what exists, and what is yet to be born. In the midst of these birth pains, morality loses its meaning. The question of good and evil reduced to one simple choice: survive, or perish._

* * *

Libra was in his home in the Celestial Realm. Once again he'd been reprimanded for interfering with the lives of the mortals, especially the ones called Zodiac Knight. Speaking of which, the time for the final tournament was nearing. Everything that had happened would lead up to that point.

His mind wandered to his friend, Ryo, who was suffering in Hell in order to revive his wife. Such a sacrifice was selfless and noble, just like Ryo. It pained Libra to do so but even the affairs of the Celestials and Infernals needed to be fair. They were after all the ones whom created the Laws of Equivalent Exchange.

Libra was saddened by his son's situation. After being forced to kill his friend to save the world, he'd fallen into a deep pit of depression. It was even more severe than when Tazuka had died. His heart was fragile now. Luckily, he had the support of his friends. If only he didn't push them away.

He looked into the viewing mirror again. This time it showed him the face of Tara Markov. He'd watched her past, present as well as her eventual future. She had no idea of the role she would play in the future of the current era's Zodiac Knights. She had no idea of the true power she held within her.

Though it was forbidden, with the dark future he'd seen, he knew that Terra must know of the truth. She must know why she'd been freed.

Now, before it was too late.

* * *

Later that night, Ryuki groaned as he opened his eyes again to see familiar faces hovering over him. He could see Cyborg and Jinx. A weight landed on top of him and now Brimstone was licking his face.

"That tickles," Ryuki chuckled before sitting up as Brimstone leapt off the bed. He was in the infirmary. "What happened?"

"You went into the Mirror World, remember?" Jinx reminded, "When you got out you were all cut up. What happened?"

Ryuki remembered Alternative-01. He'd been sent by Vincent Harker to kill him. Ryuki knew revenge wasn't the answer but then Mr. Harker blamed him for his son's death. He was right, but still…

"Just had a run in with someone," he spoke.

"Was it Copycat?" Jinx asked. He did not answer and got off the bed. "Ryuki! You should be resting."

"I'm fine," he told her. "Stop worrying." She grabbed his arm. "Jinx, please…"

"You're not leaving, mister!" she hissed forcefully, her eyes shining frighteningly. "Now go back to bed."

Ryuki gulped and nodded, "Hai," before he got back on the bed and lay back down. He was afraid of what Jinx might do if he were to decline her _gracious_ request.

Cyborg went over the tests. "So, what did you find?" Jinx asked.

"Well," Cyborg said as he went over the data. "A few months ago, after you turned Orphenoch, your cells were falling apart."

"I know," Ryuki nodded. All Orphenoch would breakdown and disintegrate as soon as their time came. "What else?"

"Well, it appears that your DNA and cells have all stabilized," Cyborg finished reading.

Ryuki blinked, "Huh?"

"Really?" Jinx asked.

"Yep," Cyborg nodded. "I don't know how or why, but it says here his DNA and cells have been stable for the last two months."

Jinx was ecstatic, "That's great!" She hugged Draco. "You're not going to die!"

Ryuki felt some strange feeling of relief. He looked at his hands. He was saved. "But…how is that possible? I killed C-the Orphenoch King." He had almost said Craig's name.

"Well, remember when you, Warren and Faiz defeated the King?" Cyborg questioned. Ryuki nodded. How could he forget?

* * *

_Wraith and Draco looked at each other, knowing what needed to be done. Wraith focused his shadow energy into his hand, which then took the form of a medieval blade. He flew at his former ally. "__Blade of Heaven! Holy Shadow Slash!__" Wraith appeared behind the Orphenoch King, as several gashes appeared on the Orphenoch King. The Orphenoch King roared out in pain._

_The Keyblade's turntable hilt spun several revolutions before the blue Rod Drive Form's mask lined up with the blade. It glowed blue along with the clock emblem in the centre of the turntable hilt. The golden energy tracks appeared under his feet and he rushed straight at the Orphenoch King at full speed like a bullet train. He gripped his energized blade and rushed straight towards the Orphenoch King._

"_FULL THROTTLE BREAK-DENSHA SHISHOU (Train Stab)!!" Draco roared with tears streaming down his face, hidden under his helmet, as a blue aura in the shape of the ChronoLiner enveloped him._

_At the same time, Faiz entered a code into his Blaster. Setting it down, he then leapt up with the aid of his jets. His extended right foot was enveloped in red photon energy as he dropped down towards the Orphenoch King. This attack, like the Crimson Smash, was a powerful kick called the Blaster Smash._

_Both Riders unleashed their attacks, which slammed straight into the Orphenoch King. There was a bright flash of crimson and blue power from the impact that blinded all that were present._

* * *

Cyborg nodded and concluded, "I guess that flash of energy must've stabilized you."

Ryuki spoke in his mind, '_Craig, you saved me...even when I did not deserve it. Arigatou…_' "Where's Warren-san?"

"He said he had to go back to his Earth to take care of a few things and would be back in a couple days," answered Cyborg.

The door to the infirmary opened and Shadowcobra walked inside. Ryuki's eyes widened when he saw his friend had returned. Ryuki spoke, "Ichijyo, you're back. When did you arrive?"

"Not too long ago," Shadow answered. "How have you been these past few months?"

"I'm…coping," Ryuki answered hesitantly. Shadow knew his friend was still hurting.

"I heard about what happened to Mortuary. I'm sorry," Shadow said sincerely.

"I know."

"Shadow here helped me take you back here to the Tower," Jinx explained.

"Arigatou," Ryuki thanked his friend.

"No problem," Shadow replied. "Well, you all must know about Raven and I now."

"Hai, congratulations," Ryuki smiled. He was glad that his friend had finally tied the knot with Raven.

"Well, it was bound to happen," Shadow sighed. Finding out your wife's mother was your own godmother had been shocking. Now, she was his mother-in-law. He remembered when Arella had discovered the tattoo on Raven's back. It had not been pretty.

"Is Raven with you?" Ryuki asked.

"Yes," Shadow nodded. "Now, get dressed in your uniform."

"Why?" Ryuki asked.

Shadow gave a cryptic answer, "We have a special guest."

"Huh?"

* * *

Standing in the living room was none other than Zodiac Knight Libra, the Guardian of the Zodiac Knights. Raven and Jinx had seen him before back in Tokyo, helping them fighting a vicious demon. Why was he here?

Draco, now dressed in uniform, arrived to see Libra and was shocked. He remembered of how the god had saved him from his future. However, it had only altered things for the worst. Mortuary was dead, unlike that other future when he'd been alive and became Anubis.

Libra scanned the Titans. Pluto and Blackfire weren't here. Renia was standing bored though her hands were twitching. When he'd arrived unannounced, she had immediately gone on the aggressive and tried to charge at him. Luckily, he was able to deflect her attack and calm her.

"So, you're Libra," Robin stated, skeptically.

"That's right," Libra nodded. "And I know who you all are but right now I have something important to tell you."

Shadow narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the god. "Why?" He had little trust for certain celestial beings. Yoshido was one of those he distrusted the most.

"Because it concerns Terra," Libra answered. All eyes were on the geomancer.

"Me?" Terra pointed to herself. "Why? I'm nothing special. I can move rocks but that's just it."

"But you are, child," Libra smiled. "If you weren't then I wouldn't have helped free you."

Terra's eyes widened, "What!?"

"Say what!?" Beast Boy shouted, shocked.

"I was the one who helped revive Terra," Libra stated. The Titans were shocked at this revelation. Terra blinked and then a look of realization and recognition dawned on her.

"Now I know why I remember you. I saw you with this other guy with white hair," Terra said.

"Yes, Fuji-sama, the other god overseeing this Zodiac War," Libra nodded.

"But why?" Shadow asked with suspicion. "Why revive her from her stony state at all?"

"It was for her protection," Libra answered. This confused the Titans. Protection from what?

"What do you mean 'protection'?" Beast Boy asked.

Libra frowned. He knew he wasn't supposed to tell this to anyone, not even the Knights, but from what Chromedragozoid had told him of what was written in the Book of Destiny, it had to be done. He explained, "Ever since the first Zodiac War, there has been a prize that all the Knights fought for; the great power that would go to the One, the wish that could change anything and everything, infinite power."

"We all know that," Shadow said, arms crossed. "Get on with it!" he hissed. God or not, Libra was trying his patience.

"Well, the Power has always been in a certain form, hidden until the last Knight remained. It has always taken the form of a living being, the vessel of the Power, an avatar," Libra continued.

The Titans listened to the words and came to the conclusion. But then…that would mean…No way…

Libra took the look on their faces as a sign of realization, "Correct. Terra is the Avatar of the Power."

"But how?" Why?" Terra asked, demanding an answer.

"I guess it was fate that made you the Avatar, young Tara Markov. The previous Avatars of the Power have always been beings that have walked the path of light and darkness, good and evil, chaos and order. In a way, the Avatar represents the balance of things and used to contain the Power that all the Knights vied for. The identity of the Avatar was never to be revealed because the only other way to gain that Power aside from winning the Zodiac War…was to kill the vessel. Terra was vulnerable as a statue, so Fuji and I decided to revive her and put her under the care of the Titans who we knew could protect her."

"Then you foresaw us coming," Shadowcobra stated.

"Correct. Knowing you, once you joined the team, you would protect your friends from harm, helping them with their endeavors."

"You knew all this was going to happen, didn't you?" asked Robin.

"I have my sources, but yes, but even I am not all-seeing."

"So, why tell us all this?" Starfire inquired.

"I believe, a great darkness will soon appear and the Power would be needed to keep it at bay. The darkness will come near the end of the Zodiac War. But it will come in a familiar form. That is why Terra must be protected. If the Power within her was to be discovered, she will be hunted and killed and the one to kill her would receive that wish. You all must not let that happen. Do not allow Terra to fall into the wrong hands."

* * *

Copycat screamed as she went berserk on the Sladebots, ripping them apart with ease and savagery. Cathy and Rose were present to watch and were frightened by the display of violence.

Ever since Copycat had come back from her mission in Zandia, she started having violent mood swings. Grant had suffered when he'd made an improper comment and ended up in the infirmary. Since then, nobody so much as thought anything bad about Copycat. She would murder them on sight.

Madame Rouge smiled as she watched the performance Copycat was giving them. She seemed so evil and destructive. She was unlike anything she'd seen before. Slade too had to agree that his apprentice was advancing. If only she could defeat her brother.

Copycat roared as she unleashed a powerful wave of Psycho Power which she'd gained from Grave. The robots were all obliterated and the protective glass around the training area cracked. She heaved her shoulder, growling.

Something inside her had awoken. It was something bad. Something that shouldn't have existed.

The shadow beneath her feet gained evil red eyes and sharp fangs. They faded away after a second but it was clear what was happening inside Copycat.

Her true power had awakened. The Living Gate was back!

And her first target was the one who had sealed her away!

* * *

Libra had left after giving them the news, leaving them to ponder what they would do in the future. With Terra's destiny and role in the future now clear, they needed to keep her safe and protected. If anyone else were to know, then she was in danger.

Terra locked herself in her room after Libra had left, shocked to the core. She didn't know who she was anymore. She couldn't even look in the mirror to look at herself.

Was she just a tool all this time? Had Slade been right? Was she just a pawn?

She held her head and cried. What was she?

She heard a knock at the door. "Go away!" she shouted.

"Terra, it's me!" Beast Boy called. "Open up!"

Terra wiped the tears away and went to the door. She opened it and said, "Come in," inviting him inside.

"Hey, are you okay?" Beast Boy asked as the door closed behind him.

"Not really," Terra answered, holding herself. "I mean, Craig just died two months ago and now this?"

"Yeah." Beast tried to lighten the mood, "Well, life just throws you curveballs, y'know?"

"Tell me about it," Terra agreed as she went over and sat on her bed. Beast Boy sat next to her. "I mean, I knew I had a lot of power, some which I can't control, but this is HUGE!"

"Maybe he's wrong?" Beast Boy tried to speak positively, "I mean, it's possible."

"I don't think you can be a god by making mistakes, Gar," Terra said to him. "I believed him."

"But, Terra!"

"What am I, Gar?" Terra asked, "Am I a Teen Titan? Am I Slade's former apprentice? Or am I just this 'Avatar' thing?"

Beast Boy pulled her into a hug, stroking her back. Terra sniffed his odor. It was soothing. She had smelled many different types of odors but Beast Boy's was the most pleasant. Beast Boy loved to sniff her hair too.

"You're Terra," Beast Boy affirmed, "My Terra and nothing more."

Terra pulled away, smiling, "Thanks, Gar." She then kissed him deeply.

Suddenly, the alarms blared.

Beast Boy groaned, "Aw...MAN!" Just when it was starting to get good.

* * *

Copycat was going berserk in the city. The first thing she did was to blow up the bank, and then she blew up the jewelry store. She hadn't intended to take anything. She just wanted to commit random acts of destruction. She was sending people in a panic. To her they were prey. Those she managed to grab were thrown aside like garbage for her amusement.

Even the police couldn't do anything. "Freeze!" one armored police officer shouted. "Hands in the air, now!" They had their guns aimed at her. She stalked towards them. "I said freeze!" She didn't stop. "Shoot her down!" They began shooting but their shots bounced off an invisible shield.

Copycat looked to them hatefully, eyes filled with anger and rage. She raised up her hands and released a chilling blizzard, freezing the police officers and vehicles on the spot and covering most of the area in ice. She smiled in satisfaction. Maybe she could carve an ice sculpture out of them with her claws.

Suddenly, she was struck by a disc which exploded harmlessly against her armored torso. Looking up, she saw the Titans standing in their upgraded forms.

Robin was in his Titan System armor, Terra was in her Cutter Inzecter armor, Renia was in her Locust Inzecter armor, Starfire was clad in her Warrior Queen outfit, Raven was clad in her White Priestess outfit, Jinx was in her Scarab Inzecter armor, and both Draco and Shadowcobra were in their Zodiac Armor. Beast Boy only had his suit that could turn into armor for his animals. Cyborg's upgrade allowed him to bond to the T-Car, turning it into super hi-tech battle armor. It also added a couple of feet to his stature and gave him broader frame.

Copycat was unimpressed. Of course, she didn't say a word as she roared and charged straight at them. They were her prey and she was thirsty for some blood.

"Titans, Go!" Robin commanded before they all rushed at the evil Zodiac Knight, all except for one. Draco was the only one who couldn't make a move. Despite Copycat being their enemy and a villain, she was still his sister. He couldn't raise a blade against her! He couldn't!

The Titans attacked full force. Starfire swung her blade at the evil Zodiac Knight who dodged and slashed at Starfire. She then stole Starfire's Starblade and used it against the Tamaranean, hitting her with the flat side of the blade and sending her flying.

Shadowcobra leapt up and swung his staff at her. She blocked with the blade before she swung it at his neck. He ducked down and smashed the head of his staff into her stomach. She didn't double over. Eyes glowing, she sent him flying backwards with crimson eyebeams. She then dropped the Starblade as if it was unnecessary garbage.

Hands made of rock grabbed her before Cyborg and Beast Boy (as a buffalo) tackled her, sending her flying into the frozen police cars and shattering them. She snarled and got to her feet. Her eyes glowed before she unleashed a powerful blast of Psycho Power at them all. They got sent flying, along with rubble, debris and anything else that got caught in the blast.

Renia snuck up behind her and began to pummel Copycat with punches. This only agitated the Cat Knight who spun around and used a single strike to send the armor clad female Homunculus flying. Luckily, Renia recovered quickly and slammed her palms on the ground. The energy traveled along the ground and covered Copycat upon reaching her, encasing her in a crystal prison. However, she shattered the crystal with a roar.

Cyborg aimed and launched several homing missiles at her. She dodged each one swiftly before charging at Cyborg. He fired his sonic cannons at her but she managed to evade the beams as she approached him. Using her claws, she severed his arms and then used a roundhouse kick to knock him over. Starfire, from above, began firing starbolts at Copycat. The evil female Zodiac Knight countered by firing eyebeams at the airborne Tamaranean.

"_Excel Charge!_"

Copycat barely dodged a charged up punch to her head. She and Robin began to use their martial arts skills to battle one another. She threw a punch at the same time he did. Their fists collided with explosive force, sending Robin skidding backwards.

Terra threw Copycat into the air by creating a pillar of stone that struck her in the chin. She then began firing her shoulder guns at her while hurling rocks at her. Jinx also started to fire her hexes at Copycat. Copycat miraculously avoided the attacks and as soon as she touched down she rushed at them with her claws out. She slashed at them, causing sparks to fly off their armor and making the girls scream.

"Jinx!" Draco shouted and he charged ahead. Copycat saw him coming and leapt over him before bounding off his back and into the air. Robin used a flying kick and smashed her in the side. They both tumbled along the ground before they began trading blows.

Raven sensed Draco's distress and shouted, "Draco, snap out of it!" She chanted, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" and sent an energy blast in the form of a white bird at Copycat, which sent her skidding across the ground. The evil Cat Knight looked up and then sent her own bird of energy at Raven.

Luckily, Draco was able to react and jumped in front of Raven. He used the Keyblade to quickly disperse the energy bird, protecting Raven.

"Good to have you back," Raven said, like seeing an old friend again.

"Good to be back," Draco nodded. As much as he cared for his sister, he cared for his teammates just as much. He wasn't going to let them get hurt.

Copycat stood up shakily as the Titans surrounded her in a circle. She looked at them all hatefully as they aimed their weapons or powers at her.

"Give up, Copycat!" Robin shouted, "You're surrounded and outnumbered!"

"It's for your own good!" Draco insisted. "Please!"

The voice that came out was not Copycat's however. It was a dual voice that sounded…demonic, "**Never!**" she snarled.

Draco's eyes narrowed. He remembered _that_ voice. His eyes widened at the realization, "No!"

"**Time to turn the tables!!**" Copycat roared as her shadow expanded. Slowly, dark demonic figures started to rise up, their bodies twitching. "**Now who's outnumbered? WHO!?**"

Beast Boy shrieked like a girl. The creatures that showed up resembled inky black skeletons with empty sockets for eyes, curved horns, wings, and tails. They all shrieked out loud as they were summoned. They were also hungry. Also, from Cyborg's count, there were about 40 of them if not more.

"Horrors!" Shadowcobra identified.

"But how? I sealed those powers off!" Draco shouted, his grip on the Keyblade tightening. He was referring to the Living Gate's power to summon Horrors into this realm or any other realm they she was in.

"**You foiled my plans before, but I'm back and I'm going to pick up where I left off!**" Copycat swore. A pair of demonic wings spread out of her back as the cat ears of her helmet morphed into a pair of demonic horns. She then took off into the air. "**This universe's time is over!**"

"Onee-chan! Matte!" Draco shouted as he ran after her. He used the Keyblade to slash at Horrors, destroying them with a single blow. Starfire's Starblade as well as Shadowcobra and Raven's magical powers were useful for this. Even Renia had prior magical training to deal with demons. Unfortunately, Jinx had never learnt to fight these sorts of demons. The same could be said for Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy.

Draco warned, "Don't get their blood on you!"

"Why?" Renia questioned as she ducked under a claw swipe.

"My cousin Saeji once told me that if you do you'll die a horrible death after 100 days and your soul will turn into a Horror!"

Renia was stunned by the blunt answer, "OK, that's a good enough reason."

"We have to stop Copycat!" Robin shouted as he used his Birdarang Sword, Excel Charged of course, to slash at a few Horrors. "Draco!"

"But, I can't leave you!" Draco protested.

"We'll be fine!" Jinx assured. "Just, go and take down that psycho before she does anymore damage!"

"But-"

"JUST GO!" they all shouted.

Draco was hesitant but nodded nonetheless. "Hai!" He took off into the air, his feet shooting flames like twin rockets and leaving a trail behind him. A pair of Horrors made the mistake of trying to get in his way but they were easily taken care of by his Keyblade.

'_Onee-chan, here I come._'

* * *

Draco landed in the slums. It was the ruined part of town where the homeless took refuge. So far, he hadn't seen any sign of his evil sister. The homeless scrambled to hide as soon as they saw him. Good. They didn't need to get involved.

He heard a loud roar and followed. He wasn't sure if it was his sister but he had to go check it out. These homeless here were innocent.

The side of a building exploded and Horror-Copycat came flying out. She tackled into Draco and they crashed into another building where a few homeless were sleeping. As soon as they saw the two armored teens fighting, they ran out of there quick so that they wouldn't be caught up in this.

Draco kicked Copycat off him and she swiped at him. He parried with his Keyblade and sent her flying back with a telekinetic blast. "Onee-chan, stop this right now!"

"**No!**" she denied. "**No more! I am free! Soon, all my Horrors will be free and take this world and all the other worlds as their own!**" She laughed insanely.

The Living Gate inside her…the power…was driving her insane.

Draco had to do seal the power, this time for good. His Keyblade morphed from its default form to its final form, the Masked Rider Sword. Swiftly, he removed the deck from his belt and called out, "Liner Drive Form!" before sliding it into the slot in the back of the blade. His armor changed into the Liner Drive Form configuration as his visor flashed.

"You're going back to sleep!" Draco shouted as he charged straight at Horror-Copycat. He slashed at her with the Keyblade, ripping off sparks in the process. Though it pained him, he had to do what he had to do…

Just like with Craig.

He grabbed her by the shoulder and then flew themselves out of the building and away from the homeless. Horror-Copycat struggled in his grasp but he was holding onto her tightly. Draco continued to fly as he endured his Horror-fied sister's strikes. Finally, she sent a blast of Psycho Power to force him to let her go. He fell down towards an abandoned factory and crashed through the roof, ending up inside. Horror-Copycat followed after him.

Draco struggled back to his feet and looked ahead to see Horror-Copycat stalking towards him. The darkness collected onto her arms before morphing into a large pair of scythe blades. With a roar, she swung them at him. He ducked and countered with a horizontal slash across her stomach, causing her to screech in pain.

"Onee-chan, stop this!" Draco begged.

"**Never!**" Horror-Copycat snarled. "**You're going to pay for what you did to me! You're going to pay for sealing me away!**" She struck at him and he yelled out as sparks flew off his chestplate. Another violent slash forced him to drop the Keyblade. "**Now…time to finish this.**_"_

Draco stabbed his finger into the ground, "BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" The ground exploded in front of him, forcing Copycat backwards. A thick cloud of dust formed from the explosion.

"**WHAT!?**"

Draco then flew out of the dust cloud, his hands covered in stone, before he yelled, "KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" He started to smash his fists into her rapidly, punching her hundreds of times in under a minute. One last hit sent her flying into the wall, making a crater on impact. He then used a move Katara had taught him and froze her to the wall with ice. She struggled against the ice but it was too thick and strong for her to break.

Draco picked up his Keyblade and approached her. "Again, I'm going to seal your power. This time, it's going to be permanent." He aimed the tip of her blade to her heart.

Of course, something strange started to happen. She was twitching and convulsing. Horror-Copycat screamed when all of a sudden a white pillar of light shot out of her. The pillar of light shattered the ice and then sent a humanoid figure flying out of her. It fell and Draco was quick to catch whatever it was that fell…and was surprised.

It was his sister, in human form, and outside of her armor. Confused, his eyes went over towards Copycat when the light diminished. He then figured it out. Copycat had absorbed the Power of the Tiger. The Power of the Tiger must've sensed an imbalance and automatically decided to rectify it by separating Kat from her dark side. Unfortunately, her dark side had her armor and without the 'good' Kat within her, this perfectly evil Copycat would not hesitate to kill him.

Horror-Copycat removed the remaining ice off from her body. She stood steadily up after the convulsions and snarled before grinning under her helmet. Her red eyepieces gleamed with malice as her eyes focused on Draco. She was the embodiment of all the evil in Copycat, unrestrained, and with her Horror Powers at her command…was unstoppable.

Draco had to get rid of her, right now.

Draco put his sister down and gave the hilt of his Keyblade a good spin. Horror-Copycat snarled and charged towards him while the hilt rotated and stopped at the golden mask before locking in place. The blade siphoned the energy from the mask as the golden energy tracks appeared behind him. He ran and then jumped aboard before racing towards Horror-Copycat, this time with a golden silhouette of the Time Liner surrounding him. Horror-Copycat then lunged straight at him, claws out to eviscerate him.

"FULL THROTTLE BREAK-DENSHA SUMASSHU (Train Smash)!!" Draco called out as he bashed the turntable hilt of his Keyblade straight into Horror-Copycat, sending her flying. She then appeared to have turned into darkness which then evaporated. His feet touched the ground as he rested the blunt side of his Keyblade on his shoulder.

It was all over.

He turned around to see that his sister had regained consciousness and had seen the entire thing. He then began walking towards her, allowing the armor to vanish with each step. When he reached her, he kneeled down. They both gazed deeply into each other's eyes and then she just swung her arms around him, crying, asking for his forgiveness for all her terrible deeds. He slowly began to wrap his arms around his sister, telling her softly that he had forgiven her a long time ago.

* * *

The darkness reformed itself into Copycat, without the Horror accessories, before her armor shattered. She looked just like Kat in human form with an exception of her eyes, which were blood red and radiated with pure evil. She gritted her teeth, revealing fangs, as she clenched her fists.

Evil Kat/Katherine was now rid of her good side but was only at half her true strength. She would try to regain her better half and regain her full power before she went after her brother and his friends. No one would stop her…no one.

She then let out a loud roar as Horrors burst out of her shadow. They then floated down and bowed before her, pledging their loyalty to her, the Living Horror Gate; their Lord and Mistress.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Good Kat/Neko said, feeling a little nervous. Both were standing in front of the Tower.

"Trust me," Draco said to her. "Everything will be just fine."

"O-okay…" Neko said uncertainly.

The brother and sister pair entered the Tower and went up to the living room. He knew the others would be there. He had asked them to be there so he could talk to them. They arrived at the top floor and Draco stood in front of the living room door. He said to Neko, "Wait here. I'll try to smooth things over with them first, alright?"

"Arigatou, Ryu-chan," Neko said, smiling sincerely.

"You're my onee-chan," he said to her. "It's the least I could do." Neko stepped back, staying out of sight as Draco entered the living room.

They were currently discussing the last battle. Lucky for them, Saeji and Tazuka had shown up just as Draco left. With their help, the Horrors had been slayed.

Draco cleared his throat and began, "Guys, I-" but then he saw his friends stand up and looking angry. He turned around to see Neko standing right behind him. She had come in anyway.

"What the hell is she doing here!?" Terra demanded, pointing angrily at Neko.

"Minna-san, chotto matte!" Draco shouted. He then explained everything that happened. Raven's eyes narrowed in slight disbelief. She scanned Neko's mind.

"Well?" Robin asked.

"He's telling the truth about her," Shadow said. "But, I think she should say something."

Neko sighed and stepped forward to plead her case, "Look, I know I've done some horrible things, but I'm not the same Kat you know. What I am right now is the physical manifestation of my goodness. I'm only half of what I am and the good half. I…I've done some terrible things and I do regret all my actions towards you." She paused.

"Like when you tried to kill me!?" Terra accused. Neko flinched.

"Or tried to blow us up?" Raven added.

OK, not good. Neko continued, "I know I can't just be forgiven like that. But, you all must remember that everyone has darkness inside of them. You all have it, don't you? Haven't any of you done something that you totally regret." Everyone fell silent, thinking of her words. "Look, I don't expect to be forgiven anytime soon or to be trusted. I've given you little reason due to my past actions. But, if you can't trust me, then trust my brother." She got down on her hands and knees and bowed.

The other Titans decided they needed to discuss about this. "Draco, can we talk about this?" Robin said. "Alone?"

Draco knew what he meant, "Onee-chan, can you wait in my room for a moment?"

"Hai," Neko nodded and then turned to walk out of the living room. Jinx's eyes narrowed at her. She had a few things to say to the girl.

"Are you absolutely sure?" asked Robin in all seriousness. "This could be another trick."

"Hai," Draco nodded. "But, onee-chan had the Zodiac Power of the Tiger. It is made to both bring balance and even completely separate the Yin from Yang. All of onee-chan's negative aspects are in that…_thing_ I left behind while all the other positive ones are with the version I brought here."

"Dude, shouldn't she be shorter then?" asked Beast Boy.

"Ha! Good one!" Cyborg laughed. It was a good mood breaker. A few of the other Titans were stifling a laugh or two.

They all stopped laughing when they saw that Draco was frowning. He did not find anything funny about that little joke Beast Boy had just made.

"This is her good half. When her evil half caused the balance to shift, the Tiger Zodiac Power had to maintain the balance and thus ejected her out of the body. Right now, we have a pure evil and unrestrained version of my sister running loose. The only chance we have is that my onee-chan's good half becomes strong enough so when she is able to face her dark side, she can overpower it and win."

The Titans considered his words.

"Plus, remember when I became an Orphenoch and joined Slade? She was the one who called Tiger so that I could face Ifrit and turn back to normal," Draco confessed. This shocked everyone.

"She must've done that so you wouldn't be Slade's favorite anymore," Terra said with disgust. "All she ever cared about was getting rid of you."

Shadow sighed. "She was sincere about her words the entire time," Shadow said. "She was never lying."

"Are you defending her?" Raven glared.

"Listen, considering how the Power of the Cat works and how it was messing with her mind, she could have turned out a whole lot worse. Yes, she has done some heinous things and yes she has helped us before betraying us. But, we've all done things we're not proud about, right?" He gave each and every Titan a look. "Well?"

"I agree," Terra said, reminding them, albeit reluctantly, "After you took me in I just betrayed you all. Even after all that, when I came back, you forgave me and took me back."

"And I've kept too many secrets and told lies," Shadow added, "Yet, here I am. We would be hypocrites if we didn't accept her now that she wants to help. Besides, I sense no malice from her whatsoever."

"Let's vote on it," Robin said. "If the majority says she can stay, she can stay."

"Are you sure?" Raven asked. "You know how I feel about second chances."

Draco just hoped they let her stay. He then looked around. "Where's Jinx?"

* * *

Later, in her brother's room where she would be staying, Neko was sitting on the bed when she heard a knock on the door and it slid open. Jinx was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. Neko could see the look on Jinx's face and it was in a scowl.

"You may have bought over and fooled everyone, _Kat_, with your little speech but I know you too well," she walked over as Neko was stunned by her words. "You've done some good before but after that you just stab us in the back and I'm sick of it." She stepped up to glare at Neko angrily and then threatened her, "Let me tell you this only _once_. If this is another one of your tricks, you won't have to worry about him or the others, because if you do anything to hurt him, I will personally take care of you, permanently!" She then turned to leave Neko alone with her thoughts. Neko then broke down crying. She then stopped crying. Right now, she needed a plan to get Rose and Cathy away from her evil half.

* * *

On the outskirts of town, in the normally calm and silent desert, a strange tune began playing out of thin air. Several of the smaller creatures scurried away at the sound. Then, a multicolored portal began to form in the distance. Immediately afterwards, railway tracks began generating themselves out of the portal. The tracks stretched towards the town, stopping about a mile outside of the city.

The tune grew louder and then something came out of the portal. It was long and made of metal. It was a bullet train. The bullet train then sped towards the town before slowing down. The brakes activated and the mysterious train stopped. It was black in color and with red stripes at points. One of the car doors opened and out stepped an odd looking individual.

He had long silver hair that went down to the small of his back. His right eye was blue while the left eye was red. There was a scar going over his red eye. He stood about 6 feet tall. He had a normal skin tone, and appeared to be of Asian descent. He wore black jeans, dark blue tennis shoes, and a dark blue t-shirt. He also wore a metallic silver trench coat and gloves.

He reached into his trench coat and pulled out a sheet of paper. It was a wanted poster which read:

**WANTED: Dead or Alive**

**Bounty of 5 Trillion Credits**

On the poster was the picture of someone familiar to all of us…Copycat!

"Copycat…Biggest bounty in the Multiverse. Gotta make sure I bring enough of her back to claim the reward," said the man as he placed the poster back in his coat. Another door opened up and a motorcycle drove out on its own. It was black and red, like the train, with a metallic wolf's head on the front. He mounted the bike. He pulled out a communicator. "Shiori, head back to the Terminal. I'll contact you when I've finished the job."

"Hai!" beamed a happy voice on the other end of the communicator. More tracks and a new portal formed as the bullet train returned from whence it came. The man started his bike and sped into town.

"Time to pay for your crimes, Copycat!"

* * *

_You do not choose your destiny, it chooses you. And those who knew you before fate took you by the hand, cannot understand the depth of the changes inside. They cannot fathom how much you stand to lose in failure. But you are the instrument of a flawless design... and all of life may hang in the balance. A hero learns quickly who can comprehend... and who merely stands in your way._

To Be Continued…


	85. PT085: The Bounty Hunter

Part 85: The Bounty Hunter Garoh

_She killed them…_

_A whole universe gone in the blink of an eye. All on the whim of some girl._

_She fell to my Earth, wounded. She looked innocent, as if she had been attacked. My parents found her and brought her home. My parents were doctors. They healed her. And how does she repay them?_

_She killed them and devoured their hearts. I arrived with my older sister shortly after they were killed. She tried to kill me first, but couldn't. My sister got in the way. Her last words were, "I won't let you hurt my little brother!"_

_She died just as she finished the sentence._

_That girl, Copycat, wiped out my entire universe with those damn Horrors of hers. If not for some freak stroke of luck I'd be gone with it. Sometimes I think it'd be better if it did end that day._

_It's been over 12 years since that day._

_I'm going to make sure it ends today._

* * *

Neko eyes snapped wide open as she released a scream. She immediately sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest, panting and with tears streaming down her face.

She'd just had a nightmare and it had been horrible. She saw, through her eyes, the horrors and crimes she'd committed. She saw herself hurting and killing people in the name of Slade. Most of all, she also saw what she had done when the Living Gate powers had completely taken her over.

It hadn't been pretty.

Her bangs were matted to her forehead by cold sweat and her skin was pale. She scanned the room when her night vision had settled in and then she remembered where she was.

"I'm in Ryu-chan's room in Titans Tower," she reminded herself, calming herself. "I'm safe. I'm safe. I'm safe. I'm safe," she chanted.

She was alone in this room. Her brother was sleeping in Jinx's room, leaving her alone. Last night, Jinx had threatened her and she had crawled into bed complaining about stomach ache when her brother had invited her to have dinner with them.

She couldn't face the Titans. She had done so much to them, unforgivable things. Despite being the good half she was still half of their enemy and that was enough to give them a reason to hate her.

She laid back down on her side, pulling the blanket over her body. She tried to calm down and return to sleep but then her mind began to wander. What was her evil half doing? What was she doing with her family at Slade-sama's mansion? Neko couldn't bear the thought of them getting hurt. She knew that her evil half not only possessed Horror powers, but also all of her negative traits.

She looked towards the window to see the light of the morning sun seep through the curtains. It was a brand new day. She yawned and stretched before getting out of bed. She made the bed and walked into the bathroom of her brother's room to take a shower.

She then remembered she didn't have any other clothes with her except for her uniform. She looked down at the skintight black bodysuit with silver bracelets and clawed gloves. She still had her goggles and her bow too. Around her waist was a utility belt with Slade-sama's emblem on the buckle.

She needed to go shopping. Problem was who she could ask to go? All the Titans hated her and even if her brother would volunteer she couldn't ask for his help. She felt that she didn't deserve it after all the horrible things she'd done to him in the past.

Sighing, she walked into the bathroom and stripped out of her uniform to take a shower. Maybe there was something her brother had that she could wear?

* * *

"OW!" Private HIVE yelled as he pulled back his hand painfully. "You broke my wrist!"

"I told you not to take away the last slice of French toast," Katherine hissed, eyes narrowed. She looked around and asked, "Anybody else have a problem with that?" She received shaking heads. "Good."

Private HIVE ran towards the infirmary to get his wrist treated. He would be out of action for awhile now.

Katherine, the evil half of Copycat whom possessed the Living Gate powers, was standing in line in the cafeteria. Said cafeteria was inside the underground base of Tartarus, the new criminal organization headed by herself and Slade and created to counter the Titans. Since the Titans were organized, it was time for the criminals to do the same. All the local super villains were here having breakfast right after a rough and early training session.

Katherine carried her tray to her usual table, which was shared with Rose and Cathy. Rose seemed worried about her girlfriend and Cathy was concerned about her mama as well.

It would appear that nobody knew of what'd truly occurred. They didn't know that this Copycat was only half of the original. Unfortunately, they got the purely evil half, which was anything but a good thing.

During morning spar, she'd nearly killed XL-Terrestrial. The kid was lying in the infirmary with a full body cast and could only eat through a straw due to a broken jaw. Everyone knew to stay clear of her before but now they decided to give her a wide berth, about 10 feet so they wouldn't incur her wrath. She was short tempered and prone to giving murderous threats before actually doing what she threatened to do.

Billy Numerous still hadn't recovered from when Katherine had returned late night. He'd made a comment and was now going through unspeakable pain. It was a wonder if he could bear children anymore after what Katherine had done to him.

Of course, she treated the men horribly due to her hatred for men. When it came to the girls she was a shameless flirt. Angel was stirring clear of Katherine when the cat girl whispered something into her mind concerning the winged girl bound to a bed by handcuffs, naked, and Katherine having her way with the girl. She had even pinched Cheshire on the butt.

She had not made a move on Rose but the thoughts running through her mind could be categorized as sick and perverted. They involved Rose in a harem outfit tending to a leather clad Katherine in a soft bed covered in black silk sheets. Rose would also be screaming in pure ecstasy.

The darkness inside of her heart and aura was obvious to those who could detect such things. Psimon could feel and sense the evil. It was unlike anything he'd felt and the old man nearly had a heart attack.

Only Madame Rouge hadn't reacted negatively to Katherine's behavior.

Katherine sat down to enjoy her breakfast. Rose asked, "Did you have to break Private HIVE's wrist?"

"I did warn him," said Katherine as she bit into her sausage, breaking it in half. The action made several men flinch. She chewed and swallowed quickly. "Nobody gets in my way."

"What happened to you last night?" Rose asked. "You seem…different."

"Just got rid of some access baggage," Katherine answered, which was the honest truth. Said 'access baggage' was living in Titans Tower. "I was stressed out."

"Was that why you went berserk with daddy's Sladebots?"

Katherine shrugged, "Pretty much."

"Mama, you're so strong," Cathy admired. Katherine grinned. Even if she was evil, she still had some motherly tendencies concerning her adopted mutant daughter.

"Hey, play your cards right, kiddo, and you'll make it big in this business," Katherine advised.

* * *

"Thank you for accompanying me to the mall, Anders-san," Neko spoke politely as she walked alongside Kori in the mall, both wearing civilian clothing. Neko was wearing something Kori had lent her. Neko, unlike her more evil self, was calling everyone by their surnames with the suffix '-san'. She didn't see herself as worthy of calling them by their names after what'd happened between them for over a year.

"You are a guest, Neko," Kori smiled serenely. "And, I believe you also need female interaction." Kori was a nice person by nature and also cheerful, "And, you may call me Kori." Unlike the others Kori had quickly befriended Neko. The others were taking time to get used to the idea of this girl being the good half. They hadn't believed that Copycat even had any good in her.

"No," Neko objected, "I do not deserve to call you by your given name. I have done too many horrible things to be even allowed to call you so." She felt that she didn't deserve such kindness.

"You should not even be allowed to speak," said a cold new voice. Kori and Neko looked behind them to see a man approaching them. It was the strange man that'd arrived from last night.

"Who are you?" demanded Kori.

"My name is Kenzaki Tsukuba," the man introduced himself. He removed his gloves and Neko gasped at the sight of them. Despite his normal appearance, his hands appeared to be made of metal and with sharp claws for fingers. "And you, Neko Katherine Hasuma, aka Copycat, are on my Most Wanted list." He threw off his trench coat, revealing that his arms were the same as his hands, metallic. He spread out his arms. A ball of liquid metal appeared in both of his hands. The metal shifted and turned into futuristic looking pistols that were attached to his wrist. He pointed them both at Neko. "5 trillion, dead or alive. Though in your case, alive is not an option."

He was suddenly hit in the chest by a starbolt and Neko gasped. "Anders-san!"

"Neko, run!" Kori said. "I shall try to hold him off!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Neko looked upon Kenzaki. What had she done in the past to antagonize him so?

"You must! You do not have power!" Kori shouted. "Call the others as well!" She looked at Kenzaki and saw him, still standing there. The starbolt hadn't even scratched him. So she decided to go with a more direct approach.

She flew at Kenzaki and laid a punch clear into his stomach… and it didn't even make him budge. She looked into his face in shock. "You thought that would hurt me? You're nowhere near strong enough to hurt me," said Kenzaki. Though Kori was already shocked, she was even more shocked when she felt a fist dig into her gut. Kenzaki watched as she was launched clear out of the mall, smashing her straight through a wall. This immediately caused a panic as people started to flee.

Kenzaki flicked his wrist and rested his glare upon Neko, "Now, where was I?"

Neko was sitting on the floor. Her entire body was trembling as she held the communicator in her hands. She couldn't even crawl away as her entire body was numb with fear.

* * *

Ryuki was with meeting his cousin Saeji at a coffee shop for breakfast. The Makai Knight had called the Dragon Knight over to discuss an important matter. As soon as Ryuki sat down and made his order, Saeji got straight to the point.

"It's about your sister," Saeji stated.

"What about Neko-chan?" Ryuki asked.

"She needs to die," Saeji replied bluntly. No need for discretion here. "I just got my orders and since both of them are connected, by killing the weaker half I can kill the Living Gate."

Ryuki eyes narrowed. He could explode and yell at Saeji for suggesting such a thing but he wasn't in the mood to make a scene. Taking a deep breath of air, Ryuki gave his answer, "No."

"No?" Saeji repeated as he was quirking an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"Just like how it sounds. My answer is no. I won't allow you to hurt my sister," Ryuki said firmly, arms crossed.

"Ryuki-kun, you cannot deny that she's a threat. This way we can save this world and all the other worlds as well," Saeji argued.

"I know and I will not kill her," Ryuki retorted. "I'll find another way and it won't involve her death."

"You sealed her powers before and yet they broke free," Saeji reminded. "You can't deny the fact that she's a dangerous monster-"

"Urusei! She's my sister!" Ryuki snapped with an aura of hostility around him and mixed with killing intent. "My answer is no and it will remain so."

Saeji gave Ryuki a look. '_Doesn't he understand what's at stake? Of course he does. So, why is he denying me the chance to save the world from Horrors?_' Saeji decided to chance it and asked, "Why do you say 'no'?"

"Because," Ryuki began, "Because I refuse to be the type of person that believes that the ends justify the means. Nothing justifies the act of killing a person." Ryuki had once made such a call to save the world. He'd been forced to kill Craig. He wasn't going to take such a course of action ever again.

Saeji was about to retort when Ryuki's SB-Watch began beeping. It was a distress call. Ryuki stood up and said, "I need to go," before he teleported in a vortex of flames. He hadn't even waited for his order to arrive.

Saeji sighed and rested his head in one hand, his elbow on the table. "Why is he so stubborn?"

"Well, he is your cousin," Kurenai commented. "Maybe it just runs in the family."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Saeji asked his ring. "Are you saying I'm stubborn?"

"If the shoe fits, Saeji," Kurenai chuckled, "If the shoe fits."

The waitress returned with the orders and asked, "Hey, where's your friend?"

"He just went out. Can I take it to go?" Saeji replied.

* * *

Lounging like a spoilt kitten on some large pillows that she had 'obtained', Katherine was feeling like doing something naughty, which wasn't surprising considering what she was.

"What to do?" she sighed. "I feel a little raunchy so maybe Rose will be up for some fun."

Thoughts of what kind of fun she and her lover could get up to put shivers down her spine. Especially when she thought about black leather, whips, chains…

Wait…that shiver wasn't from arousal.

Katherine sat up and closed her eyes to concentrate. That shiver was fear. It wasn't hers, but her better half's. Something was happening to her and she was scared out of her mind. It probably wouldn't be very healthy for her either.

"Damn," Kat hissed. "Playtime with Rosie will have to wait."

As much as she hated caring for her 'weaker' half, her existence was at stake. They were still connected by the Power of the Tiger. If one were to die, the other would follow.

She pushed herself to her feet and approached her mirror. She took out her deck and recited the transformation call. Seconds later her body was encased in her black and red Cat Armor.

"Hmph, whoever is trying to kill me should say his prayers because he's about to meet his maker," Copycat hissed. She then walked into the mirror and vanished into it.

* * *

Kenzaki was about to do the deed when he felt a ball of fire collide with his chest and explode. His chest was smoking and his shirt had a hole burnt into it. Looking up, he saw a rather pissed off looking male. It was Ryuki.

"Leave Neko-chan alone," Ryuki warned.

"Ryu-chan!" Neko yelled.

"Get behind me, quick," Ryuki told her. Neko immediately fled and took cover behind her brother. Ryuki asked his sister, "Neko-chan, daijoubu?"

"Hai," Neko nodded.

"I got here as fast as I could when I got the distress signal. Luckily I was nearby," Ryuki explained.

"Stay out of my way," Kenzaki threatened. He wasn't going to let his target escape nor was he going to let anyone get in his way.

"No," Ryuki said sternly, "Your request is denied." Ryuki took a fighting stance and summoned the Keyblade.

Kenzaki's eyes narrowed and then he saw the weapon in Ryuki's hand, "The Keyblade. So, you're the chosen one."

Ryuki seemed surprised and asked, "You know about the Keyblade?" It wasn't exactly public knowledge.

Kenzaki rolled his eyes, "Everyone who is anybody in the Multiverse knows about the Keyblade. It's general knowledge, really. I'm surprised someone like you has it. You do know who you're protecting, right?"

"My sister," Ryuki affirmed. "And I will not allow her to be harmed."

Kenzaki focused his eyes angrily at Ryuki, "Do you know what she's done? Do you know how many lives she's destroyed? Do you have any idea of the kind of pain and suffering she has inflicted on innocent people?" Neko whimpered as she listened, the visions in her nightmares returning.

"Yes, I do," Ryuki answered, gripping the Keyblade tightly, "But even so she is my responsibility. I shall not allow her to be harmed."

Kenzaki and Ryuki faced each other. "So, you will not move?" asked Kenzaki.

"And let you hurt my sister. That's not happening," retorted Ryuki.

"So be it," said Kenzaki. He held out his hand and a belt materialized in it. He swung it around and fastened it around his waist. Ryuki noticed as a black streak appeared in Kenzaki's silver hair. Kenzaki pulled out a small black case that looked like a train pass. "Henshin!" He pushed the black button on his belt before swiping the pass over the belt buckle.

"**HUNTER FORM!**" the belt announced

At first his body was covered in a form-fitting black body armor with white gauntlets and boots with silver hands and feet, a silver chest-plate and a white helmet with a silver mouthpiece. A line of what looked like train tracks ran down the middle of the helmet and the middle of the armor's chest. It was easy to tell that Kenzaki was staring down Draco through the black opaque lenses on the sides of the tracks.

Next additional pieces of armor soon appeared as they swirled around him. The plates of black armor attached to his chest and back while the other plates hit his shoulders. The chestplate resembled a wolf's head while his shoulder plates resembled the paws of the animal with the claws out. When these plates finally became attached, a black and silver mask came sliding down his helmet, attaching to his faceplate. The mask was black with golden trimmings, a crescent moon on the forehead, a long 'snout' and had pointed 'ears'. The armored bounty hunter had black bars resembling train cars attached to his belt, 4 in total, with two on either side. He began to detach the bars one by one before putting them together into a sort of weapon. Ryuki recognized the weapon as a Gasher. A blade extended from the Gasher until it looked similar to a long black scimitar.

Kenzaki haphazardly swung the blade around, sending out arcs of energy. He then spun the blade around and rested it on his shoulder. Kenzaki reared his head back and howled into the air. He then crouched down on one knee, with his right arm pointed down. He then scratched his claws across the floor. "**Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?**" asked Kenzaki, his voice now combined with another's.

"Just who are you, really?" asked Ryuki.

"**You can call me… Kamen Rider Garoh!**" growled Kenzaki.

"A Rider? You?" Ryuki asked skeptically. "I don't believe it."

"**Believe what you want, but I'm going to go through every last one of you till I get what I want**," Garoh said with pure conviction.

"I repeat: that's not happening," Ryuki said as he took out his deck and tapped it against his Keyblade. The Titans Key Keyblade thus morphed into the Masked Rider Sword Keyblade. Garoh looked on curiously as Ryuki slid his deck into the slot behind the blade. "Henshin! Liner Drive Form!" Instantly, glass shards gathered and his Blank Mode armor appeared on his body. After that, the pieces of armor which formed the Liner Drive Form appeared and snapped on. His bodysuit also changed as his visor snapped on his helmet, shining brightly.

Garoh was taken aback by this and asked, "**So, you're a Rider like me too.**"

"I'm nothing like you," Draco narrowed his eyes under his helmet and charged forward. "IKUZE!!" He shouted, charging straight at Garoh. Neko stood back on the sidelines, watching.

A few floors above stood Copycat as she leaned forward over the railing to watch the action. "So, someone is out to get me," she purred. She looked over Garoh. "A Rider Set Touch system which uses a special time train pass. He must have a time train hidden somewhere."

Months ago, Copycat had used the remains of a time train known as the GaoLiner. She'd infused it with Horrors to create her HorrorLiner in an attempt to travel to the centre of the Multiverse and destroy it before recreating the whole Multiverse in her image. Of course, her brother and his crew just had to butt in and stop her. She'd lost her time train and also had been sealed away.

The gears in her brain were spinning as an idea formed in her mind. She watched the entertainment down below, just making bets with herself to see who'd win.

Draco held his own against Garoh who was pushing back as their blades were locked. Despite the strength Draco had, Garoh seemed to be stronger.

Starfire groaned as she crawled back into the mall through the wall. Neko noticed her and ran straight for her. "Anders-san!" Neko helped Kori back to her feet. "Are you alright?"

"I am perfectly unharmed," coughed Kori, "But that man is stronger than he appeared." Her eyes looked up to see Draco and Garoh battling. "Is that him?"

"Hai."

"He is one of those Riders as well?"

"Unfortunately."

"We must assist your brother," Kori said firmly, eyes narrowed and glowing.

"But I can't," Neko said dejectedly, "My powers are useless." She could only use telepathy and teleport. In this situation, such powers were of no use to her.

"You can," Kori assured. "Just believe."

Neko nodded and then looked to see her brother. He was fighting for her. Even after all she'd done he was still protecting her. Suddenly, she felt something rise within her. Looking over to Kori, she saw that her hands which were touching Kori's arm were glowing. She jerked back, shocked.

"Neko?" Kori asked.

"My hands were glowing!" Neko panicked. What was going on?

'_Aibou! What are you doing!?_' Yaminekoryu shouted as Draco fought. '_You're fighting sloppy!_'

'_What the hell is wrong with you!?_' Ifrit yelled.

Draco was not fighting at his best. Actually, he was being careless. Garoh kept dodging his attacks and managed to counter each of his blows. It was like Draco didn't want to fight. Of course, this was because he was still affected by the conversation he had earlier with his cousin as well as Craig's death. Despite his best efforts along with those of his friends', he still hadn't gotten over it. It was in this form he'd killed his best friend and due to self doubt he was unable to utilize its full power. The only reason he'd defeated Copycat the night before was through luck.

With a mighty kick, Garoh struck at Draco and knocked the Keyblade away. He then slashed at Draco with his scimitar several times before he smashed a fist into Draco's face, knocking him backwards. Garoh then leapt up and performed a double-footed drop kick that sent Draco reeling. As he raised up his sword, a starbolt smashed into his side. He didn't feel any pain due to his condition but he raised up his head to look at Kori.

"Leave him alone," Kori ordered.

Garoh snorted, "**Lady, don't get in my way**." In a flash he was suddenly in front of Kori. "**Don't ever challenge the wolf!**" He struck Starfire hard in the stomach with the butt of his weapon, causing her to double over before he used an uppercut to her chin. He then jumped up and kicked her hard and sent her sailing towards a wall. Kori righted herself in the air and rebounded off the wall.

"Adeat!" Kori called and was now armed with her Starblade. Garoh was shocked that a Tamaranean could use magic. However, he was anything but impressed. As Kori flew straight at him, ready to swing his sword, he took got ready. He summoned his pass and waved it in front of his belt buckle.

"**FULL CHARGE!**" the belt announced.

Energy arched from his belt and into his scimitar, which began to glow. He then charged back at Kori. She swung down her sword and he blocked it. Not only that, but he also sliced through the energy blade. Kori gasped in shock but was then smashed in the face by a fist, sending the girl flying into a clothing store and knocking her out as clothes piled on top of her.

Draco charged at Garoh once he'd gotten back his bearings. Garoh's scimitar was still charged so he rushed at the Zodiac Knight of Dragons. He ducked under swing and then slashed Draco in the stomach. Draco screamed as Neko cringed. Garoh then started to slash Draco over and over with his charged up blade before stabbing him in the chest. Draco screamed as his armor shattered and Keyblade vanished. He collapsed afterwards.

"Ryu-chan!" Neko yelled.

Garoh approached Neko who was trembling in fear. Just who was this Rider and why did he want to kill her. What had she done to deserve this? "Why are you doing this?" Neko questioned, crying, as she pressed herself back against the wall.

"**You even dare to ask that question?**" Garoh asked, infuriated by his target's 'feigned' ignorance. "**You're a monster!**"

Neko gasped. "But, I-I-I don't even… know…you," Neko spoke shakily, eyes wide with fear as a cold sweat formed over her face.

"**You don't remember?**" asked Garoh, shocked. "**You don't remember?!**" This was the first time he had shown emotion. "**You can look me in the eye, at this scar, the one you gave me, and say you don't remember?!**" He was shaking in anger at this point. "**You killed my mother and father after they helped you! You killed them and then ate their hearts! You killed my sister and then you tried to kill me! Then your god damn Horrors wiped out my entire **_**universe!**_"

Neko eyes widened, horrified at the revelation. On instinct, she thrust out her hands as beams of green energy shot out and hit Garoh's chestplate. His chestplate was smoking but undamaged. Neko looked at her hands with shock but then shivered when she felt a cold blade pressed against her throat.

"**That would've hurt if I could feel pain.**" Garoh had his scimitar's blade pressed against Neko's neck. "**Your wanted poster said **'**dead** **or alive'…I'll just bring in your head then.**"

Neko was crying, fearing for her life. She was shocked when Garoh was blasted back by a fireball. Garoh easily readied himself. He looked up and noticed that Ryuki was now standing between him and Neko. "**Stupid boy, you should have stayed down and out of the way.**"

"I won't let you hurt my onee-chan," said Ryuki defiantly.

This actually seemed to halt Garoh. "**Damn it… Why? Why do you have to sound like ****her****!?**" roared Gaoh as he slammed the Scimitar-Gasher into the ground. He then undid his transformation, returning back to Kenzaki, the black streak in his hair gone.

"Why do you have to act so much like my sister?" whispered Kenzaki.

* * *

_A 16 year old girl stood between Copycat and a 12 year old Kenzaki. "So, you want to die first?" asked Copycat, her red eyes glowing._

"_I won't let you hurt my otouto-chan!" said the girl. As soon as she said this, Copycat impaled the girl on her claw._

"_NO! Onee-chan!" cried the boy._

"_That's too bad. You were pretty cute," said Copycat in a mocking tone. She then kicked the girl off her claws. She turned her attention towards Kenzaki. "Now, to take care of you…"_

* * *

'_His sister?_' Ryuki thought upon hearing it. He'd have to ask about it later. "Why are you after my sister?" Ryuki asked, his grasp on his Keyblade not wavering.

"Why don't you ask _her_?" Kenzaki pointed hatefully at Neko. "She killed my family and my world!" he accused. Ryuki found that he wasn't so surprised. If it had been Copycat back then it was possible but he needed to make sure.

"Is this true?" Ryuki asked his sister. He needed answers.

"Hai," Neko nodded, filled with remorse. She tried to apologize, "And I'm sorry."

Kenzaki looked at her, eyes narrowed, "Sorry? _Sorry_!?" Neko flinched. "You _think_ saying sorry is going to fix **everything**? My family was nothing but kind to you and yet you killed them! You even wiped out my world with Horrors!" Ryuki's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Horrors. He shouted, "And all you can say is sorry!? NOT GOOD ENOUGH!"

Copycat, who was still watching the entire thing, quirked an eyebrow, "When did I do anything like that? I remember something like that happening." She checked out Kenzaki. "He seems familiar enough." She stretched, "Oh, well…I'll figure those things out later." She yawned. "Right now I'm due for a catnap." She turned around and walked into a display window which rippled like water as she came into contact with it before phasing through.

Ryuki briefly heard a faint ringing sound but ignored it like nothing. It was probably just a false alarm. "You better come with us to the Tower to explain everything."

"Why?" Kenzaki asked suspiciously.

"Because you don't know the whole truth right now," Ryuki answered. Kenzaki growled.

"I do."

"Do you?" Ryuki was briefly reminded of Craig, may Kami bless his soul, from Kenzaki's behavior. To him Neko was the one who'd caused him great pain and grief. Ryuki had a sinking suspicion as to who was actually responsible here.

Meanwhile, Neko was trying to shake Kori awake. She'd found the alien princess buried under a pile of clothes and managed to dig her out. "Anders-san! Anders-san!" Kori groaned as she held her head.

"What did the hitting on me?" Kori questioned, disoriented. Neko smiled as she hugged Kori.

"You're okay!" Neko cried. Neko helped the alien girl up.

"Thank you," Kori nodded. "Now, let us bring this man to the police."

"Actually, he's coming with us to the Tower," Ryuki informed Kori. Kori responded with a look of shock and confusion. "We both owe each other explanations."

"Fine," Kenzaki grumbled as crossed his arms. "But after all this is done, I'm bringing her in." He was talking about Neko.

* * *

At the Tower, Kenzaki was now the centre of attention. All the Titans were in the living room. Robin crossed his arms, angry that someone had hurt Starfire. Neko was standing close to her brother, hiding partly behind his back. He was her guardian and shield during these difficult times.

Robin was the first to ask, "Who are you?"

"I'm Kenzaki Tsukuba. I'm a multiversal bounty hunter," Kenzaki answered casually.

"Multiversal?" Beast Boy asked.

"It means he travels from one world to the next capturing criminals who have large bounties above their heads," Shadow explained. He didn't care for bounty hunters, not since the incident involving his old mentor Crackdown.

"That's right, and there's a large bounty on that psycho's head!" Kenzaki pointed at Neko who immediately hid behind her brother. Ryuki stepped forward and grabbed Kenzaki's hand.

"You shall not raise your voice and point fingers at my sister," Ryuki growled. Kenzaki stared at him in disbelief.

"Why?" Kenzaki asked.

"Why what?" Ryuki asked back.

"Why do you protect her?" Kenzaki asked again.

"She is my sister," Ryuki said with pure conviction.

"Do you know what she's done?" Kenzaki asked. "The lives she took? The worlds she has destroyed?" He raised his voice, "Do you?"

The others looked stricken with shock. How much damage had Copycat done while she'd been hopping dimensions?

"I do," Ryuki nodded, "And it is not her fault."

"Not her fault?" Kenzaki repeated, "Not her fault!? She's a stone cold killer! She's pure evil incarnate!"

"You know, you're taking this pretty personally," Shadow observed. "Why?"

"None of your business," Kenzaki snorted.

"It is if you try to hurt someone under our protection," Shadow said threateningly.

Kenzaki took out a sheet of paper, which was a wanted poster, and slapped it down in front of the Titans. "There, you see?"

**WANTED**

**COPYCAT**

**REWARD: 5 TRILLION CREDITS**

**DEAD OR ALIVE**

There was a picture of Copycat on it too, with and without her armor.

"5 TRILLION!? WOAH!" Beast Boy yelled out. "That's huge!"

"5 trillion credits," Starfire gasped out. "That is enough to purchase a small planet."

"Or 500 Gamestations!" Cyborg yelled out, "Or more!"

"Who issued this bounty?" Robin asked.

"Nobody from this universe," Kenzaki stated. "Just some people who want to keep the Multiverse safe from interferences…Like _her_."

Neko looked really scared. There was such a large bounty on her head. Had she really been that evil when whole?

Everyone was silently taking in this information.

"She's not your target," Ryuki suddenly spoke.

Kenzaki stared at Ryuki. "What?"

"The person you are after is 'Copycat'," Ryuki pointed out. "My sister isn't her; at least, not anymore."

"What is that supposed to fucking mean?" Kenzaki snarled.

"Let me explain," Ryuki started before he told Kenzaki of the events which had transpired the previous night.

"You're shitting me," Kenzaki responded after hearing the story. "You expect me to believe that bullshit story?"

"It's true," Shadow nodded. "The person you are after, Copycat, has been split in two. What you see here is her good half. However, the evil half is still at large."

"Then I'm going after her. Then I'll kill her and take her head," Kenzaki said as he stood up but was pushed back down by Cyborg and Ryuki. "Hey!"

"I can't let you do that," Ryuki said firmly.

"Oh really? Why not?" Kenzaki challenged.

"Because, if you kill Copycat, you kill Neko-chan too," Ryuki added. "The two of them are connected. They are two sides of the same coin. If one dies, so does the other."

"One is good while the other is evil," Raven continued. "Both are two parts of the same whole. Though separate, their fates are still bound together. By killing one, you kill the other."

"And I can't allow you to do that," Ryuki finished.

"You think you can stop me?" Kenzaki challenged, "All of you?"

"Without a doubt, yes," said Robin.

"And, aren't you a Rider?" Terra asked, "Shouldn't you be fighting for justice or something."

"Not everyone who carries the name 'Kamen Rider' fights on the same side," Kenzaki retorted. "Besides, don't I fight for justice? I capture criminals and bring them in. So what if I make a bit of profit. But right now,I just want to bring Copycat in, dead rather than alive."

"That's gonna be a little harder than it sounds," Terra spoke up.

"How so?"

"Because she has 8 Lives," Neko stated. It was the first time she'd spoke since coming back. "My other half has the Power of 9 Lives. Now she has only 8."

"How do you know?" Kenzaki asked, the venom dripping from his voice. Neko trembled.

"Because, like Ryu-chan and Roth-san said, we're connected. I can fell whenever one life ends but also feels as another one comes into effect. Killing her isn't going to be easy. She will keep reviving herself."

"Then I'll kill her 9 times over," Kenzaki said without hesitation.

"No, you won't," Robin denied.

"You want to make something about it, punk?" Kenzaki challenged.

"As long as we're in this city, people like you aren't going to be going around killing people," Robin argued, "Not now, not ever. We will try and stop you."

Kenzaki sighed. Neko then approached Kenzaki. Kenzaki looked the girl over. She looked just like the way she did when she'd killed his family. However, on closer inspection, he could see that she didn't have that sadistic look in her eyes or felt evil. She was just, scared, guilty, and filled with remorse.

Also, she did look kinda cute. He stomped that thought down quickly. '_What the hell?_'

She got down on her hands and knees and apologized. She bowed down with her forehead on the ground. She apologized for her sins, every last one of them.

Kenzaki was in a dilemma. He then said, "Get up and stop apologizing. It makes me sick."

"Huh?" Neko rose her head up.

"Fine, I won't kill Copycat or you," Kenzaki added. "The bounty was on Copycat. You're not her."

* * *

A perverse grin formed on Katherine's face as she thought of the things she would do to Rose. The room was soundproof and the locks were unbreakable. As soon as she got the silver haired girl cornered, screams of pleasure and pain would echo within the room. Katherine twirled a pair of handcuffs on her index finger, planning on a night that Rose would never forget. Under her feet, her own shadow grinned evilly.

* * *

Later that night…very late at night, Neko was in her brother's room and dressed in a Smart Brain's operative uniform. It was a good thing that all the uniforms were truly 'one-size-fits-all'. As soon as she put it on, it tightened to fit her figure snugly instead of loosely. She looked over herself in the mirror and admitted that she didn't look half bad. Her hair had also been braided with the bow ribbon now tied to the end of her braid. To finish off the look, she put on her goggles over her eyes. She was halfway prepared but she needed more resources if she was going to sneak into the compound. Slade had state of the art security system and surveillance equipment planted all around to look out for intruders.

Fortunately, she still had her utility belt which had all her gear plus she remembered her training. With her training in the Hasuma School's Stealth Style, she could easily sneak into the compound. However, stealth would not be enough. Right now, she needed more power. After running a telepathic scan she was relieved that everyone was asleep.

"OK, here I go," She then vanished and teleported. It was fortunate that she still had her basic psychic powers of telepathy and teleportation.

She'd discovered what her new power was. She could borrow powers from others through touch. Luckily, it worked at will instead of automatically. He'd heard of a girl with similar powers but had no control over them. Therefore, she had to cover up a lot and wore gloves.

She first ported into Starfire's room. She tiptoes silently towards the sleeping princess and tapped one of her bare fingers against Starfire's forehead, taking some of the girl's energy and borrowing her powers. Satisfied, she then ported to Beast Boy's room. The boy was not alone, however, and was cuddling with Terra. Thankfully, they were fully clothed. He snuck over and touched them to absorb some of their power before moving on to the next room. She found Renia sleeping on the floor at the foot of her bed. She'd obviously fallen off. Her snoring was also loud. Neko carefully walked over and took some of Renia's power and then ported out quickly. She contemplated on taking Robin's power but she still had some martial arts training. Therefore, she moved towards Jinx's room. Her brother would be there too.

Instantly, upon arrival, she cringed. Brimstone! How could she forget that the dog was sleeping here too? She just hoped she didn't alarm the hound. She used some of Starfire's power to float towards the bed where her brother and Jinx were sleeping; the pink haired girl snuggled against her brother. Neko smiled at the tender scene before she refocused on her mission. She touched their foreheads and then ported out.

Her final targets were Raven and Shadowcobra. They were psychically aware of their surrounding so Neko had to be extra careful. Since they were married, the couple was probably asleep in either of their rooms. Neko decided to chance it and ported into Shadowcobra's room.

She'd guessed right. Both of them were asleep with Raven laying on top her husband. As heartwarming as this scene was, Neko needed power. She brushed her hand against their foreheads, absorbing enough power to be used later on. Unlike her original Zodiac Power, this power of hers had a 30 minute limit and every second counted. As she was about to leave, she noticed something on Shadow's desk. She walked over to it and picked the item up. Her eyes widened as she identified it as the deck that Alternative-01 had used. How did Shadowcobra get his hands on it? Neko decided to save those questions for later. Time was of the essence.

Once she was sure that she was ready, she teleported straight outside of the Tower.

As her feet touched down on the beach, she realized that she wasn't alone. She spun around to see Kenzaki leaning against the Tower, admiring her. He had a lit cigarette in his mouth.

"Isn't it a little late to be going out?" he asked.

"I should be asking you that too," Neko returned. This man had tried to kill her and even if his reasons were sound she felt little trust for him. "What do you want?"

"I'm still skeptical about this whole separation thing," Kenzaki replied, "But from what I gathered you just look like the one I'm hunting down."

"Well, it was still me. I was whole back then," Neko replied.

"I know. The bounty was for 'Copycat', not a girl named Neko."

"Get to the point. I'm running late here and I don't want to waste anymore time." She wasn't usually rude, but she was running out of time.

"You're up to something and I want in," Kenzaki replied firmly.

"Just go away," Neko said briskly. She was about to port when he made another comment.

"Nothing is stopping me from waking them up, y'know?" he said. She froze. She sighed and looked straight at him. "Now, do I have your attention?"

"Fine," Neko sighed. "I'm going back to rescue a couple of people from the mansion. Their names are Rose and Cathy. My evil half is there and I'm afraid of what she might do to them."

"A rescue mission? Alone?" Kenzaki asked. It would appear that Neko had lost some of her common sense when she'd split. "That's insane."

"I know," Neko agreed, "But I can't involve my brother. I have to do this alone."

"Let me help," Kenzaki offered.

"Why?" Neko asked suspiciously.

"You need someone to look out for you. Besides, this way, I get my bounty and you get your girls." He was still dedicated to bringing Copycat in. "So, do we have a deal?" He offered his hand. She looked at it and took it, shaking it.

"OK," Neko nodded. "Now, hold on."

In an instant, they'd vanished.

* * *

Rose heard a knock at her door. The daughter of Slade got up from her dressing table to answer where she'd been brushing her hair in front of the mirror. She was already in her pajamas, which was a long blue buttoned down shirt that reached down to mid thigh. Underneath she wore panties and a bra. She turned the knob and opened the door to see Katherine.

"Oh, it's you, Kitty-Kat," Rose smiled.

Katherine inwardly cringed at the childish pet name. She smiled, looking Rose up and down. She'd have her calling her 'mistress' soon enough. "Rose, can you _come_ with me to my room?"

Rose smiled, "Sure."

Katherine grinned, "Thanks." '_Excellent._'

* * *

_In the beginning, there was discovery, a confusion of elements, a first snowfall of impossible change. Old lives undone, left behind, strange faces made familiar, new nightmares to challenge sleep, new friends to feel safe with. Only then comes control, the need to impose order onto chaos through determination, through study, through struggle, all in defiance of a thundering truth. They're here, and the earth shudders underfoot._

To Be Continued…

* * *

Name: Neko Hasuma

Age: 19

Codename: Mimic

Bio: Neko is the good half of Copycat which was separated due to the Power of the Zodiac Tiger. As such, Neko carries one half of the Tiger Power and is still connected to her evil half. Since the Zodiac Deck is in the position of Katherine (her evil half), Neko has none of the powers she had gained using the Powers of the Cat. What she has left are her powers of teleportation and telepathy as well as her training. However, since the Tiger Power separated her from her evil half, she has a weaker form of her mimicry ability which can be activated at will when she touches someone. By doing this, she can borrow their powers, temporarily and for about 30 minutes or so. She can also communicate with animals, though she prefers cats above anything else. In addition to her power absorption ability, she can also take on the physical properties of any solid matter like steel or rock through touch but it only affects her skin. She is yet to discover this secondary absorption ability.

Neko, unlike her evil self, has low self esteem, nervous and scares easily. She is also desperate to gain the Titans' trust. Also, she cares deeply for her brother and calls him either 'otouto-chan' or 'Ryu-chan'.

* * *

ZK Chromedragozoid: Shadow Element 13 made me this OC.

Name: Kenzaki Tsukuba

Age: 24

Codename: Kamen Rider Garoh

Appearance: He has long silver hair that goes down to the small of his back. His right eye is blue, the left eye is red. There is a scar going over his red eye. He has a normal skin tone, except for his back, arms, and the sides of his chest and abdomen, which are a metallic color. His hands are now actually metal claws. He wears black jeans, dark blue tennis shoes, and a dark blue t-shirt. He also wears a metallic silver trench coat.

Bio: Kenzaki comes from a now non-existent universe. His universe was destroyed by Horrors when Draco and the others were hunting down Copycat through the Multiverse. The Horror's couldn't be stopped as he was the only superhuman on his Earth. Kenzaki his hunting a demonic monster, disguised as a beautiful girl, calling herself Copycat. Kenzaki and his family found a wounded Copycat and brought her back to their home to heal her. When she awakened she killed his family and devoured their hearts. She's also the one that gave Kenzaki his scar. When his universe was destroyed by the Horrors, Kenzaki was caught in a dimensional rift that the Horrors used to escape the destruction. Kenzaki followed them, but ended up lost in the Sands of Time. Here, he was picked up by the former owner of the GaroLiner, Gou Tsukuba, who was like a second father to Kenzaki. The man was killed while hunting a bounty. Kenzaki became the owner of the GaroLiner through inheritance.

He trained on the GaroLiner for 12 years, eventually mastering control of his abilities, as well as mastering the Fierce Beast Wolf-Fist.

A morally ambivalent clean-up man employed by various sources. He suffers from a disease called congenital analgia that does not allow him to feel pain. As a child, he was exposed to a biological compound which mutated him, dramatically changing his right and left arm, and giving him the ability to spontaneously grow any firearm he requires, fully loaded. He is the owner and operator of the GaroLiner. His partner and second-in-command is a Wolf Imagin named Okami, though he has three other Imagin partners. His other partners are Shiori, a gynoid, and Kumiko, a young girl the original Garoh saved from the Horrors, but she is from a different Universe then Kenzaki. Kenzaki is also a heavy smoker and drinker.

Kenzaki's Rider system is similar to Den-O, utilizing the Terminal Buckle and Set Touch features.

**Kenzaki's Weapons:**

Each weapon, with the exception of grenades and the Reapers are equipped with a Secondary Trigger, which uses the Alternate Fire.

**M5A2 Carbine**:

Primary fire- Shoots normal bullets. It is very accurate, even in full auto fire.

Alternate fire- Launches an explosive similar to a M203 grenade launcher.

**Bullseye**:

Primary fire- Shoots energetic ammunition very fast, but inaccurate.

Alternate fire- Fires a "tag" where the cross-hairs are pointed. IF the tag hits an enemy, all primary fire will be directed to that enemy. This usually spells the death for the tagged character.

Bullseye bomb- If Kenzaki shoots anywhere other than a tagged target, he can create a Bullseye bomb by holding down the Secondary Trigger. All primary shots will speed to a point a few feet next to the tag, revolving in a circle above/next to the tag (not around the tag). If Kenzaki shoots a tag somewhere else, all the bullets will immediately follow it, spelling an immediate death for anyone caught in the line of fire. If Kenzaki lets go of the Secondary Trigger (or shoots a tag somewhere else and holds the Secondary Trigger), the bomb will eventually explode in all directions.

**Rossmore 236**:

Primary fire- Shoots one shotgun shell.

Alternate fire- Fires both barrels.

**Auger**:

Primary Fire- Slowly shoots rounds capable of burrowing through solid objects, becoming more powerful with each object it passes through.

Alternate fire- Creates a shield, enough to cover one person, impenetrable to anything other than the auger.

**L23 Fareye**:

Primary fire- Shoots a powerful sniper round

Alternate fire- Makes the character concentrate while held, creating the effect of slow-motion.

**XR-005 Hailstorm**:

Primary fire- Shoots bolts capable of ricocheting off solid surfaces at an extremely high rate.

Alternate fire- Releases all bolts remaining in clip, forming an auto-turret that will attack the nearest target, and if downed, continue to find new ones until they run out of energy

**XR-003 Sapper**:

Primary fire- Shoots Sapper mines, small organic cells that act as a mine, exploding when touched. They can stick to each other and objects.

Alternate fire- Detonates mines one at a time, or all at once if held.

**L209 LAARK**:

Primary fire- Shoots a powerful missile in the direction of the crosshairs.

Alternate fire- Slows down/"freezes" the rocket in place, allowing for re-aiming. Also, if trigger is held in this state, it will fire several, smaller mini-munitions that will seek out the nearest target until they are all used up or trigger is released. Missile will still explode when it hits a target, but will be much less powerful after minirocktes have been expended.

**Bullseye Mark II**: Same as the Bullseye, except much more powerful, burrowing into the bodies of the target it hits. The projectiles are blue instead of red.

**Reapers**:

Primary fire- Shoots right reaper, wherever the crosshairs are aimed.

Alternate fire- Shoots left reaper, wherever the crosshairs are aimed.

**L11-2 Dragon**:

Primary fire- Acts as a standard flamethrower that spews greenish blue flames.

Alternate fire- Releases flammable vapor, but does not burn it. Will stay in from of weapon until trigger is released, and once released, will burn all the gas at once.

**Arc Charger**:

Primary fire- shoots an ionized beam of energy that also acts as a sort of "tag"

Alternate fire- Releases a burst of ionized beams, jumping to any tagged enemy nearby.

**Splitter**:

Primary fire- Shoots a large, explosive- 'thing'… which can be broken into several, smaller…'things' for each successive shot.

Alternate fire- Stops/slows down the "projectile(s)". When Kenzaki moves, so do the projectiles, always staying in front of him. If they hit an object, they explode.

**Frag Grenade**: Normal fragmentation grenade. Small, yet powerful explosive radius.

**Hedgehog Grenade**: Grenade of Kenzaki's design. When thrown, hovers at chest height off the ground where it lands. It then explodes, launching spikes in all directions.

**Air-Fuel Grenade**: When thrown, releases a large cloud of flammable gas. Once the gas is fully released, it is ignited. Can also stick to enemies.

**Backlash Grenade**: Grenade of Kenzaki's design. Creates a protective "bubble", which reflects any fire from weapons directly back to their source, and allows any of Kenzaki's weapons to travel through. Also, any opponent caught in it will receive damage, but will not drop dead on the spot.

**Kenzaki's Imagin Partners:**

**Okami, the Fierce Black Wolf**

Personality: hot blooded, arrogant, and quick tempered

Weapon: Scimitar

Creates Hunter Form

Introductory Line: "Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?"

**Byakko, the Honorable White Tiger**

Personality: honorable and a martial artist. Obsessed with the basics of martial arts.

Weapons: His fists and feet. He is also armed with an axe.

Creates Predator Form

Introductory Line: "Remember the basics! My fists will crush your spirit!"

**Raion, the Raging Golden Lion**

Personality: an avid fan of rock music and prone to fits of blind rage when in combat.

Weapon: A naginata

Creates Rampage Form

Introductory Line: "Let's turn up the volume! The music is just starting!"

**Buraki, the Savage Crimson Imoogi**

Personality: A ruthless, dishonest fighter, Buraki is the deadliest of Kenzaki's partners. Completely the opposite, when out of battle, Buraki goofs off and is highly perverted, which constantly puts him at odds with the honorable Byakko.

Weapon: A flamethrower that takes the form of a shotgun, firing flame bullets.

Creates Savage Form

Introductory Line: "Everything burns, let me light the fire."


	86. PT086: Gekiryuken Sanjou!

Part 86: Gekiryuken Sanjou!

_Up until recently I've been trapped in a cage. Believe it or not I am the good half of the villainess known as Copycat. Not many believe that she has any goodness in her but I am living proof of this. I am glad to be free but since I'm free, so is the evil half and without me she has no conscience or restraint. I remember all the terrible things we've done when we were once whole and I regret everyone one of them. I carry the guilt heavily in my heart and wish to make amends. I can do this. I am good. Back when we were whole I would show that Copycat was more than a villain. Now, she's loose and with the growing power of the Living Gate inside of her._

_Rose and Cathy are in danger. I know she's going to do something unspeakable to them. Tonight, I am going to rescue them. I never expected to get any help, especially from __**him**__. I just hope I can save them all before it's too late._

-Neko

* * *

The Sands of Time was a world within time where each grain of sand that you see representing time itself. The Sands of Time had a beautiful rainbow colored sky and many mountains. Though it looked deserted, in truth it was not. Time trains capable of traveling through the Sands of Time exist in this plane of existence. They go by many names but carry the same function of carrying passengers through time with the condition that they do not meddle with the time stream. Rarely, but certain, some time trains are commissioned to protect time itself. They protect the timeline of not one world, but other worlds as well. The Sands of Time do not only link with time, but other universes within the vast Multiverse. Not many time trains are allowed to travel to other worlds but there are those that do unless you carry a special Master Pass which allows you to travel to any point in time and any world you please. Just remember to always follow the World Order and do not interfere with other worlds unless you absolutely have to.

One such time train was currently stationed in the King's Terminal. This was the time train known as The GaroLiner. Currently, its crew was inside and ready for departure again.

"Seriously, Shonen-kun sure is taking his time with those kids," growled a voice. He was an intimidating wolf-like creature. He was muscular and covered in black fur. His yellow eyes glowed with an ever-present fierceness. He looked similar to the Wolf Imagin that once fought Den-O, except instead of a hood he wore a black bandana. This was Okami, the Fierce Black Wolf Imagin.

"It was an honorable thing to do. He went to explain his reasoning," said a dignified voice. The owner of the voice had a bulky muscular body and was wearing a jacket with fuzzy lining. His head was covered halfway with a helmet of some kind that had a horn sticking out of the forehead, a pair of pointed ears on top and a visor that acted as a pair of eyes. He was white with black stripes, like a tiger. This was Byakko, the Honorable White Tiger Imagin.

"Hmph! I'm bored! I want to get out there and fight some of those Horrors!" shouted a third voice. The speaker was large and muscular, more so than the other two. He looked the same as the Leo Imagin, except his armor was golden. This was Raion, the Raging Golden Lion Imagin.

"I don't care! Gives me more time with Shiori-chan," grinned a fourth person. He looked like he had a short crimson coat on which had black designs on it. He was wearing white gloves, crimson pants, and crimson boots. The shoulders had fins running from them as well. His head was crimson and very dragon-like. He had both fins and a pair of horns on top of his head. A long braid of crimson hair ran from the back of his head. He was Buraki, the Savage Crimson Imoogi Imagin.

A girl walked past him. She was a very pretty girl with short black hair and blue eyes, wearing a tight white stewardess outfit. This was Shiori, a gynoid and the maid and cook of the GaroLiner. Buraki patted her behind, only to receive an electrical shock. "Buraki! I told you to stop that!" said the girl.

"Buraki," Byakko growled deeply. "How many times must we have this conversation? You know it is dishonorable to treat a female that way! It is nothing but common lechery!"

"But she has such a nice butt," Buraki whined. "Besides, this is just my way of telling her I find her attractive!"

"Then find another way of showing her that!" Byakko snapped.

"All of you knock it off!" shouted a new female voice. The four Imagin cringed in fear. The owner of the voice was an attractive young woman, in her late teens to early twenties. She had long, styled, dark green hair that almost fell to the ground and dark brown eyes. This was Kumiko Tsukuba. "We need to trust that Kenzaki is doing what is right. Sure he does stupid and reckless things…a lot. But he's always there for us, so we need to be there for him when he needs us."

"Hai," all four Imagin replied weakly.

* * *

Both Kenzaki and Neko appeared in front of the gate of the Wilson's' Estate. Kenzaki quirked an eyebrow and asked, "So, why didn't we port straight inside?"

"There's an energy field around the place that doesn't allow anyone to teleport inside," answered Neko as she took out a grapple gun. The walls surrounding the compound were 20 feet high and 4 feet thick.

"First, tell me who Rose and Cathy are and what they mean to you," Kenzaki requested.

"We don't have time to waste here," Neko complained. "Are you coming or not?"

"Just, answer the question."

Neko sighed. "Rose and Cathy are the two most precious people in my life."

"How precious? Like friends?" Kenzaki inquired.

"Rose is my girlfriend and Cathy is my daughter," Neko answered. She then found Kenzaki gawking at her. "What's with that look?"

"You're kidding, right?" Kenzaki asked. Her _girlfriend_ and _daughter_?

"I'm bisexual and Cathy is adopted," Neko clarified briefly. "Now, come on." She fired the grappling hook and it caught on the top of the wall. She tugged it to make sure it was secure before climbing up. She leapt off the top of the wall and onto the front yard. She heard a thud and looked to her left to see Kenzaki, standing back up after he'd just vaulted over the wall, "Show off," Neko muttered.

"You know, you were way nicer before," Kenzaki pointed out. He noted that the Neko he was talking to now and the one he'd encountered before seemed like very different people. This version of her seemed more confident.

"I'm good, not _that_ good," Neko replied. In truth, she'd absorbed some of the other Titans' personalities when she'd absorbed their powers. She pulled the goggles over her eyes to see a laser field. "Follow me. There's a laser field. If you trip them, you'll set off the alarm."

"This guy sure has a lot of security," Kenzaki spoke as he slowly followed after Neko and followed her movements.

Neko kept silent. She was trying to concentrate on her movements. As much as she wanted to be quick to rescue Rose and Cathy, she couldn't risk alerting her evil half. She just had this really sick feeling in her stomach that both of them were in danger.

* * *

Rose came into Katherine's room, wondering what her girlfriend wanted. She'd been worried actually. On the previous night, her girlfriend had returned different. She seemed more cruel and ruthless than usual and seemed a little flirtatious with the other girls. Rose was unsure of how to react.

"Kat?" Rose asked and heard the door slam behind her. She jumped and turned to see Katherine leaning backwards against the door with a wide smile. "Oh, you scared me." She noted that Katherine only had on a black spaghetti strap top and tight matching shorts.

"Did I? Sorry," Katherine purred. She looked Rose up and down and frowned. Rose was wearing a silk robe over her pajamas. That would have to go and soon.

"So, what's going on?" Rose asked. "You sounded pretty urgent."

Katherine approached Rose and cupped her cheek. Rose shivered at the sensation. Katherine leaned her face over to take in the girl's fragrance. "Must I have a reason to be with the one I love?" Though separated, both Katherine and Neko still shared the same feelings for Rose. However, being evil, Katherine had a different way of showing it. Hidden under her bed were whips, handcuffs and all sorts of bondage items. Katherine leaned in and captured Rose's lips with hers. The silver-haired girl gasped and closed her eyes, kissing back. Katherine grinned on the inside as her hands went to the belt and began to untie it. She also started to slip it off Rose's shoulders. Rose didn't seem to notice. She did start to notice when Katherine's hands were unbuttoning her shirt so she broke the kiss and backed away, nervously.

"Something the matter?" Katherine asked, licking her lips, as Rose buttoned her shirt back up again.

"Um…Kat?" Rose asked, cheeks flushed, "Didn't we promise to wait before going that far?"

Katherine frowned. To hell with that promise! "Maybe we're ready for that step."

"Well, I'm not," Rose replied. "Sorry."

Katherine's eyes narrowed. Sorry? SORRY!? "Not yet you're not," Katherine hissed before she grabbed Rose's face and pulled her into a violent kiss. Rose was shocked and didn't like the way Katherine was kissing her. She pushed the black-haired girl away.

"Kat! What's wrong with you!?" Rose yelled but shivered in fear when she saw the feral look in Katherine's eyes, which were also glowing red.

"Nothing's wrong with me. I'm perfectly fine. Better than fine." Katherine grinned as she stalked towards Rose, fingers curling into claws. "I'm just sick of waiting." She pounced on the other girl, forcing her down to the floor. "I WANT YOU NOW!"

"KAT, NO!" Rose screamed and shrieked when Katherine tore her shirt open. "STOP!"

"Such beautiful skin," Katherine purred as she licked Rose's neck. The silver-haired girl was trembling now. How delightful. "I want to taste more of it." Rose kneed her in the gut and crawled away but Katherine grabbed her ankles and pulled her back.

"NO!" Rose yelled, kicking at Katherine to let her go. She kicked Katherine in the face and headed for the door with Katherine giving chase, a feral smile on her face. Rose turned the knob but the door wouldn't unlock. Rose felt herself being violently tugged backwards by the hair. She was pulled against Katherine's body. Katherine wrapped an arm tightly around Rose's waist as she shuddered.

"There, there," Katherine whispered almost gently, as she nibbled on Rose's earlobe. "I don't want to hurt you. Just to love you." Why was Rose being so stubborn about this? It wasn't as though she was going to hurt her girlfriend… much.

"Please…let me go…" Rose begged, tears streaming from her eyes.

"In due time. Just cooperate and it'll be over soon. Who knows? You might just enjoy it," Katherine laughed a little. Rose would_ definitely _enjoy it, or else. She began dragging Rose to the bed. Rose was trying to struggle out of Katherine's grip but the dark-haired girl was stronger than her. Katherine then threw Rose onto the bed and then jumped on to straddle her. Rose thrashed and ended up getting slapped in the face, leaving a red welt. "That's for fighting against me. I don't want to do it again so just lie down nice and quietly." Honestly, Katherine loved her girlfriend but sometimes she could be so stubborn! Katherine pulled out a pair of handcuffs and pulled both Rose's arms over her head. She swiftly handcuffed Rose to the bed. Rose's eyes went wide as she realized how vulnerable she was. Rose shrieked as Katherine tore her entire shirt open, exposing her in her bra and panties. Katherine looked down lecherously at Rose's body, licking her lips and her teeth. She leaned down and said, "Scream all you want. I do enjoy it. You won't wake the others up either since I soundproofed the walls." Katherine licked down Rose's stomach as her hand was stroking up her left thigh and to her panties. Rose cringed and felt sickened with fear. "Now…shall we proceed?" She tugged at the panties. Rose would finally be hers. Hers completely.

Rose shut her eyes which were streaming with tears. This was **not** Kat. This was something else that looked like the one she loved and now she was going to get raped.

'_Help me…somebody…_' Rose begged in her mind. '_Daddy…anybody…_'

CRASH!

The window shattered, startling Katherine and Rose. Katherine narrowed her eyes at the figure that now stood in the room with them. "You," she hissed.

Rose dared to open her eyes and was shocked to see standing there with glass under her feet was none other than… "Kat?" Now she was really confused. Despite the different hairdo and uniform it was her girlfriend. But, if that was the case, who was the nut trying to rape her?

Neko's eyes narrowed at the scene angrily, "Keep your paws off her, you psychopath."

Katherine stepped off the bed, much to Rose's relief. "Who's going to stop me? You?" She stroked Rose's thigh with a finger. "Such soft skin…"

Neko lunged at Katherine with full fury and tackled her to the ground. Both good and evil halves of Copycat fought as they tumbled along the floor. Rose tried to look but she handcuffed to the bed and couldn't see what was happening. She then heard the handcuffs being unlocked and then removed. She massaged her wrists and turned to see a silver-haired man holding the cuffs. Rose was aware of her current state of undress and screamed, covering herself.

"Oh, my god! Sorry!" Kenzaki apologized. He picked up a silk robe and handed it to Rose. "Here you go." He turned his back to her so she could put it on.

"Thanks," Rose spoke, slowly, still recovering from her ordeal. Kenzaki turned around to face her. "What's going on? Who are you? Why are there two of them?"

"In order: this is a rescue mission, I'm Kenzaki Tsukuba, and Copycat has been separated into her good and evil halves that are now fighting," Kenzaki answered.

Rose responded with a, "Oh."

Katherine had Neko pinned down on the ground by her wrists. She leaned down, speaking, "You're weak! You always have been! So just give up!"

Neko spat, "Never!"

Katherine smiled eerily, "You know, we can be together again. I maybe powerful but I feel incomplete without you. We both hold one hold one half of the Tiger Zodiac Power. All I gotta do is reabsorb you and then we can be whole again." Katherine offered, "So, whaddya say?"

Neko narrowed her eyes, "I say 'duck'!"

"Huh?" Katherine quirked an eyebrow and then yelled as she was sent flying by green eyebeams. Katherine crashed down on the floor and sat up, looking astonished, "How!?"

Neko flipped back to her feet and answered, "Let's just say I still got some tricks up my sleeve."

Katherine narrowed her eyes as she stood back up. "Well…let's see you deal with this trick!" She pulled out her Zodiac Deck and summoned her belt. "Henshin!" She slid the deck inside her belt and was transformed into Zodiac Knight Copycat. She went into a battle stance. "Now, let's see you deal with me." She lunged forward and swung at Neko, trying to strike at her with her claws. Neko dodged each strike easily, her training in Stealth Style helping her out. She momentarily morphed into a fly and flew behind Copycat before morphing back.

Neko chanted. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" The bed rose up, covered in dark energy, before it was sent flying at Copycat and smashing into her. Copycat was smashed against the wall. She growled but then watched as Neko's eyes glowed pink. The ceiling above her collapsed and buried her under rubble. Satisfied with her work, she ran straight towards Rose.

"Rosey-chan!" Neko swung her arms around Rose, picking up the startled the girl. "Oh, I missed you!" She put Rose down. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Rose replied. "She didn't get too far." She looked Neko over and saw the familiar blue eyes filled with concern instead of the lustful red eyes of Katherine. Still , she had to make sure. "Are you really the good half?" Rose asked, unsure of the situation.

"It's me," Neko nodded. "Call me Neko."

"How can I be sure?" Rose asked. Neko smiled and gave Rose a gentle kiss. Rose smiled. "OK, I'm convinced."

Kenzaki was stunned to see two girls kissing but managed to recover quickly. "Can we save this love-fest for later?" Kenzaki asked. "She's recovering." He pointed at the rubble which was shaking as Copycat began to dig herself out.

"Right," Neko nodded. "Rose, I'm taking you out of here. Where's Cathy?"

"In her room with Minx and Jasmine," Rose answered.

"Well, we're bringing her too, and the cats," Neko added. "Go and get her and meet me outside."

"You both go," Kenzaki said.

Neko tried to protest, "But-"

"This is personal," Kenzaki spoke as he fastened his Garo Belt around his waist. "Trust me. I can handle her."

"OK," Neko nodded. "Just don't get killed." She and Rose ran towards the door. It was locked, though. It was not a problem. Neko morphed into a rhino and smashed through the door before morphing back. "If that doesn't wake everyone up, I don't know what will." She grabbed Rose's hand. "Let's go!" They both ran down the hallway towards Cathy's room.

Kenzaki stared at the rubble. "Time to finish this." He watched as Copycat pulled herself from the rubble.

She glared at Kenzaki. "So, it's you again," she hissed. She noticed as a black streak once again appeared in Kenzaki's hair.

"Oi, neko-onna, I think it's about time we finished this," said Kenzaki, though his voice had a new edge to it. He pushed the black button on his belt. "Henshin!" he exclaimed as he waved the Rider Pass over the belt.

"**HUNTER FORM!**"

Once again, Kenzaki was clad in his Plat Form armor, followed by his Hunter Form armor. Garoh haphazardly swung the blade around, sending out arcs of energy. He then spun the blade around and rested it on his shoulder. He then crouched down on one knee, with his right arm pointed down. He then scratched his claws across the floor. "**Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?**"

* * *

"Cathy-chan! Cathy-chan!" Neko called as she frantically knocked on the door. "Wake up!" There was a clicking sound inside and the knob turned before the door opened. Cathy was in her white pajamas. She rubbed her eyes and yawned cutely.

"What time is it?" Cathy asked, still half-awake.

"It's late," Rose answered. "Honey, we're leaving."

"Leaving?" Cathy questioned. "What do you mean?"

"We don't have time to explain right now, kitten," spoke Neko seriously, "But trust us when we say it's not safe."

"Why are you dressed like that?" Cathy asked as she was referring to the uniform Neko was wearing.

Neko sighed. She might as well explain as briefly as possible. Of course, she wasn't going to explain verbally. Rather, she was going to do it telepathically, "Koneko-chan, please brace yourself. I'm going to show you something." She held Cathy's shoulders and leaned down so their foreheads were touching. Neko closed her eyes and sent the images into Cathy's mind. Not the violent ones, of course. She was sending Cathy images of what was truly going on. As soon as it was over, which was about 10 seconds, Cathy gasped in shock.

"Is this true?" the mutant girl asked. Both her parents (Rose was her second mother) nodded grimly. "But what about Papa Slade?"

"I don't think we can save Slade-sama," Neko confessed. When fighting her evil half she'd gotten a brief look into her mind. Slade had a Horror seed implanted inside of him, making him Katherine's puppet. Rose didn't have one and neither did Cathy. Maybe a part of her didn't want to subjugate the two girls she loved. "Now, go and get your things."

"What about me?" Rose asked. "I need to pack up too."

"OK," Neko agreed. "But hurry up, OK?"

Rose and Cathy nodded. Rose went straight to her room to pack her things up quickly while Neko went in to help her daughter.

'_Tsukuba-san, I sure hope you can distract that demon long enough_,' Neko prayed.

* * *

Copycat had summoned her Psycho Slasher and both she and Garoh were trading blows. Sparks flew as their weapons made contact with one another. Garoh had incredible speed in his Hunter Form. Unfortunately, so did Copycat.

Sparks flew as their weapons clashed and soon their weapons were locked in a stalemate. They began to push at one another, trying to force the other to give in.

"Why did you want to help my weaker half?" questioned Copycat. "I thought you wanted her dead."

"**You're my target, you bitch**," Garoh snarled.

"Oh, is this because I killed your sister?" Copycat purred. Garoh was stunned.

"W-What?" Kenzaki's spoke broke out before he was kicked in the gut and then slashed across the chest, sending him reeling.

Okami yelled in Kenzaki's mind, '_Oi, Shonen! Get a grip!_'

'_I'm trying!_' yelled Kenzaki back.

"It took me awhile but then I remembered why you were so familiar," Copycat said, hefting the Psycho Slasher on her shoulder. "It's that aura. Plus, I never forget any scar I leave on any of my victims." She squatted down. "You sure grew up nicely, kiddo. Anyway, the hearts of your parents were delicious if I do say so myself. Too bad I had to kill your sister too early, though. I wanted to have some fun with her beforehand. Oh, well…we can't always have what we want. We can just move on."

"You monster!" Kenzaki roared as he got back to his feet. His sync with Okami was weakening and without Okami his Hunter Form wouldn't be able to hold much longer.

Copycat had knowledge about Imagin possession. In cases when the host and Imagin bonded 100 percent, all that was needed to break the sync was to weaken one half of the equation. She'd learnt how to play mind games from Slade-sama and now was going to use it to her advanatage.

Kenzaki roared as he slashed at Copycat but then she avoided the slash and grabbed Kenzaki by the throat.

'_Oi, Shonen!_' Okami yelled. '_Shonen!_'

"I can show you your sister again," Copycat purred. "Wouldn't you like that?" She paused. "Why am I even asking? Of course you would. You miss her." Her eyes glowed red. "Say hi to her for me."

Kenzaki's entire world changed around him.

* * *

"Where am I?" Kenzaki asked himself as he looked around. "This…it can't be."

Kenzaki found himself no longer in the room he had been fighting Copycat in, but his old home before the Horrors had swallowed it. He watched as his sister and family were settling down to dinner and were gesturing for him to come. A weak smile came to Kenzaki's face as he began to walk.

That's when **it** happened.

The world grew dark as the sun began to go out. Kenzaki looked around before several screams echoed. He turned back to see his entire family being dragged into a pool of darkness by the spindly hands of Horrors. They looked pleadingly at him before vanishing into the tar-like mess.

"**NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!**" Kenzaki roared as he watched his family die a second time.

* * *

As Copycat was mentally torturing Garoh, she created a duplicate of herself via the Power of Aries. She ordered the duplicate, "Go and find my other half. Don't kill her. Just rough her up a bit," and sent her on her way.

* * *

"You both got everything you need?" Neko inquired both Rose and Cathy who both were now properly dressed. They had backpacks on and Cathy was carrying the briefcase which held her ALPHA Gear. Rose was carrying a pet carrier which held both Minx and Jasmine inside. Since this was an emergency, they had to pack as light as possible. "Alright, let's get out of here."

"I don't think so, pretty kitty," a voice purred. Neko's eyes widened as she spun around and was nearly gutted by a claw. Luckily, she'd borrowed Shadowcobra's shadow powers and turned herself intangible. She phased through the ground and phased back up behind the duplicate of her evil half. She immediately put Copycat in a headlock and shouted at Rose and Cathy, "Run!"

"But-!" Rose began to protest.

"GO!" Neko yelled out. Rose nodded, reluctantly, and grabbed Cathy's arm. They both ran.

"Mama!" Cathy shouted.

Copycat threw Neko off of her and onto the floor. Neko pushed herself up to a sitting position but had the wind knocked out of her as Copycat dropped down on her with one knee in her gut. Neko was forced back down as Copycat grabbed her by the throat and slammed her head down on the floor. Copycat straddled the waist of her weaker half and grinned.

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" Neko spat. "What happens to you?"

"Oh, I don't have to kill you," Copycat purred. "All I have to do is weaken you. I know how long that mimicry power of yours can last. All I got to do is make sure you run out of time and then lock you up." Copycat leaned down further, till they were face to face. Her faceplate opened and she licked Neko's cheek. "Soon, we will be together again. Then, I'll have my fun with Rosie-chan and Cathy-chan. I'll make them scream and make you _watch_." Copycat giggled.

Neko's eyes widened with fury as she locked her eyes on her evil half, "YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE!!" A blue aura surrounded her body and then threw Copycat off her. Copycat flew through the air but then she did a back flip and landed on her feet, like a cat. Neko got back to her feet as well and clenched her fists. She drew out the ALT-01 deck and summoned the belt around her waist. "HENSHIN!" she called out and slid the deck inside the belt, allowing the artificial Zodiac Knight armor to encase her. Copycat scoffed.

"You want to fight me using that knockoff armor? Puh-leaze!" Copycat rolled her eyes. Her eyes were focused on ALT-01 Neko when she noticed the blue aura around Neko forming…into the shape of a dragon. "Huh?"

ALT-01 Neko charged forward and began to throw her fists at her dark side. She even swung her legs in a variety of kicks like roundhouses, front snap-kicks and even a heel-kick for good measure.

Copycat was forced into the defensive as the strikes came at her. '_How did she get so strong?_' she wondered. '_No matter. She's no match for me._' As soon as she found an opening, she began her counter-attack.

AlLT-01 Neko was becoming desperate. Though Neko knew all of her counterpart's moves, her counterpart was more vicious. She tried to find a way to counter but the strikes were swift and meant to be lethal. She began to regret that she shouldn't have come alone.

When Copycat's claw flew towards her faceplate, Neko grabbed it and spun to around, flipping the evil Knight over her shoulder. Copycat, however, landed on her feet and then spun around to dig her foot into ALT-01 Neko's stomach, sending her skidding backwards. She strode towards ALT-01 Neko when several explosions erupted from her back. She turned around to see both ALPHA and Aqua staring her down with their weapons out. ALT-01 Neko's eyes widened as she saw her two girls.

"I told you two to run!" Neko shouted.

"We couldn't just leave you," Aqua/Rose reasoned.

"Mama, we're here to help!" ALPHA/Cathy added.

Copycat rolled her eyes at their attempt, "How touching…" She looked over her shoulder at Neko. "I'll deal with you later. Right now, these girls deserve a spanking." She turned her attention to the two girls and rushed at them. She drew a card and slid it into her whip. "Sword Vent!" In an instant, the Psycho Slasher was in her hands.

"NO!" ALT-01 Neko shouted as she drew two cards and slashed them through her gauntlet/card reader.

"_Sword Vent! Accelerate Vent!_" the gauntlet responded in a female digital voice as it scanned both cards. The cards vanished in blue flames as the black lance appeared in ALT-01's hands. The speed granted her by the Accelerate Vent card allowed her to intercept Copycat before she reached both Aqua and ALPHA.

CLANG!

Copycat brought her lance down but instead of hitting the two 'traitors', she had locked blades with her 'weaker half'. They both struggled as they tried to force one another back.

"Give up, you're weak," Copycat snarled.

"Never!" ALT-01 Neko shouted back.

Copycat was unsure of what to do. She couldn't risk killing her other half. Reabsorbing her was not an option since Neko was resistant to the idea.

Aqua and ALPHA were about to help when ALT-01 Neko shouted at them, "NO! You both just go! NOW!"

"But you need help!" Aqua insisted, ready to throw her war fans.

"Mama, please! Let us help!" ALPHA added, ready to blast Copycat again.

"Hm…how sweet. Well, the weak always hangs out with the weak," Copycat sneered.

Neko narrowed her eyes under her helmet and responded, "Togetherness is not weakness."

"Pretty words," Copycat remarked, "Just pretty and useless words."

Neko gritted her teeth as she pushed back. The 30 minutes were up so now all she had were her initial powers. The power to absorb powers wouldn't work on Copycat since they were the same person. She needed help. She couldn't risk Rose and Cathy, but she would be beaten at this rate. '_I need help…_'

* * *

Neko found herself in a strange place. It was a vast space of darkness with the only source of light being the stars that were shining above, below and all around her. There was no visible floor and yet she felt that she was standing on something.

"Where am I?" she asked herself. "Wasn't I fighting Copycat?" She panicked, "Rosey-chan! Koneko-chan! They're in danger! I need to go to them!" She began to run. Yet, the farther she ran, she felt as if she wasn't going anywhere. That wasn't going to stop her, however. She continued to run, trying to find a way out of this strange place. Hours seemed to pass and she collapsed onto her hands and knees, exhausted. "What is this place?"

She suddenly heard a disembodied voice speak to her, "_Where do you want to go?_"

She didn't question where it was coming from, strangely. She answered, "I want to go home."

"_Is home so important?_" was the reply she received.

"Yes."

"_Why?_"

"Because there are people I want to protect."

"_Are these people that you wish to protect important to you?_"

"Yes."

"_Are you willing to do anything for them?_"

Neko pushed herself to her feet and stood up, answering, "Yes."

"_To protect them, are you willing to use my power?_"

'_Power? What kind of power?_' If some sort of divine entity wanted to help her, she was in no position to deny it.

The voice repeated, "_To protect them, are you willing to use my power?_"

"YES!" Neko raised her voice. "Give me the power!"

"_Call my name! Call my name and receive the power! Call my name!_"

What was the voice's name? How could she know that?

_Ge…_

_Ge…_

_Geki…_

The name was starting to come to her.

_Gekiryu…_

_Gekiryu…_

The word was becoming clearer.

_Gekiryuk…_

She then shouted out its name.

* * *

"_**GEKIRYUKEN!!**_" ALT-01 Neko roared out and all of a sudden a bright light engulfed the black lance in her hand. Copycat was shocked and jumped back from the light.

"What is this!?" Copycat shouted in outrage. ALPHA and Aqua's eyes widened as the light dimmed. Copycat's eyes narrowed before popping wide open.

"Is that…?" Aqua began.

"No way…" ALPHA added

"It can't be!" Copycat finished.

Replacing the lance was a strange sword. The handle and guard resembled the shape for a key and had a pair of small wings attached to the guard. Hanging from the end of the weapon was a keychain shaped like a white heart with the initials N+R+C engraved inside. At the base of the blade was an ornament shaped like a dragon's head and the tip of the blade was shaped like a diamond. The sword was mainly blue with gold and white accents. This sword was not any old sword. It was a special weapon. It was Neko's key to victory…

It was the legendary Keyblade and its name was…

ALT-01 Neko called out again, "GEKIRYUKEN, SANJOU!"

* * *

Up above in the Celestial Realm, a smile formed on Libra's face at the present turn of events. He spoke, "Please, old friend. Help my daughter battle her demons and win."

* * *

_For centuries I've been asleep, waiting for someone worthy enough to wield my awesome power. About 20 years ago I found the person who would bring my power to new heights. However, he is now on a higher level of existence. I fell asleep for a few more years but I was woken up again when I heard someone calling for me. To my surprise it was another worthy one._

_Let's see if she is truly the chosen one capable of wielding my power._

-?

To Be Continued…

ZK: I'd like to thank Paladin and Shadow Element 13 for their help.

Question: Who is speaking here?

Also, when u review, answer these 3 questions:

1: How did you discover my stories?

2: What hooked you in?

3: Which one of my OC's is ur fave and why?


	87. PT087: Gekiryu Henshin!

Part 87: Gekiryu Henshin! Mimic Ryukendo, Raijin!

_When we embrace what lies within, our potential has no limit. The future is filled with promise, the present rife with expectation. But when we deny our instinct, and struggle against our deepest urges, uncertainty begins. Where does this path lead? When will the changes end? Is this transformation a gift, or a curse? For those who fear what lies ahead, the most important question of all: can we really ever change what we are?_

* * *

"GEKIRYUKEN, SANJOU!"

"How did you get a Keyblade!?" Copycat demanded. That sort of power was meant for someone more deserving like herself, not her weaker half! Aqua and ALPHA were both staring in shock at this shocking turn of events.

"I'm just as surprised as you are," ALT-01 Neko gaped. She was not sure how she got it but was glad that she had an edge. She shrugged. "But I'm not complaining!" She began to swing her new weapon at Copycat who started to dodge. Narrowing her eyes, Copycat grabbed the blade as it came down to her head.

"Figures. You just got a new weapon and you have no idea how to use it," Copycat taunted. She attempted to pull the Keyblade away but recoiled in pain as her hand began to smoke. "Argh! It burns!"

ALT-01 Neko quirked an eyebrow and then realized something. She remembered that pure evil could not touch the Keyblade and currently, Copycat fit the description. Neko grinned under her helmet and began to charge at her evil counterpart. Copycat was forced on the defensive and had her lance sliced in half, rendering it useless. ALT-01 Neko pressed on with her advantage and began slashing wildly. One last thrust of the blade sent Copycat reeling and falling on the ground. Neko slammed her foot down on Copycat's chest and forced her to the ground, the tip of the Keyblade was pointed at her throat.

"Consider this a warning," Neko snarled.

Copycat spat, "You don't have the guts to kill me."

Neko rolled her eyes, but that couldn't be seen behind her opaque visor. "Do you really think I am that stupid? I know you're just a duplicate."

Copycat began to sweat and pressed on, "Still…you're too much of a goody-goody to do it."

Neko ran the blade through the duplicate's throat. The duplicate shattered like glass as a result. "Wanna bet?" She withdrew the Keyblade from the floor and hefted it on her shoulder. She turned towards Aqua and ALPHA who were still standing in shock. ALPHA flew straight at her adopted mother and glomped her.

"MAMA! You were awesome!" ALPHA exclaimed. ALT-01 Neko smiled as she hugged her little girl back.

"I'm just lucky I got this thing in time," Neko stated.

"How did you get that Keyblade, though?" Aqua questioned curiously

"I don't know," ALT-01 Neko said as she admired her new weapon. "I heard someone calling me and he asked me to call his name. I came up with Gekiryuken. I'm not sure how I know it, though."

"Because I told you," the Keyblade spoke and Neko yelped in shock. She nearly dropped the Keyblade. "What's the matter? You sound surprised."

"Well…in my experience, swords don't usually talk back," ALT-01 Neko replied. The Keyblade snorted.

"Shows what you know, ojou-sama."

Aqua and ALPHA continued to stare.

"That sword is talking," ALPHA pointed out. Aqua silently nodded.

"So, your name is Gekiryuken?" ALT-01 Neko asked.

"You did call my name, didn't you?" Gekiryuken responded.

"I always thought my brother was the Keyblade's chosen one," ALT-01 Neko stated. "I never thought I'd be called, though."

"I didn't call you, ojou-sama. It was the other way around," Gekiryuken explained.

"Huh?"

"You called me."

"How?"

"You were in danger and you called for help in your heart. It's simple, really. The reason I didn't come to you before was because of the dark power inside of you. Now that you're free of it, I heard your call. Here I am."

"So, because of my Living Gate powers, I couldn't call you?" Neko reasoned.

"Precisely!" Gekiryuken exclaimed happily.

"How do I know I really deserve you?" Neko asked sadly. She had done so much evil before.

"You're pure of heart, the good half," Gekiryuken answered. "And you have a strong heart. You came back for the people you love despite the danger. That proves you're selfless. You are worthy for my power." Gekiryuken chuckled. "Back then, even your father didn't think he deserved me."

Neko was surprised, "You knew papa?" She began to ask, "What happened to him?"

"Oops!" Gekiryuken had fumbled. "Em…can we talk about that later? I think your ally is in danger."

Neko remembered Kenzaki. She nodded, "Right!" She said to ALPHA and Aqua, "Wait for me outside. I won't be long."

"Not on your life!" Aqua protested. "We're staying to help!"

"Please, don't argue," ALT-01 Neko said. "This is dangerous. Plus, it's my problems and I need to face my inner demons alone."

"We're going to help, mama!" ALPHA chirped.

"You came to rescue us. You should accept our help. Besides, you know we won't listen," Rose said.

ALT-01 Neko sighed. "Alright, fine," she surrendered. "But if things get too hairy, I want you two to go to Titans Tower."

Aqua and ALPHA nodded.

"Alright, let's go!"

* * *

Garoh was lying on the ground, convulsing, as Copycat circled around his body. She had her Savage Claws out and was thinking of ending his torture.

"Should I just shred you up or disembowel you?" Copycat asked herself. "Hm…decisions, decisions…" Suddenly, she froze. Her duplicate had just been destroyed. "How…?" she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Even one of her duplicates could be formidable. "Hmph! Those girls must've helped my weaker half! Once this is over I should punish them." Copycat squatted down, trailing one claw over Kenzaki's chest armor. "Now, time to finish you." She raised up one of her claws and quickly brought it down.

SWISH!

Copycat's eyes widened as a strange blue sword blocked her claws. She looked up and saw ALT-01 Neko. "What!?"

"Surprise!" ALT-01 Neko shouted before swinging up her blade, throwing Copycat off balanced before kneeing her in the face. She then got into a defensive stance in front of Garoh. "Hey, Tsukuba-san! Wake up!"

"He can't help you," Copycat sneered, "I've trapped him in a nightmare. Right now he's watching as his family is being killed over and over again."

ALT-01 Neko spat in disgust, "You're sick."

"You should know. You are part of his pain," Copycat got into an offensive stance with her claws. "I'm surprised you even got a Keyblade. It seems any old fool can get one!"

"Oi, onna!" Gekiryuken shouted, "Don't you dare talk about my ojou-sama like that!"

Copycat blinked.

"It…talks?" she questioned in confusion.

"I was shocked too…" ALT-01 Neko nodded. Copycat rushed at her and began to swing her claws at her 'weaker half'. Neko countered almost all the strikes but then ones that managed to penetrate her defenses struck her armor, causing sparks to fly. Neko tried to strike back but Copycat was able to parry her blows easily.

"The genuine article is nothing compared to the real thing!" Copycat jeered before kicking Neko in the gut and sending her flying into a wall. She lunged at her opponent. Instead of driving her claws into Neko, she drove them into the wall. She was stuck and Neko took advantage of this and tackled into Copycat, sending her tumbling on the ground. Neko raised up her blade and brought it down, only to hit the carpet as Copycat ported away. Neko looked up to see Copycat reappear. She rolled out of the way as Copycat came down. The claws got stuck in the floor this time.

Copycat roared and took a chunk of the floor out as she pulled out her claws. She shredded the chunk and rushed at Neko. Neko ducked and used a sweep kick to trip Copycat. Copycat rolled along the floor and flipped back to her feet before spinning around in time to block a slash.

Their weapons were locked as they attempted to push at one another. Both were currently equal in strength.

"You know, if you just let me reabsorb you, then…" Copycat began.

Neko rudely cut her off, "And let you stick me in a cage and rot while you use our body to do horrible things? I don't think so."

Copycat tilted her head to the side, "Pity. I thought since we're like sisters, we'd be able to see eye to eye."

"Fat chance, psycho!" Neko growled.

"You think the Titans will accept you? I doubt it. For the past year you've been nothing more than their enemy. No matter how much good you'll do, your past deeds will always stick in their minds. They will always remember you as a monster," Copycat spoke, trying to chip away at Neko's confidence. "You're a monster; nothing more and nothing less. Nobody loves you. They never will."

Neko's eyes narrowed under her helmet, "You're wrong. I have my brother, my mother, Rosie-chan and Koneko-chan." She then shouted out, "And that's enough for me!"

"Ojou-sama, my hissatsu attack!" Gekiryuken instructed, "Ryuou Giri (Dragon King Slash)!"

"_RYUOU GIRI!_" Neko called out as she energized the Keyblade. She put on the pressure and destroyed the claws. She then swung her Keyblade in an arc and beheaded her evil half. Copycat's body crumpled in a heap as her head went flying. Blood sprayed from the neck. Neko watched as the black blood pooled around her evil half's body. She knew it wouldn't be long before the next life kicked in so she went over to Garoh.

Aqua and ALPHA came in seconds later. They looked at the scene. Aqua turned ALPHA away from the gruesome scene and hugged the armored girl against her chest. Seeing the headless body was not so comforting.

Neko removed the deck from the belt. The instant she did that the artificial ALT-01 Deck shattered like glass and the pieces spilt out of her hand. Apparently, it still sustained some damage from when Shadowcobra had defeated the fake Knight. The armor followed its example and shattered away too, rendered useless with the destruction of the deck. She looked over to the headless body of Copycat and frowned grimly. Even if Copycat would live again, the knowledge of killing someone was overwhelming.

"You did what you had to do," Gekiryuken consoled.

"Doesn't make me feel better," Neko shook her head. She got down on one knee and removed Garoh's belt. It vanished along with the armor. Kenzaki still looked like he was in pain, though he was unconscious. "Wake up, you dummy!" Neko shook him with one hand. She picked him up by his shirt and yelled in his face. "I said WAKE UP!"

"Let me," Aqua volunteered. She formed a ball of water and threw it in Kenzaki's face. He was shocked awake and spitting water.

"What the hell!?" Kenzaki yelled out, sputtering. "What happened and why am I all wet!?" he growled.

Neko rolled her eyes and said, "Glad to have you awake." She asked, "What happened?"

Kenzaki stood up and dismissed the question, "Nothing." Having to see his family die all over again had not been pleasant.

Rose and Cathy disengaged their armors as well. Kenzaki looked at Cathy and smiled. "Heh, cute kid."

"Don't even think about it," Neko warned. "She's only a minor."

Kenzaki raised his hands up defensively, "Hey, that's not what I meant." He scratched his head. "So…what happened to her?"

Neko sighed and gestured with her thumb at the body. "There she is."

"Damn," Kenzaki frowned. "Well, all I got to do is bag it and-" The blood and the shadows around the body began to move. "Uh-oh…"

The shadows expanded and the group backed away as it started to resemble a tar-like substance. The body levitated and got into a standing position. Darkness engulfed the head and it flew back to its body before reattaching to the neck via dark tendrils. Copycat cracked her neck from side to side as her red eyes glowed. She spoke in a malevolent voice, "**You really think it'd be THAT easy? I have 9 Lives!**"

"**Had** 9 Lives," Neko corrected, gripping her Gekiryuken Keyblade tightly. "Now you're down to 7."

"Oi, neko-onna!" shouted Kenzaki. Copycat turned around, only to come face to face with the barrel of a shotgun. "Smile!" He then pulled the trigger, blasting her head clean off. "That was for my family, bitch."

"Now she's down to 6," Rose corrected.

The body was still floating as darkness flew out of the neck and reformed into a new head. She wasn't wearing her helmet but she looked scary enough without it as her face was contorted into her snarl, her eyes glowed blood red and her hair flew around her head like dark tendrils. Cathy shrieked and clung to her mother's back as she stood protectively in front of her body, shielding her from the imminent danger.

"**Hmph!**" Copycat scoffed. "**Well…all I need to do is feed to reenergize myself!**" She snapped her fingers, "**Get 'em, boys!**"

The Horrors, twitching, began to rise up from the inky dark shadows. They all snarled and snapped their jaws at the group while licking their teeth. They all shrieked out as they stood assembled.

"Oh, shit!" Cathy cursed. Rose and Neko stared. They'd made sure to never let their adopted daughter hear such language. Nevertheless, she must've heard it from one of the villains. They were going to blame Grant for this, apparently. "Mama (Neko)! Mommy (Rose)! We need to run, right?"

"Yup!" Neko and Rose nodded.

"Come on!" Kenzaki instructed, heading for the broken window. "We need to get out of here!"

"Got it!" Neko told Cathy, "Get on my back, Koneko-chan." Cathy did as told and climbed on, piggy-back style. "Rose!"

"I know!" Rose nodded. She ran towards the window and jumped out of the room. She did a somersault and a tuck roll before landing on her feet. Kenzaki whistled. Kenzaki jumped down after her.

"Koneko-chan, hold on, baby!" Neko instructed as she faced the Horrors. "On second thought!" She removed Cathy from her back and threw her out the window. The mutant girl screamed but Kenzaki and Rose managed to catch her. Neko jumped right out of the window, slashing and stabbing at Horrors trying to make a grab for her. Copycat, still weakened, just looked out the window. Most of the residents of the house were out cold since she'd put something in the food so she could have her fun with Rose undisturbed. Thinking back, she realized it wasn't such a good idea.

The Horrors flew at the group. Neko stood her ground with her Keyblade, slashing at the Horrors with her sword. One blow was all it was required to kill one of those things. However, knowing fully well that Copycat could summon more, having a Keyblade won't be enough.

"We need to get out of here!" Neko shouted.

"_Activation!_"

"Let me help, mama!" ALPHA volunteered as she began shooting at the Horrors with her wrist blasters.

Rose had transformed into her Aqua armor and began using her war fans to slice the demons to ribbons. "We're here for you!"

Neko was grateful and so with her family began to strike at the Horrors.

Kenzaki looked down and noticed Byakko, at least, the lower half of him. "_Kenzaki-sama! Use me! Together we will crush them!_'

"Sounds good!" agreed Kenzaki as Byakko's sandy body shattered. A white orb hit Kenzaki in the chest and a white streak appeared in his hair. Kenzaki pushed the white button on his belt. "Henshin!" he called, but his voice sound more defined and dignified.

"**PREDATOR FORM!**"

Garoh's Plat Form activated. New armor hovered around Garoh's body before swirling to a new configuration. White tiger paws with claws attached to the shoulders as a chestplate resembling a tiger's head attached to the chest. The armor attaching to the back was white with black tiger stripes. A white mask came down on his face with one vertical slit and three horizontal slits running over it. A blade slid down after and settled in the centre of the mask, creating a horn.

Garoh pounded his fists together before striking a martial art's stance. "**Remember the basics! My fists will crush your spirit!**"

Garoh charged and began to smash his fists into the Horrors, smashing their faces in. He grabbed a pair by the head and smashed them together, allowing their twitching bodies to vanish into the darkness. Claws jut out of his knuckles before he began using them to slash the Horrors to ribbons. He was fortunate that he had the armor covering his body. Otherwise, the Horror blood would infect him.

Aqua threw her war fans and they sliced several Horrors' heads off before returning to her. A Horror sneaking up behind her got blasted by ALPHA. Neko was holding her own with only Gekiryuken but they needed to escape. They could deal with these Horrors later. Right now they had to get as far away from this place as they possibly could.

"Get us out of here, now!" Neko screamed at Garoh. "Kenzaki! We need to retreat!"

Garoh nodded as he held his own and summoned the GaroLiner.

The Horrors were ready to attack when all of a sudden a strange tune played in the air.

"What's that sound?" ALPHA asked.

Neko grinned, "Our getaway car."

The car in question was really a large train. It came out of a swirling multicolored portal before it ran a few Horrors over. One of the doors opened.

"**Get in!**" Garoh shouted, "**GET IN, NOW!**"

"Go! Let's move!" Neko shouted as she kicked a Horror away. She grabbed Aqua and ALPHA by the arms and pulled them along with her into the door. Garoh picked up their luggage and went in after them before the door slid close. The Horrors smashed into the door and fell in a pile.

Copycat, who'd been watching, palmed her face. "Idiots…"

The GaroLiner then flew out of the area and through the portal.

* * *

Cathy and Rose deactivated their armors as soon as they entered the mysterious train car. The three girls gawked at the strange creatures inside.

"Welcome to the GaroLiner!" Shiori greeted happily. "I'm Shiori!" Shiori walked over with a tray and offered them some drinks, "Want some?"

"Sure," Neko said as she took a glass of milk. Rose and Cathy each took glasses of milk too.

"What is this place?" Cathy asked as she sat down. She looked out one of the windows to see the Sands of Time. "Wow…"

"It's beautiful…" Rose admired. "What is this thing anyway?" she asked in reference to the GaroLiner.

"The GaroLiner, my dears," Buraki bowed. "And we are currently passing through the Sands of Time. Take a seat and rest yourselves."

"OK, what are you supposed to be?" Rose asked suspiciously.

"You're not Horrors, are you?" Neko questioned, ready to use her Keyblade if they were a threat.

"They're my Imagin," Kenzaki answered as his armor vanished and Byakko exited his body. He put down the girls' luggage.

The Imagin introduced themselves as thus:

"Name's Okami. Just stay outta my way and we'll get along fine," growled the wolf gruffly.

"Greetings," bowed Byakko. "I am Byakko. I apologize for Okami-sempai's manners. He's a little irritable."

"I don't need you apologizing for me!" roared Okami in annoyance.

"Hi, I'm Raion," introduced the Lion Imagin. "Nice to meet you."

"And I am Buraki," greeted the Imoogi. "And I must say, it is an honor to meet such lovely ladies." He kissed Rose's hand. She blushed at the action, but then she yelped as she felt Buraki groping her butt. Neko glared and looked ready to use Gekiryuken to slice off his hand. She was tempted to, **really** tempted to.

"Buraki!" roared Byakko, appalled by his fellow Imagin's behavior. "You lecherous snake! How dare you act in such a way to our honored guests!?"

"What can I say? She's cute," shrugged Buraki without any guilt. Neko already had names for him. They ranged from 'hentai', 'sukebe', and 'ecchi'.

"Then try saying that without being a lecher!" Byakko snapped.

"They're at it again," groaned Raion. Byakko and Buraki often fought like this due to their conflicting personalities. The White Tiger Imagin was honorable while the Crimson Imoogi was a lecherous skirt-chaser posing as a gentleman.

"What else is new?" Okami growled. This had occurred far too often that it was becoming redundant. "Maybe if they actually fought with fists I'd concern myself about it."Okami summoned his sword. "Maybe we'll get lucky and a fight _will_ start," grinned the Imagin.

"URUSAI BAKAS!!" shouted a female voice, causing all the Imagin to jump back, terrified, and fall silent. Neko, Rose and Cathy turned around to see Kumiko. Kumiko smiled pleasantly, "Gomen, I am Kumiko. It is nice to meet you." She bowed. The three girls bowed back too.

"I'm Neko," Neko introduced herself, "These are Rose and Cathy." The aforementioned girls nodded.

"Ah, and a lovely rose you are," Buraki stated. Rose gave him a cold glare. No way was she going to trust him after he'd groped her.

"They sure are a lively bunch, aren't they?" Gekiryuken stated. He received stares. "What?"

"Did that sword just talk?" Kumiko pointed, surprised.

Neko sighed and nodded, "Yes." She introduced her Keyblade to everyone, "This sword here is a Keyblade known as Gekiryuken. He saved my hide."

"A pleasure to meet you all," Gekiryuken greeted.

"Now I've seen everything," Kenzaki commented. "Talking swords. What's next? A talking car?"

Kumiko looked Neko over and instantly recognized her from the wanted poster, "Wait a minute! Aren't you that Copycat girl Kenzaki's been after?" Neko flinched.

"Actually…" Neko began.

"Actually, she just looks like her," Kenzaki explained, calming down the situation. "She's not my target." Neko sighed in relief, thankful that she had Kenzaki to defend her. Now that they were on the GaroLiner, it was smooth sailing from here on end.

Or so they thought…

Suddenly, the train began rocking violently. Neko shouted, panicking, "What's going on!?"

Cathy looked out the window and shrieked as a Horror was looking back at her. It shattered the glass with one of its clawed hands and tried to make a grab for the mutant girl. Neko pulled Cathy away safely as Kumiko punched it in the face. It was a lucky thing that all the windows were too narrow for any of them to climb through and get inside. Broken glass still littered the table and booth seat.

"We got company!" Rose shouted.

"They must've stowed away!" Kumiko realized.

Kenzaki ran for the exit. "Where are you going?" Neko asked.

"I'm going to the cockpit to try and stabilize the train!" Kenzaki answered.

"But what about the Horrors?"

"They can't come in, don't worry! The doors are locked!" He reassured before walked out.

* * *

Kenzaki entered the cockpit. Just like any other time train, the piloting mechanism was a motorbike clamped down by its wheels. There was a viewing screen in front of him. Kenzaki mounted the bike and grasped the handlebars. "OK, let's do this thing!"

* * *

The train shook as the Horrors that stowed away were trying to derail it. They were clawing at the roof. Some were clawing at them through the windows they'd broken but were knocked away by steel trays courtesy of Shiori. Pieces of broken glass littered the floor and would need cleaning up later. The Imagin were doing their fare share too and were driving them off. With Kenzaki piloting and the Imagin stuck inside, Neko decided to take matters into her own hands.

"I'm going outside to fend them off," volunteered Neko as she headed for the exit.

Rose gasped, "That's crazy! I'm coming too!"

Cathy volunteered. "Me too!"

"NO!" Neko snapped, silencing them. She sighed and spoke, slowly, "Please…don't follow me. I couldn't bear it if…I could never forgive myself if anything were to happen to you two." The two girls fell silent.

"At least take this," Rose offered, handing Neko her Aquarius deck. Neko was taken aback by this action.

"Rose…I couldn't," Neko tried to protest. Rose shook her head.

"I agreed to take this the first time for you. I wanted to help you win that wish, but I don't need it anymore. It's yours." She pulled up Neko's hand and placed the deck in her palm. "Please, use it. Use it to do the right thing."

Neko stared at the deck and at Rose. The crystal flashed briefly to show the symbol of Aquarius and the symbol for the Horse. She gave her beloved a look of determination and gratitude, "Arigatou." She kissed Rose's cheek. The belt formed and Neko called, "Henshin," before sliding the deck inside. Unfortunately, what she got was a Blank Mode version of the Aquarius armor. It was mainly black and white. Neko looked at herself blankly.

"What happened?" Rose questioned.

Neko shrugged, "Not sure, but at least I got some form of protection." Her faceplate opened and she gave Rose a brief kiss on the lips. "I'll be back, I promise." She then ran for the exit.

"That kiss…was awesome," said Buraki, staring. Like any pervert he loved some 'girl-on-girl' action.

"Baka hentai," said the other three Imagin.

* * *

Neko climbed onto the roof to see the Horrors clawing at the surface. It never occurred to them to use the door but lesser Horrors weren't known for their intelligence. They were only following their baser instinct of satisfying their hunger. Neko wasn't going to let them get to her friends. She, of course, was going to, literally, cut down on their diet.

"Hey, Horror-teme!" Neko called, gaining their attention. The Horrors snarled at her. "You want something to eat? Come and get me!" The Horrors lunged at her and with a yell Neko charged right back. She slashed at them with Gekiryuken, slicing them in half. More of them kept coming at her as she had successfully diverted their attention from derailing the train to getting her. "Now, let's start the first course!"

* * *

Kenzaki sat in the cockpit, piloting the train via his bike. Unfortunately, he was having a difficult time doing that.

"I hate Horrors!" growled Kenzaki. He couldn't see as the Horrors were blocking his view. "Damn it! How is it that this thing can travel between worlds, but can't keep a few morons off the freakin windshield!? Where are wipers when you need them?" He then noticed as they moved away from the viewing screen. He pulled up another screen which was showing the roof to see Neko. "Wow, she's crazier than I thought," he admired, "Girl's got some guts." He watched as Neko began to fight off the Horrors using Gekiryuken. "Good, looks like Neko's got their attention. Now, let's get this baby back in gear."

* * *

The Horrors were being cut down one by one as they fell of the train and evaporated upon slaying.

"Ojou-sama! We have to finish them off!" Gekiryuken instructed.

Neko ducked under a claw swipe and ran a Horror through the chest. She withdrew the Keyblade and sliced the head off a Horror trying to catch her from the side, "What do you think I've been trying to do!?"

"You need power! That armor you have on isn't going to do you much good right now!"

"What do you have in mind?" Neko questioned as she stood her ground with several Horrors circling her.

"Recite this incantation," Gekiryuken began his instruction, "Shadu, Iraki, Yuuza…"

Neko repeated, "Shadu, Iraki, Yuuza…" The Horrors snarled and lunged right at her.

"Gekiryu Henshin!" Gekiryuken finished.

The Horrors dogpiled her and she shouted out, loudly, "_**GEKIRYU HENSHIN!!**_" A blast of energy burst forth from Gekiryuken and sent the Horrors flying. Some of them were vaporized in mid-flight. The burst of energy took on the form of a blue dragon. It flew into the air and roared before coming back down. Neko watched as it came flying down at her but she showed no fear. Instead, she thrust her Keyblade upwards. The blade met the dragon and Neko was bathed in blue light. The Horrors shielded their eyes from the bright flash of light. The light died down revealing a _new_ Neko.

She was clad in white and gold armor worn over a tight blue bodysuit. The upper torso armor had a blue gem fitted in the centre of the chest with strips of gold extending from four corners of the gem. The shoulder pads were diamond shaped and pointed upwards. The gauntlets had golden dragonheads attached to the wrist which covered the back of her hands. Similar dragonheads were also attached to her boots at the ankles, covering her feet like shoes. The helmet was white and gold with a design reminiscent of a two horned dragon that was roaring. Within the 'jaws' was an opaque blue visor that concealed the wearer's face with a strip of gold running down the middle. The helmet was peaked by a golden crest.

The Horrors gaped at her as Neko got into a stance. Her right leg was slightly bent at the knee and in front of her left. She placed her left hand to her hip and her right hand was holding the Gekiryuken Keyblade horizontally in front of her face.

She then shifted her stance and hefted the blade of her weapon on her shoulder as she thrust out her hand, palm open, in front of her while standing straight. She called out her new identity, which was…

"Zodiac Knight Ryukendo! Raijin!"

* * *

"_Zodiac Knight Ryukendo! Raijin!_"

"Mama!" Cathy cheered as she witnessed her mother's transformation on the TV screen. How they got this footage was unknown but it could be because of the hidden cameras placed on top of the train for security reasons.

"Wow!" Rose was awed. "Is that really her?" Was this her girlfriend's new form? Whatever it was, it sure looked powerful.

"That is amazing!" Byakko complimented.

"Heh, it looks okay to me," Okami shrugged, unimpressed, despite admiring the new armor.

"Aw…she doesn't look cute anymore," Buraki whined.

"Woah, now that form totally rocks!" Raion said before playing some air guitar. "Sweet!"

* * *

The Horrors surrounded her and Gekiryuken scoffed, "Now these filthy demons are no match for us! Ojou-sama, let's show them what we can do, together!"

"Hai!" Ryukendo nodded before she charged at the Horrors who started to pounce on her. She swung her blade and the unfortunate demon was cleaved straight in half. She spun around and thrust her blade into a Horror's face, before swinging down, cutting the rest of its body straight down the middle. More and more of the demons came at her, their minds totally focused on taking her down instead of the train. There weren't as many left but she needed to finish this quick.

She then realized that she had the Aquarius Deck, which granted its user the power of wind and water. She had an idea. She thus focused the power of wind into her Keyblade.

"RYUOU KAZE GIRI (Dragon King Wind Slash)!" Ryukendo called out as she charged up her blade. She then began to spin like a tornado as she swung her Keyblade around and around, sending vacuum blades flying. The Horrors were cut to ribbon by the blades of pressurized air and then evaporated. She slowly stopped spinning as soon as the Horrors were destroyed.

"Good job, ojou-sama!" Gekiryuken cheered and then noticed something wrong with his wielder. "Oi, ojou-sama! Daijoubu ka?"

"Ugh…" Ryukendo groaned as she started to sway like a drunk that had too much to drink. Apparently, the spinning had made her quite dizzy. "I…don't feel…too good…" She held her head. "That…so wasn't…a good idea…"

Gekiryuken sweatdropped, "O...Ojou-sama…you are a very interesting person, aren't you?"

* * *

Kenzaki grinned as he saw the image on his monitor, "Nice job, Neko. Nice job." He had to admit that the girl was a good fighter. Then, he sweatdropped as he saw her fall flat on her face comically. The dizziness had caused her to collapse. "OK…that ruined her image." He got off his bike and exited the cockpit. "Looks like I gotta pick her up from the roof," he muttered.

* * *

Neko, now with the armor gone, was laid out on a bed. She slowly began to wake up and yawned. She stretched her arms and opened her eyes to see Cathy and Rose hovering over her. "Oh, good morning." She sat up and was instantly glomped by Cathy. "Nani?"

"Mama! You were amazing!" Cathy cheered. Neko blinked in confusion.

"I was?" she asked, clueless, "What did I do?"

Rose blinked quizzically, "Neko…don't you remember?"

Neko sat up and tapped her forehead trying to figure out what Rose was talking about and then it all came back to her. She pounded one fist down on an open palm. "Oh, yeah!" she chuckled. "I was awesome, huh?" She then realized that something was amiss. "Huh? Where's Gekiryuken?"

"Down here," she heard a voice and looked down to see a medallion hanging from her neck by a length of chain that had been looped around her neck like a necklace. It had the same dragonhead ornament as Gekiryuken but it was in a metal circle with three points that jutted outwards in a triangular formation. Neko grasped the medallion and stared at it.

"Gekiryuken, is that you?" she asked.

"Yes," the medallion, Gekiryuken, replied, "It's me."

"You've...shrunk."

Gekiryuken sighed. "How perceptive of you," he spoke sarcastically.

"So, why did you shrink?" Neko asked.

"It's to conserve energy. My sword form uses up a lot of energy to maintain. Therefore, I use this form to conserve it. Besides, you'd attract too much attention carrying a talking sword around with you."

"As opposed to a talking medallion?" Neko said blankly.

"Um…"

Neko asked, "So, what happened? All I remembered was feeling dizzy."

"You fainted on top of the roof," said Kenzaki as he came in. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"You carried me down here, didn't you?" Neko asked.

"Of course," Kenzaki answered. "Who else?"

"Thanks," Neko smiled.

Kenzaki blushed and looked away. Despite Neko having the face of his most hated enemy, he had to admit that she was kinda cute. Sure they had the same face, since they were originally the same person, but Neko was a good person and it showed from her actions. "Well…you're welcome…" he said as he shifted in his stance uncomfortably.

"So, are we headed back to the Tower?" Neko asked.

"Sure," Kenzaki nodded.

"If they find out I'm gonna be in so much trouble," Neko stated, worried. She had gone out without permission when she'd been ordered to stay in the Tower. Though she'd snuck out quietly, she knew that some of the residents of the Tower would catch wind of her activities.

"I think under the circumstances they'll understand." Kenzaki obviously didn't know the Titans that well.

"I hope you're right…" Neko gulped. She prayed to Kami-sama that she wouldn't get in trouble. That was the last thing she needed tonight. The Titans had reason to distrust her and this was going to be added to the list of reasons. "I _really_ hope you're right."

* * *

The entrance to Titans Tower slid open as Rose, Neko, Cathy and Kenzaki stood outside.

"Are you sure about this, Neko?" Rose asked. "I mean with our history…"

"This is the safest place for the two of you," Neko reasoned. "The Tower has updated security to make sure no unauthorized persons can get inside." Neko was holding Cathy's hand.

As soon as they stepped foot into the lobby, the lights immediately turned on. Sitting in two of the armchairs were Ichijyo and Ryuki, both looking cross.

"Where have you been?" Ryuki asked, eyes focused on his sister and her companions. Neko fell silent and scared. "It's late. You didn't have a communicator so I couldn't call you. Do you know how worried sick I was?"

"Well…it was…kind of an emergency," Neko said nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Gomen."

"It's my fault," Kenzaki said, taking the blame. "I went with her and didn't talk her out of it."

"We shall assign blame for later," Ichijyo said calmly. "For now, tell us where you were, what happened, and what you did…"

Kenzaki and Neko exchanged looks and sighed before looking back at the two Knights. They started explaining **everything**.

* * *

**A Week Later…**

Shadowcobra was enjoying one of the rare occasions of peace he had with Raven on the couch, both reading a book and enjoying the silence. Raven was leaning against his body as he had an arm draped tenderly around her shoulders, holding his lavender haired wife close to him. He was the one holding the book as their eyes scanned the pages together.

Suddenly, a portal began to form in the middle of the television, surprising the newly weds. Out of the portal stepped a familiar figure to those who fought at Zandia, Warren Smith, except now he sported a large bump on his head. "Well, she seemed to take it a lot better this time," he said with a slight laugh. He looked up and saw Raven. His face paled in horror. "Please don't hurt me!!" he shouted as he fell backwards, earning strange looks from Raven and Shadowcobra.

"Do I know you?" asked Raven. Warren looked her over and noticed a few differences in this Raven, namely her longer hair and white uniform.

Warren stood up and rubbed the back of his head, groaning. "This is why I hate multiple universes, too damn confusing," he groaned. "Sorry about that. Name's Warren Smith. I'm a friend of Ryuki's. I kinda mistook you for my Raven."

"_Your_ Raven?" questioned Shadowcobra. Ryuki had told him about Warren and explained that he was a fellow crewmember of the ChronoLiner.

"Yeah, I come from a different world, with my own set of Titans. Raven is my wife on that world," explained Warren. He noticed the wedding rings on Shadow and Raven's fingers. "This is awkward."

"We're married," informed Shadow.

"How awkward was the wedding?" asked Warren, speaking from experience.

"It was a shotgun wedding. We got married when her mother found out we've been having sex. She wasn't too happy about the tattoo either," answered Shadow.

Raven slapped his chest. "You weren't supposed to tell him that!" she snapped while blushing in embarrassment.

Warren added in his two cents, "Ha! That's nothing! Try meeting your future mother-in-law, followed by saying… 'And these are your grandchildren'." He sighed, "Trust me, it doesn't end well."

Raven looked shocked and Shadow quirked an eyebrow. "You have children?" he asked.

Warren smiled, "Twins, a boy and a girl." He turned around when he heard something coming through the portal. It sounded like…crying? "And here are my little angels now."

Out of the portal stepped a woman. She had styled golden hair that went down to her lower back and deep blue eyes. She was pushing a stroller that had two seats. The seats held Warren's children. His daughter, Teresa, sat in the left seat and was crying. She had violet hair with a white streak. Next to her was her twin brother, Alexander. He instead had white hair with a violet streak. He was asleep, which was strange considering how loud his sister was crying. "Warren, please pick up your daughter. I don't want her waking up Alexander," said the woman.

Warren happily walked over to the stroller and picked up his daughter, who almost immediately stopped crying when he did. "These are them. My son's name is Alexander and this is my daughter, Teresa," said Warren. The woman behind him cleared her throat. "And this is my sister, Emily."

"Greetings," Emily waved.

"So, what did I miss while I was away?" Warren asked in an attempt to break the tension.

Neko entered the living room and immediately locked eyes with Warren. She froze.

"Uh-oh," Neko gulped.

* * *

_When a change comes, some species feel the urge to migrate; they call it "zugunruhe", a pull of the soul to a far off place. Following a scent in the wind, a star in the sky. The ancient message comes calling the kindred to take flight, and gather together. Only then can they hope to survive the cruel season to come._

To Be Continued…

ZK: I'd like to thank my friends, Shadow Element 13 and Ten-Faced Paladin for their help and such. Gekiryuken and Ryukendo are from a show called Madan Saeki Ryukendo.

Questions for you reviewers:

1) Who and what is Gekiryuken really?

2) Will the Titans trust Neko?

3) Do Rose and Cathy stay in Titans Tower?


	88. PT088: One Week Ago

Part 88: One Week Ago

_Well, things went pretty normal for a change once I got home. Rae beat the crap outta me for not contacting her in 2 months, but then again how can I communicate across dimensions? She forgave me. I spent some time with the kids._

_Then I had to go back to work._

_Took the family to New York to spend some time with Alan, while I took care of business. First I brought Craig to my pal Reed, as in Dr. Reed Richards of the Fantastic 4. He called in some other friends; Mr. Terrific, Hank Pym, and Tony Stark. Who better to find a medical cure than the four greatest scientific minds on my world?_

_Turns out there was no cure, guess that bastard Occultus wasn't lying about that. They did manage to create a serum that suppressed it though._

_Next I brought him to my old pal Dr. Strange, who called in a mutual acquaintance, Dr. Fate. Together they worked on any possible mystic angle the Orphenoch gene could have. They couldn't find much, but they at least managed to get Craig back into his human form._

_Then I brought Craig back to the JSA Headquarters. Here they would get his confidence back, remind him what it means to be a hero. After all, that's what they do at the Justice Society of America._

_And now, I'm back on Ryuki's world, face to face with a girl who looks just like Copycat, but is this really her?_

-Warren Smith/Wraith

* * *

"So, what did I miss while I was away?" Warren asked in an attempt to break the tension.

Neko entered the living room and immediately locked eyes with Warren. She froze.

"Uh-oh," Neko gulped.

* * *

**One Week Ago...**

Neko finished explaining everything, with Rose, Cathy and Kenzaki filling in the blanks for her. It didn't change the expression of both Zodiac Knights who'd scolded them.

"You disobeyed a direct order," Shadowcobra said, "You weren't supposed to leave the Tower without permission."

"I know," Neko nodded.

"When I went to check up on you, I was surprised to see you gone. Plus, you don't have a communicator. Do you know the horrible things I was imagining?" Draco said. "I could've lost you again, Neko-chan."

"I know," Neko bowed her head. "I'm sorry. How many times must I apologize?"

"You cannot ignore the fact that she had little choice in the matter. She wished to rescue the people she loves. It was noble, honorable and courageous," Gekiryuken stated. Draco and Shadowcobra had been surprised about Neko gaining a Keyblade and even more surprised to discover it could talk. Nonetheless, it didn't change the fact that Neko had disobeyed orders.

"What you did was foolish, irresponsible and totally reckless," stated Shadowcobra. "You shouldn't have gone off alone like that. You could've gotten killed if you were unlucky."

"I was with her," Kenzaki defended, he received a glare from both Draco and Shadowcobra and the combination gave him goose bumps.

"As for you, you were placed under our custody for attacking Neko," Shadowcobra reminded. "You too disobeyed orders."

"Hey!" Kenzaki snapped, "I don't answer to you or anybody else! I'm a bounty hunter and I was just doing my job!"

"Some job," Shadowcobra snorted, "You didn't even capture Copycat."

"Why you…" Kenzaki growled.

"ENOUGH!" Draco shouted. This shocked everyone, Neko the most, who'd never seen him so forceful. The Dragon Knight rubbed his temples, exasperated by the arguments. "Can we pick this up tomorrow? It's late and I want to get back to sleep."

'_You just want to cuddle with Jinx_,' Yaminekoryu chuckled.

'_Urusai!_' Draco shot back. He wasn't in the mood to argue. Yet, he was curious about Gekiryuken's origins. He seemed familiar for some reason, like he'd seen the medallion before.

"But what about Rose and Cathy?" Neko questioned. The two Knights already knew that Rose was Slade's daughter and this would no doubt cause a commotion in the morning, especially Robin who fiercely hated Slade. Cathy, on the other hand, was a mutant girl that Neko had adopted. She hadn't divulged the details yet as if she was hesitant too. However, they couldn't ignore the fact that Neko had rescued them for her own reasons.

"They can stay with you in my room," Draco answered, smiling tenderly. This was his sister's girlfriend and his niece here, therefore he was honor bound to let them stay the night. Shadowcobra quirked an eyebrow.

"Arigatou, Ryu-chan," Neko hugged her brother briefly.

"Thank you," Rose said in gratitude.

"Arigato, Uncle Ryu!" Cathy chirped. Though she looked 14, she was still a little childish. Ryuki found her cute, especially with her cat-like features. He couldn't help but ruffle her hair a bit. He sent them on their way.

"Excuse me, but I believe the ALPHA Gear belongs to me," Shadowcobra said. Cathy was still holding the briefcase. She looked sheepish and then turned back to hand the briefcase over to Shadowcobra.

"No!" Cathy refused. "It's mine! Mama gave it to me and I've been using it all this time!" She was whining like a spoilt brat and refusing to cooperate, "You can't have it!"

"Give it, or I'll make you," Shadow hissed.

"No!" She stuck her tongue out at Shadow. "Bleh!" Shadow was ready to force it out of her hands when Neko intervened.

"Koneko-chan, please return the ALPHA Gear to him," Neko commanded in a tender tone. Cathy gasped, surprised, and stared with her mouth agape at her adoptive mother.

"But, mama!" Cathy retorted, "You gave it to me! It's mine! It's mine, it's mine, it's mine!"

"It wasn't mine to give, Cathy," Neko clarified. "It belongs to his company. Now, do as I say, young lady," Neko ordered sternly.

Cathy pouted but the adorable look on her face would not make Neko change her mind. Cathy sighed, sulking. As much as she wanted to keep the Gear, her mother was right. Didn't mean she had to like it. though "Fine, I'll give it back." She really didn't want to but her mama wanted her to. "Here you go." Cathy apologized, reluctantly, "Sorry for using it without permission." Shadowcobra took the case. He was going to have to send it back to the New York HQ for safe keeping and this time under heavy security. Cathy then joined Neko and Rose to walk towards the elevator.

"Well, now that that's over, I should get some shuteye," Kenzaki yawned. He walked off.

"Matte," Shadowcobra and Draco said at once, stopping the interdimensional bounty hunter in his tracks.

"We're not done with you yet," Shadowcobra said sternly.

"You put my sister in danger so now you're going to pay," Draco cracked his knuckles, fire in his eyes.

Kenzaki turned and faced Draco and Shadowcobra. He took off his gloves and trench coat, revealing his metal arms and clawed fingers. "Try me."

* * *

Rose and Cathy put down their bags and let out the two cats, which promptly ran towards Neko. They rubbed themselves against Neko's legs and she giggled. "Oh…I missed you too, my kitties." She kneeled and petted them gently.

"It feels weird," Rose commented. "I mean the last time I was here in this tower was to kidnap that Homunculus girl."

Neko gulped. Renia was temperamental. She looked half tempted to eat her to a bloody pulp as soon as she got here. '_Let's just hope she doesn't recognize you_.'

"Mama, are we going to stay here from now on?" Cathy asked her adopted mother, Neko.

Neko sighed and shook her head, "I don't know, Koneko-chan…I don't know…" It would be lucky if she wasn't thrown out the next day.

Suddenly, the alarms blared as red lights flashed in the room. T.I.T.A.N.'s voice came out, announcing, "WARNING! WARNING! PERIMETER BREACH! PERIMETER BREACH!"

It would be lucky if she survived this.

* * *

Shadowcobra and Draco were in the lobby with Kenzaki when they heard the alarm.

"A perimeter breach?" Shadowcobra questioned. He pulled out his SB-Cell and flipped it open, turning on the screen. He connected to the exterior surveillance cameras. "Oh…no…"

"What?" Draco looked over Shadowcobra's shoulder. As soon as he saw the image, he knew this was going to be trouble. "Kami-sama."

"Looks like Copycat sent a party," Kenzaki quipped. The screen showed an army of Horrors coming to shore, either from the water or from the air.

Draco and Shadowcobra exchanged looks. The alarm must've woken up the Titans so they'd be down here soon. The Horrors started to smash against the door and they weren't being gentle. The sound was echoing in the lobby as they continued to smash against it. It was a lucky thing that the windows were thick or else they could come right inside.

"We need to hold them off," Draco said firmly, taking out his Zodiac Deck.

"My sentiments exactly," Shadowcobra agreed, taking out his Zodiac Deck as well.

Kenzaki fastened his Garoh Belt around his waist, taking his Rider Pass as well. "Let's go welcome them."

* * *

Neko looked out the window to see an army of Horrors approaching the Tower. She knew her other half could hold a grudge but to act this fast was shocking. She turned to look at Neko and Rose.

"Ojou-sama, we have to stop them!" Gekiryuken said. Neko nodded in agreement.

"Right!" Neko nodded and ran for the door.

"Neko!" Rose shouted. The door slid open.

"You both stay here!" Neko shouted as she ran down the hallway towards the elevator. Gekiryuken glowed briefly as she gripped him before he resumed his Keyblade form.

'_I'm going to protect them with my life!_' Neko resolved.

* * *

Shadowcobra and Draco were already fighting off the Horrors. Draco was in his normal mode, using his Keyblade to cut down their numbers. Thankfully, lesser Horrors were easy to fight off. Unfortunately, there were too many of them and the three of them weren't going to be enough to fight off this army.

"**RAMPAGE FORM!**"

Kenzaki had transformed into a new form, using the gold colored button on his belt. Like always, his Plat Form appeared first. Afterward, new armor appeared and slammed onto his Plat Form armor. The usual pattern of an animal's head and paws becoming the upper body armor was the beginning of the formation. This was finished off by a jagged gold mask with fangs sliding down his faceplate and locking in place. Rampage Form held the resemblance of a golden lion. Garoh took out his Gasher and assembled it into the shape of a long stick, before a golden blade extended from the tip, turning it into a naginata.

Garoh spun the Naginata-Gasher around and started strumming it like an air guitar. "**Let's turn up the volume! The music is just starting!**" With his new weapon, Garoh decided to make 'Horror-kabobs'.

The trio wondered where their fellow Titans were and got their answers when green starbolts, a blue sonic energy beam, explosive birdarangs, rocks, pink hexes, dark energy blades, crystal spears and a green pterandon flew at the Horrors.

"**Great, the cavalry's here!" **Garoh growled in appreciation.

"How many?" Robin asked Cyborg as he took out his Bo-staff and smashed a Horror in the head.

"About 50 of them," Cyborg reported. He fired missiles at a few airborne Horrors. "45," he corrected. "45 ugly mothers."

"We can take them!" Terra shouted, flying on a slab of rock. She slapped her hands together and palms of stone rose up from the ground and crushed a pair of Horrors. "Oh yeah!" Horrors flew down on her but her Cutter Inzecter leapt off her shoulder and sliced their heads off with its mandibles before returning to her. "Good boy!"

The Scarab Inzecter was flying circles around a group of Horrors, confusing them. A distance away, Jinx was calculating her next move. She sent a wave of bad luck energy straight at their heads and they blew up. The bodies dropped and evaporated. "Yes!" Jinx cheered. The Scarab Inzecter returned to her and chirped. "I know! Come on!"

Renia found herself surrounded by Horrors but instead of looking worried she was grinning. She slammed both her palms onto the ground and a transmutation circle appeared under her speed. The circle grew and the Horrors caught in it ended up being turned to crystal. She stood up straight and snapped her fingers, shattering the crystals thus killing the Horrors. "Oh, yeah!"

Starfire and Raven remained in the air, blasting at Horrors with their powers. They made sure not to get any blood on them or else they'd be cursed. Starfire's starbolts caused the Horrors to combust on contact due to her powers being fueled by sunlight, a Horror's worst enemy. Raven concentrated and grabbed a few Horrors and then engulfed them in a ball of dark energy. The demons hissed and screeched, struggling inside their prison. Raven cupped her hands and then slowly shrunk the ball, crushing the Horrors inside into a black fleshy and bloody mess. The flesh and blood evaporated soon after as she dispelled her aura.

"Nice job, Raven!" Starfire complimented. Raven shrugged.

Beast Boy jumped at a group of Horrors and morphed into an armadillo in mid-air. He started to ricochet off their heads and slam into the repeatedly. Cyborg helped to finish them off with a double sonic-cannon combo, destroying their bodies.

Beast Boy chuckled. "Hah! Too easy!"

Draco had heard Beast Boy. "_Too_ easy…" The Horrors, despite being mindless and hungry demons, were far too easy to defeat. It was like they were letting the Titans win. Draco didn't think any further as he used his ice powers and froze a few Horrors before telekinetically shattering them. A large number of Horrors like these wouldn't be too easy to defeat, unless…

Draco then sensed a powerful evil presence and looked up to see a dark ball growing in the sky. It had camouflaged itself using the darkness and was growing bigger with each Horror being destroyed. In the air, Starfire and Raven could see the ball of darkness in the air. This came to Shadowcobra's attention too as he looked up at the dark ball.

'Aibou, that ball, it's filled with an incredibly malevolent aura,' Yaminekoryu explained. Draco could only nod. It was so cold and evil, that it sent chills running down his spine.

"What is that?" Starfire asked.

"Nothing good," Raven frowned. The dark ball was generating an aura that was similar to the Horrors they had vanquished, but stronger, and more malevolent.

Shadowcobra realized what it was. It was the accumulated energy of the Horrors and each Horror had evaporated and their energy…had…entered…that…thing…

The Titans were _feeding_ that thing.

"Minna, chotto matte!" Draco shouted to all.

* * *

Neko was growing impatient. She was holding Gekiryuken and stuck in the elevator. It had stopped all of a sudden. "Kuso…" Neko cursed as she repeatedly pushed the button. "Come on! Come on! I want to go down there!"

"Ojou-sama, what are you doing?" Gekiryuken asked.

"Trying to make this stupid elevator go down!" Neko snapped in frustration.

"But, ojou-sama, you're a teleporter."

Neko stopped pushing the button and sweatdropped. "Oh…yeah." She chuckled stupidly.

"Ojou-sama, you are an interesting person…" Gekiryuken sighed, sweatdropping too.

Neko closed her eyes and concentrated before teleporting out of the elevator towards her desired location.

* * *

The dark ball floated in the air and the remaining Horrors all screeched before flying upwards and entering it. The Titans regrouped, waiting for whatever was coming, which was definitely not good.

Neko appeared and asked, "Where's the party?" She noticed that the Titans were silent. "Um…what's going on?

Gekiryuken alerted her, "Ojou-sama, look up there!"

Neko looked up and her blue eyes widened. "What is that?"

"I sense a lot of malevolent energy!"

"And those Horrors are being sucked in," Neko finished. "We have to stop it!" She ran past the Titans, yelling, before leaping up.

"Neko-chan!" Draco shouted, "Chotto!"

Neko couldn't hear him and swung down with Gekiryuken. However, as soon as her blade made contact with the ball, she was electrocuted by dark lightning. She fell down to the ground, her body smoking.

"Neko-chan!" Draco yelled and flew up to catch his sister. "Daijoubu?"

"Mama…I don't wanna go to school today…" Neko said in a daze as her eyes swirled around. Draco gave a nervous laugh. Garoh shook his head. This was the same girl from yesterday?

The ball began to crack on the surface. The cracks spread all around it and pieces began to drop.

"Dude, that's an egg!" Beast Boy realized. "And it's hatching!" Way to state the obvious Beast Boy…

"But what's going to come out?" Terra questioned.

"Nothing good, that's for certain," Shadowcobra replied as they all watched the cracks spread.

"Well, we're not going to let it hatch!" Robin shouted. "Titans!" He took out his explosive discs, "Get ready to smash that egg!" Shadowcobra and Draco grabbed his arms before he could throw them. "Hey!"

"Don't!" Draco warned. "That isn't going to do much!"

"We don't know until we try!" Robin struggled.

"Robin, stop being stubborn and listen!" Shadowcobra snapped. "Blowing up that egg won't work! You'll just make it break faster."

"So, we just wait?" Robin asked receiving silent stares. "You've got to be kidding."

"Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that chicken is about to come out!" Beast Boy yelled, waving his arms.

"And it's releasing a lot of dark energy," Raven stated, shivering. Jinx too was shivering.

"That feels…so…evil…" Jinx trembled, holding herself.

"Get ready to transform," Draco said, eyeing the egg as the cracks spread all over. "Because it's coming out!"

Shadowcobra took out his Pactio cards from his pocket and signaled for Starfire and Raven, Robin took out his communicator, and Jinx and Terra got their Inzecters ready. Cyborg was arming himself as Beast Boy fidgeted.

The shell of the dark egg finally shattered, revealing what was inside, as the 'baby' reared its head back and roared into the heavens.

It was a giant Horror about the same height as the Tower and right now its red eyes were focused straight on the building.

'_We're going to need the GaroLiner for this_,' Kenzaki thought.

* * *

Back in her room, Katherine was sitting on the floor in a meditative state, eyes closed and deep in concentration. An evil aura waved around her body like tendrils of darkness as her lips curled into a horrid smile.

The Horrors she had sent were just food for her true plan. A Horror seed had been sent along with them, floating above the battle. The Horrors were weak alone but that just made it easier to collect their energy. When each Horror was destroyed, its energy would be absorbed into the seed as they evaporated. Each defeated Horror would become food for the seed.

Now, the seed had hatched and a huge Horror now stood in its place. The end result would be no more Titans to get in her way. Then she'll finally have her revenge on her lesser half. She would first torture her before reabsorbing her.

Hah…it felt good to be the Living Gate. She let out a horrid laugh as her aura danced around her, somehow moving to her internal pleasure.

* * *

The Giant Horror let out a roar so deafening that it forced the Titans to cover their years. Raven's eyes widened horrified at the beast that looked like it could rival her father in power. However, that was not the case. What frightened her was the overall appearance of the Horror. It was composed of the bodies of the Horrors, bonded together in a mangled mess like a macabre display of art. The Horrors squirmed around as their bodies twisted. The entire skin of the thing was alive with Horrors. The monstrous demon was quite tall and quite impressive looking at the same time, in a morbid sort of way.

"That is so sick and wrong," Beast Boy pointed out as he watched the thing's skin crawl, literally.

A strange yet familiar tune was heard. Garoh looked behind the Horror and smirked. "**And help has arrived!**" called Garoh. The GaroLiner blasted through a portal, slamming into the Horror's back.

The Horror toppled over from the impact and fell face first upon the island.

Robin was the first to transform as he spoke into his communicator, "Henshin!"

"_Standby!"_ the communicator responded before he snapped it to his belt buckle, "_Activation!_" In a flash of light the armor formed over his body.

"HENSHIN!"

"CAST OFF!"

"CHANGE SCARAB BEETLE!"

"CHANGE LEAFCUTTER ANT!"

"CHANGE PUNCH LOCUST!"

Jinx, Terra and Renia had just activated their Inzecter armors.

"Partners, Starfire of Tamaran and Raven of Azarath," Shadowcobra recited, raising the two Pactio cards into the air, "Reveal the Power Within!" The energy flew out of the cards and engulfed the two girls, changing them into their Pactio powered up forms.

"Ministra Magi: Starfire the Warrior Queen!" Starfire called out, holding her Starblade to her shoulder as she was clad in her white and gold battle armor.

"Ministra Magi: Raven the White Priestess!" Raven called out, a white aura surrounding her in her white dress.

"Ojou-sama, ikuzo!" Gekiryuken called.

"Hai!" Neko nodded, raising Gekiryuken above her head, "Shadu, Iraki, Yuuza!" Her eyes showed determination, "Gekiryu Henshin!"

A blue dragon of energy flew out from the blade and roared above her before flying back down and fusing with her. In an instant, her armor formed over her body. She did her pose and called out her armored form, "Zodiac Knight Ryukendo, Raijin!"

The other gawked at her. They hadn't realized that she could transform. This shocked Jinx too. How did she get that kind of power and where did she get that weapon?

Jinx said to Draco, "You didn't tell me she could do that."

Draco shrugged, "Who knew?" He pressed a button on his SB-Watch and called, "Ant-san, I need to borrow the ChronoLiner. Come quickly!"

* * *

Ant was in the dining car of the ChronoLiner, relaxing, as the time train cruised through the Sands of Time. After being fired from the Dragon Force he found that he got a lot of free time on his hands.

Andie was at her station, making coffee for him.

As Ant was enjoying his downtime, he got a message coming through his com-link, "_Ant-san, I need to borrow the ChronoLiner. Come quickly!_"

Ant sighed. "Well, looks like I'm needed." He got off his seat and headed to the teleporter. "To the cockpit!"

Andie saluted, "OK!" and pressed the button, sending him to the cockpit.

The ChronoLiner's first four cars detached from the rest and then zoomed towards a multicolored portal, taking it to its destination.

* * *

"Liner Drive Form!" Draco called out after sliding the Zodiac Deck into his Masked Rider Sword Keyblade. The surge of energy changed him into his Liner Drive Form. His mask flashed red as it locked into place. "Ikuzo!"

The Horror got back to its feet and began to swat at the GaroLiner as it flew around its head, suspending itself on train tracks it was generating under itself. It avoided a vicious swipe and raced down towards the ground, the door to the first car opening. Garoh ran into the train car and the door slid close.

Garoh sat on his bike in the cockpit and his eyes were locked on the viewing screen which showed him the Horror. Garoh smirked and said, "**It's showtime!**"

Outside, Renia had leapt into the air via LOCUST JUMP and was diving back down with her fist aimed at the Horror. "LOCUST PUNCH!" the Inzecter announced, sending the energy into her fist. She crystallized it and smashed her fist into the Horror's ugly mug, sending it staggering backwards. It regained its footing.

Starfire and Raven were in the air. Starfire flew ahead, roaring with righteous fury and slashed furiously at the Horror's body. Raven backed her up and fired a beam of Holy Energy at the Horror's chest with her Scythe of Light. The Scythe of Light was a long silver shaft with a curved blade of white magical energy. It was her Pactio Artifact which she had accidentally discovered while practicing with Shadow after their marriage. The Scythe of Light was not only capable of increasing Raven's attacking powers but could also launch high concentrated beams of white magic or even hurl crescent energy blades when charged and swung. The beam of white magic burnt against its skin vaporizing some of the Horrors that made up its body. However, as soon as she stopped firing, more Horrors filled in the gap. She tried her hand at hacking them with her scythe but they kept regenerating.

One of the giant Horror's hand came down on her but with quick thinking and a swipe of her scythe, she sliced the hand off, causing the giant Horror to shriek in pain as its discarded limb vaporised. It painfully began to renerate its limb, giving the Titans an opening for another attack. She energized the blade with a chant and started swinging wildly, sending crescent energy blades to slash at the Horror's body.

"_Excel Charge!_"

"Here I go!" Robin announced and ran ahead. He bounded off Cyborg's shoulders and leapt upwards. He went into a flying kick position, his foot glowing. He performed his Titan Kick and the explosive force of the attack sent the demon staggering backwards.

"Final Vent!" Shadowcobra called before charging forward with Genosnaker behind him. He did a leap and back flipped before being catapulted forwards by a stream of acid and venom.

"GENOCIDE CRASH!!" he shouted as he performed his destructive bicycle kick attack into the Horror's gut.

Beast Boy transformed into the Beast, but was now coated in armor made from his suit. He jumped up the Horror's arm and began to claw wildly. The Horrors that made up the arm tried to slash at him but he bit he managed to defend himself and leapt off. He snarled.

"BB, throw me at him!" Cyborg shouted. The Beast nodded and grabbed Cyborg by the wrists. He spun around and around and then threw Cyborg at the Horror. Cyborg configured his Bomb Fist and then smashed it into the Horror's chest where he was aiming for.

BOOM!!

The, literally, explosive punch, caused the Horror to release a shriek of pain as it toppled over forwards, supporting itself on its hands and knees.

Draco took this as his opportunity and called to his sister, "Neko-chan! Ikuzo!"

"Hai!" Ryukendo nodded, "Gekiryuken, ikuyo."

"Hai, Ojou-sama!" Gekiryuken replied.

Draco ran up the left arm of the Horror as Ryukendo ran up the right. The Horrors tried to grab at them but they stomped on them as they ran. When they reached the head they began slashing wildly at it with their Keyblade. The Horror shook in pain as the strikes from the legendary weapons started to do damage.

Jinx frowned. How could her boyfriend trust Neko so easily? Regardless, she chose to help out, "Clock Up!"

Terra took this as her cue and activated Clock Up too. "Clock Up!"

"CLOCK UP!"

All movement stopped around them as they dashed towards the giant Horror and ran up its arms. Terra used her Cutter Katanas to slash at the Horrors in the arm as Jinx used hexes to deal damage on the body.

Garoh pressed the white button on his belt, sliding his Rider Pass over the center.

"**PREDATOR FORM!" **Garoh's armor switched from that of Rampage Form to Predator Form.

He pressed a button on his bike. "**Activate! GaroLiner Kulon!**" called Garoh. The second car separated from the rest of the GaroLiner, and prepared to fight the creature on its own. The car transformed into what looked like a giant white mechanical tiger, the head coming out from the front and the legs from the sides. The beast rose on its hind legs.

Garoh stepped off the bike and stood at the center of the chamber. Garoh slammed his fists together and did a martial arts pose. At the same time, GaroLiner Kulon Mecha-Form did the same, copying his motions. "**REMEMBER THE BASICS! MY FISTS WILL CRUSH YOUR SPIRIT!**"

The tiger roared and lunged at the Horror as it stood up. Kulon started to swipe at it with its paws like they were fists before leaping up and kicking it backwards.

Draco heard the tune of the ChronoLiner play as the portal formed in the air. He was holding onto the Horror. As soon as the ChronoLiner got into range, he called out to his sister, "Neko-chan! Ikuze!"

"Hai, Ryu-chan!" Ryukendo nodded. She leapt off the Horror's arm as did Draco. The cockpit opened and the twin Knights entered the vehicle.

Draco's face appeared on Garoh's viewing screen, "_Garoh, link up!_"

"**HAI!**" Garoh agreed.

Kulon punched the Horror, causing it to stagger backwards.

The two time trains had their tracks converge with the ChronoLiner in the lead. The GaroLiner followed behind the ChronoLiner. When the GaroLiner got close enough, it linked up with the rear car of the ChronoLiner.

Draco sat on the bike of the ChronoLiner, his sister standing by his side. "Ikuzo!" Draco shouted, pushing the button.

The ChronoLiner's cars activated their weapons. The first car opened up to reveal laser turrets, the second car revealed missile launchers, the third car revealed bomb slingers and the final car revealed a platform with a jet on it. The jet flew off the platform, controlled by an AI, and began firing. The other cars also fired their ammo at the Horror. Lasers, missiles and bombs slammed into the Horror's body, causing it to scream.

The Titans stood back and watched as the combined time train attacked the Horror. This gave Cyborg an idea and he said to Beast Boy who'd reassumed human form, "BB, follow me!"

"OK!" Beast Boy nodded and followed Cyborg back to the Tower.

The Horror screeched as it was being attacked by the time trains. At the same time, the Titans launched their attacks too. Terra and Jinx Clocked Over.

"CAST ON!"

Their Strong Mode armors returned and they started to fire. Terra used her shoulder vulcans in sync with her geokinesis, firing bullets and rocks at the Horror. Jinx fired her hexes at it, causing pink explosions. Starfire fired a beam from her Starblade, cutting at the Horror's skin. Raven sent a white bird of magic at the Horror. Robin continued to throw an infinite supply of explosive discs, causing explosions to erupt off the Horror's body. Shadow launched blades of shadow energy to slice it up too.

"Sugoi!" Ryukendo admired. "I think we're winning, Ryu-chan!"

"I think so too!" Draco agreed and then he froze. "Oh no!"

The Horror roared and grabbed onto the time trains with its claws. Draco fired the weapons at it but they proved ineffective. The Horror started to shake the trains that dared to harm it.

Suddenly, it was slammed in the stomach by a new Mecha, the T-Robo. It smashed its fists into the stomach of the beast, forcing it to let go of the trains.

Cyborg's face appeared on the ChronoLiner's viewing screen, "_Hey, Draco!_"

"Cyborg, glad you brought the big guns!" Draco smiled under his helmet.

"_Dude, don't forget about me!_" Beast Boy shouted as his face appeared too.

"Beast Boy?" Draco blinked. "You're his co-pilot?"

"_It's OK! It's like a videogame! I'm controlling the movements!_" Beast Boy began explaining.

"_And I'm manning the weapons! Don't worry, we'll back you up!_"

Garoh's face appeared on the screen and he spoke, "_**Yosh! Let us defeat this demon for honor and glory!**_"

Draco couldn't agree more. "Push it into the water!"

The two time trains separated and rode on separate tracks. They rammed into the Horror, sending it towards the water. The Horror dug in its heels and dragged along the surface of the island. Kulon and the T-Robo gave their assistance by pushing the Horror into the water. It struggled but the strength of the Mechas was actually more than it could handle. One last push sent it falling backwards into the water.

The cockpit of the ChronoLiner opened up and both Draco and Ryukendo stood on the roof of the time train.

The red mask of the Masked Rider Sword aligned with the blade and he said to his sister, "Hissatsu waza?"

Ryukendo nodded in agreement, "Hissatsu waza!"

"IKUZO!" Draco jumped off the ChronoLiner. "EXTREME SLASH!"

Ryukendo followed his lead, "RYUOU GIRI!"

Garoh stood upon his own time train and gripped his axe. Garoh attached the Garo-Gasher Axe Mode to the back of his left leg. He held his Rider Pass over his belt before throwing it away.

"**FULL CHARGE!**"

White energy flowed down Garoh's left leg. Kulon picked up Garoh from the train and threw him into the air. As he plummeted downward, he started doing forward flips. "**TORA NO KULON SMASH!**"

The three warriors unleashed their finishers and slashed at the Horror. Their attacks were the deciding factor as the Horror stumbled backwards, screeching in pain, before falling into the water. The Horror began to sink and then there was a huge explosion, causing a pillar of water to rise instantly. Water rained down on the island as a result.

Kulon reconnected with the GaroLiner and flew into a portal. The ChronoLiner also made its exit and flew into the portal which led towards the Sands of Time.

"SUGOI!" Ryukendo cheered. "YATTA!" she jumped up and down. "Ryu-chan, we did it!" She hugged her brother and they jumped up and down like they were doing a victory dance.

"HAI!" Draco laughed happily.

Kenzaki disengaged his armor as he watched the twins celebrate.

* * *

Back in her room, Katherine roared as her Horror had been destroyed. She punched into the ground, hard, making a crater on impact. She gritted her teeth and snarled, her face contorted with pure rage and hatred. "Next time…next time…"

* * *

After the battle and returning to their normal forms, the Titans all regrouped in the living room. Rose and Cathy were present and the centre of attention, much like Neko was the previous day. Neko explained their situation to the Titans, begging desperately. They listened, critically.

Robin's eyes were focused on Rose. He remembered how they'd fought before. Also, Rose was Slade's daughter so he had little reason to trust her. However, after hearing what'd happened, he felt a little sympathetic for her. To be nearly raped by someone resembling the one you loved could be traumatizing.

Cathy was an interesting case. She was a mutant with the power of invisibility. Also, she had grown up from a baby to a teen within 14 weeks. Months ago, Copycat, when she used to be whole, had found her in a dumpster, abandoned. It pulled at Starfire's heartstrings at how some people could throw a baby away like garbage. At first the others were skeptical since they never knew Copycat to be kind without anything to gain. To adopt a baby out of the kindness of her heart seemed out of character.

"Can they stay?" Neko asked.

"This isn't a hotel," Robin reasoned.

"I need to keep them safe," Neko said firmly. "Please?"

"Please, Robin," Draco pled. "They're my family now too."

Jinx quirked an eyebrow. Family? Not long ago they had been enemies. She looked at her boyfriend curiously. They needed to have a talk later on.

"Fine," Robin sighed. "But if they're going to stay they have to help out around the Tower."

"I can help out!" Rose chirped. As much as she wanted to be with her father, Katherine must have him under her thumb like all the other villains. Her father had seemed different lately and it unnerved her.

"Me too!" Cathy said cheerfully.

Robin rubbed his temples, "I must be going soft…" Starfire hugged him.

"How kind of you, Robin!" Starfire smiled.

'_But it's worth it_,' Robin added mentally.

"Listen, we still don't trust you," Shadowcobra said critically, "You have to earn our trust."

"We'll do our best!" Neko, Rose and Cathy said in unison.

* * *

**Present Day...**

"Uh…hi?" said Neko, unsure of what to say, as she waved awkwardly. She remembered Warren from when she used to be whole and nearly destroyed the Multiverse. Warren was one of her brother's crewmates on the ChronoLiner.

Warren examined her closely. He then removed his sunglasses, revealing his black eyes. "Who are you?" asked Warren. Neko was shocked by this. "I mean, I know you look like Copycat, but I don't sense any evil or malice in you. Just…regret." He then walked over and extended his hand in friendship. "Well, whoever you are, it's nice to meet you," said Warren with a smile.

Neko cautiously took his hand and shook it. "I'm Neko. Neko Hasuma." Warren stared. "Let's just say I'm half of Copycat. The good half."

"The good half?" Warren repeated curiously.

"Maybe we should tell you what happened," Shadowcobra began. "It all started a week ago…"

* * *

_My brother is an idiot. I know this and I've known him a lot shorter than a lot of other people he's met. I'm Emily Smith, twin sister to Warren Smith._

_My brother and I were separated at birth, after our mother died giving birth to Warren. I was adopted by a pretty normal family, and raised as a normal child. They adopted me and not my brother because…they thought my brother was a freak. I've kinda cut ties with them since._

_When I found Warren, I found out that he knew about me, but didn't want me to know him. Said he wanted me to live a normal life._

_Since I met him it's been anything but normal. But he's my family. Even though we've only known each other for about a year, I wouldn't give that up for the world…_

_That, and my niece and nephew are just so damn cute!_

-Emily Smith

To Be Continued…

The GaroLiner

First Car: GaroLiner Tsume. Used with Hunter Form. Based on a wolf, it tears at its opponent with its teeth and claws. Primarily close range offense, it does hang long range weaponry like missiles and a high powered laser. It finishes by summoning a large scimitar blade at the front, and using it to slice the opponent in half.

Second Car: GaroLiner Kulon. Used with Predator Form. Based on Byakko, the Guardian of the West. It can transform itself into a fully functioning Mecha. By using this, Predator Form can control it using his own movements. Like Byakko, it focuses on using his fists and feet, and is a close range warrior.

Third Car: GaroLiner Kin. Used with Rampage Form. Based on a male lion. A mainly defensive car, it has an impenetrable body, and main form of attack is slamming into its opponent. It also has speakers used as sonic blasters.

Fourth Car and remainder of train: GaroLiner Hageshi. Used with Savage Form. Takes the form of an Imoogi, a Korean serpent. Can constrict its opponent and breathes fire. Also it can form power fangs.

ZK: Questions 3

Do you think Kenzaki has a crush on Neko?

What is Katherine/Copycat planning?

Will Saeji try to kill Neko because she's linked to the Living Gate?

BTW: Thank you Shadow Element 13 for ur OC's and help!


	89. PT089: Law of the Makai

Part 89: Law of the Makai

_All Horrors are evil. They always have been and always will be. They are demons that hate and feed on mankind. They are the devourers of humans, feeding on their negative emotions, flesh and blood. The only good Horror is a dead Horror._

_Those are the fundamental truths I have learnt when I was training to become a Makai Knight. There are no exceptions. Anyone who has been possessed by a Horror must be cut down since they themselves have become Horrors and those who hold the power of Horrors must be too cut down._

_I remembered at a young age when my father told me about the Living Gate. It was a being with the power to summon Horrors at will. Such a being was not meant to exist and when it is born would be killed. I agreed with him, frankly._

_I never realized that one of my own cousins would be the Gate. However, despite that, I knew what I had to do._

_My own cousin, for the good of all mankind, must die._

_Neko Katherine Hasuma, I am coming for you._

-Saeji Takuma/Crimson Fanged Knight REDDO

* * *

Saeji stepped on the island after dismounting from his jet ski. He looked up at Titans Tower with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Saeji, are you sure about this?" asked Kurenai, Saeji's Madou ring. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," Saeji nodded, frowning deeply. "For the sake of the world, the Living Gate must die."

"I just hope part of you doesn't die with her," Kurenai mumbled sadly.

* * *

Neko felt a cold chill run down her spine for some reason and sneezed. "Are you okay?" Warren asked.

"I'm fine," Neko replied. She looked at the babies and cooed, "Kawaii…" She asked Warren, "May I hold one of them?"

Warren smiled, "Sure, you can, but right now they're resting, so you need to wait a bit."

Neko pouted. Gekiryuken chuckled, "Ojou-sama, you must really love cute things."

"I do," Neko admitted. She just adored cute things like kittens and babies for instance. Cathy was also among the cute things on that list.

Warren couldn't believe how much had happened in just a week. Copycat had been split into her bad (yin) and good (yang) halves while at the same time a new Rider had joined the Titans. Warren would want to meet this person.

Raven was still on the couch with Shadow, her husband, but her attention was one Alexander and Teresa. '_Another version of me has children_…' She began picturing herself with a baby in her arms and Shadow by her side. She blushed a bit and smiled.

"Luv, what are you smiling about?" Shadow asked his beloved wife. He couldn't help but catch that wistful smile that decorated her face. He could also sense that she was thinking happy thoughts particularly about them and their future. It had all started when Warren had brought in his kids with his sister.

"Nothing," she replied, returning to her normal face. Part of her was so embarrassed to be caught smiling goofily like that, but another part wanted to break out in smiles and coo for the little darlings in the stroller.

The entrance to the common room slid open as Saeji stepped inside. Shadow stood up with Raven and welcomed the Makai Knight. "Welcome, Saeji," he greeted. "If you're looking for Ryuki, he's currently in Tokyo." Neko, Rose, Cathy and Jinx had gone to Japan too to visit the home of the Dragon Knight with Renia tagging along with them. Emiko wanted a full story. Neko had returned to Jump City early in order to stand in for her brother.

Saeji was silent as he scanned the room. His eyes were locked on Neko and he strode towards her fluidly. Kenzaki came into the common room behind him, yawning a little. He'd taken a bit of a nap after a mission and right now wanted to speak with Neko about something important. He could see a guy standing in front of Neko and quirked an eyebrow.

"Who's the guy in the red coat?" Kenzaki asked.

"Neko and Ryuki's cousin, Saeji Takuma," Warren explained. He then introduced himself to the newcomer, "I'm Warren Smith."

"Kenzaki Tsukuba." The two interdimensional travelers shook hands.

"Excuse me?" Emily spoke up.

"Oh, and this is my sister, Emily," Warren introduced as Emily's glare wavered.

"Nice babies," Kenzaki complimented, "Yours?"

"Yup," Warren replied. "So, you're the new Rider in town, I presume?"

"Got that right," Kenzaki nodded. He watched as Saeji took something out of his coat pocket. It looked like a gothic lighter decorated with a demonic eye. "What's with the lighter?"

Shadow's eyes widened. The only reason a Makai Knight would take out his Madou Lighter would be too. "Oh, no…"

The lighter was flipped open, revealing a greenish flame. Saeji held it in front of Neko's face and looked like he was reading it. The Madou Flame flared and Saeji flipped the lighter close.

"You reek with Horror Energy," Saeji growled, sliding his sword out its scabbard. "Time to cut you down."

"WHAT!?" everyone shouted as Neko's eyes widened in horror.

Saeji drew his sword in a single fluid motion and swung it in an arc to slice Neko's head off. No one was fast enough to stop him.

CLANG!

The sound of metal clashing with metal echoed in the room and all eyes were on the scene.

"Never harm my ojou-sama!" Gekiryuken shouted angrily. He'd floated up to protect his wielder's neck. Saeji looked surprised at this but even more surprised as Kenzaki tackled into him, forcing him to drop his sword.

"You bastard!" Kenzaki shouted as he straddled the guy's waist and began pummeling his face with punches. The loud yelling woke up the babies and made them cry. Shadow and Warren pulled Kenzaki off Saeji, struggling since the guy was still trying to get at the Makai Knight.

Neko's eyes were wide as what had happened finally registered. She held a hand to her neck where the sword had nearly touched her. "Saeji-niisan."

Saeji, upon hearing this, got up and glared hatefully, "Do not dare and call me that, Living Gate." He went over to pick up his sword but black energy covered it and raised it up and away from him. Raven levitated the sword over to herself, eyes glowing white.

Emily and Warren were trying to calm down the twins as Shadow asked. The rest of the Titans were currently on a mission out of town, leaving only himself, Kenzaki and Raven in the Tower. With the threat of the Horrors and the Living Gate being real, they needed to personally deliver the message to all their allies and explain to them what was going on.

"Hey, she's not this Living Gate!" Kenzaki yelled. "She's your cousin!"

Saeji bristled, "I am not related to a monster." Neko winced and Kenzaki looked ready to deck him. "Besides, I have my orders."

"Orders?" Shadow asked.

"Execution orders," Saeji specified as he locked his gaze on Neko hatefully. "The council has agreed that in order to ensure the safety of humankind and the world the Living Gate must die. So, do not get in my way."

"She is not the Living Gate!" Gekiryuken insisted, "She is-"

"The Yang half separated by the Tiger Zodiac Power," Saeji interrupted. "I know. I've been informed and I also know that they are connected." Saeji finished, "I kill one half and the other half falls."

Kenzaki growled, "So, you decided to kill Neko and not the _real_ Living Gate." He spat, "Coward."

"I'm just taking the more efficient route," Saeji stated. He demanded, "Return my sword to me."

"No," Raven declined. "No one is getting killed on my watch."

"That wasn't a request," Saeji scowled.

Kenzaki spoke up. "Well, there's no way we're letting you kill Neko because…" he trailed off as his cheeks reddened. His damn crush on Neko was acting up again, "Because if Neko dies so does my target and if that happens I won't get paid." He'd meant well but his words didn't quite help the situation.

"You're a bounty hunter," Saeji scoffed. "No wonder you care so much for this scum."

"At least I'm no lapdog," Kenzaki mocked. Saeji looked ready to exchange blows with Kenzaki. It was quickly turning into a match of professional pride.

"Hey, if you two are gonna fight, take it outside," Warren said.

Neko, after a long time, decided to speak. "Raven, give Saeji his sword back." Everyone gawked at her, except for Gekiryuken. Was she nuts? She grasped her medallion. Shadow chanced it and scanned Neko's mind to discover what she was thinking and after finding out, spoke to Raven.

"Luv, do what she asks," he said to his wife.

"Are you sure about this?" Raven asked skeptically.

"I do," Shadow nodded. '_Neko, I sure hope you know what you're doing._'

The Reddoken was returned to Saeji's hand. As he tightened his grip on his weapon, Neko muttered, "Gekiryuken, activate." The medallion glowed and then morphed into a sword that Neko held at her side. Saeji's eyes widened as he saw the weapon, especially in Neko's hand.

"The Legendary Keyblade…Gekiryuken," Saeji identified. No doubt he'd heard about it someplace in his work so there was no reason to question him on where he got his information from.

"Right," Neko nodded. "Alright, Saeji," she began, "Let's make a bet. Since you want to kill me and I don't wanna die, let's do is as warriors and settle this with a duel." She explained, "If I win, you let me live, and if you win…well, you know what you have to do."

Saeji nodded, agreeing to the terms begrudgingly, "Very well."

Kenzaki protested loudly, waking up the babies, "NO WAY! Don't do this!"

"Emily, can you take the babies someplace else?" Warren asked.

"Follow me," Raven approached, "You can use my room."

"OK, thanks," Emily nodded, carrying Teresa. "Please, can you carry Alexander?"

"Sure, no problem," Raven lifted Alexander off the stroller and he immediately quitted down. "That's strange."

"You remind him of his mother," Emily stated as Alexander began playing with Raven's hair. "Come on, let's go. The twins don't need to see this." The two young women walked out of the common room.

"So, when do we start?" Saeji asked.

"Right now," Neko smirked. "Hey, Hebi! Open the window!"

Shadow scowled, "My name is not 'hebi' (snake)." He ordered T.I.T.A.N. to open one of the windows and it slid upwards.

"Gekiryuken, ikuyo!"

"Hai, ojou-sama!"

Neko and Saeji immediately began to exchange blows, their weapons clashing as they headed towards the open window. They then jumped out. Kenzaki looked at Shadow, appalled, "You can't be serious about letting them kill each other!"

"I wonder sometimes too," mumbled Warren. "We should get down there."

"My sentiments exactly," Shadow agreed.

* * *

Neko and Saeji weren't falling, but instead running down along the surface of the Tower as they fought. The way they were running down a 90 degree angle would be considered a violation of the laws of physics but then again when you have supernatural powers, such laws were ignored. They exchanged their blows with such precision, speed and skill as they dueled.

The Soul Metal blade and Keyblade clashed as their wielders swung them at each other. Neko had learnt a thing or two about handling a sword from Slade and subsequently by an Okami possessed Kenzaki. Hopefully, all that training paid off since Saeji had been trained as a young child to wield a sword so he had the advantage in terms of skill.

The two, before they touched down, bounded off the Tower's surface and in mid-air continued to trade blows. They landed on the sandy beach of the Tower, 3 feet between them as they got into ready stances once more. Kenzaki, Warren and Shadow arrived to watch and the GaroLiner's owner was hoping to put a stop to this foolishness.

Neko and Saeji, exclaiming war-cries, charged at each other and continued their duel. Neither landed a hit on one another as sparks flew from their weapons clashing. Kenzaki felt a measure of pride as he watched Neko's movements and strikes. She was moving so fluidly that it looked like she was dancing. If only she had a better partner than the one she currently had. This dance, for a fact, was a deadly one.

Kenzaki just hoped his Neko would win.

He paused.

_His_ Neko?

'_Where did that thought come from?_'

Sparks spilled off their weapons to the ground. They swiped, swung and slashed at one another but both of them either parried or dodged the fatal strikes. Neko got sloppy and soon enough the tip of Saeji's sword was tickling her throat.

Saeji spoke in triumph, "I win."

Neko's eyes narrowed and radiated with an inner fire, "Not yet!" She called out, "GEKIRYU HENSHIN!"

The Zodiac Belt magically formed around her waist as the deck locked into place. At the same time a blast of energy flew out of Gekiryuken and pushed Saeji's backwards. The blast of energy formed into a dragon and roared before flying back to Neko. The dragon fused with her before her armored formed on her body. Saeji eyes were wide with surprise and a little of contempt. The council sure hadn't mentioned this. If they did then Gekiryuken wouldn't have been a surprise.

Like any tokusatsu hero, or heroine in this case, she had a speech prepared:

"Born in the light, the dragon fang, to slay all demons in the darkness," Ryukendo began as she did her pose, "Zodiac Knight Ryukendo! Raijin!"

(Raijin: To arrive, Rising, Lightning God)

Kenzaki cheered, "Go, Neko! Kick his ass!" He received strange looks from Shadow and Warren. Warren smirked as if he knew a secret. "What? You gotta admit that is cool."

Saeji was undeterred and slashed a circle above him. The circle of light created a portal and his armor fell upon his body. The red wolf armor gleamed under the light of the setting sun.

"Makai Knight," Shadow stated simply, identifying the armor.

"Oh," Warren stared. "This might be a problem."

"99.9 seconds and counting, Saeji-_niisan_!" Ryukendo cried out tauntingly. "If you can't beat me in that time, then I WILL win!"

Saeji, now REDDO, had to finish this quick. He already had less than 99 seconds to maintain the armor and he needed to defeat Neko within that time. Neko's armored state now proved to be an obstacle but he knew the source of that power was the Gekiryuken. If he could get it away from her, he might have a chance.

REDDO roared as he charged at Ryukendo, swinging his blade to her head. She ducked and punched him in the gut before following up with a sweep kick that knocked him off balance. She stood up and swung her blade down but he rolled to the side and slashed at her leg, forcing her to one knee. REDDO stood back up and swung his blade down to her neck but Ryukendo's reflexes were faster and she raised her sword to parry the blow. She twisted her hand and managed to push back REDDO's blade before getting back to her feet.

REDDO had 50 seconds remaining now.

The sparks flew off their weapons as they struck at one another, killing intent radiating off them. Ryukendo didn't want to kill her cousin but unfortunately the feeling wasn't mutual. She needed to defend herself with all her might and heart in order to protect her life. She would be making a lot of people sad if she died.

Saeji, as she knew, had always been a stiff and the 'by-the-book' type. He just couldn't let go of the Makai Laws and could never find a way around them. It was always direct for him and there was no room left for interpretation or improvisation. All Horrors must die. That was one fundamental rule that Saeji had lived by almost all his life and had been drilled into his head since he could walk.

40 seconds remaining.

Saeji had no expected for this fight to go on for this long. He'd expected it to be easy since Neko had none of the dark powers of her evil half. When he'd been briefed about his mission, he expected to just kill her and be done with it. He hadn't expected her to pull out a Keyblade and don a new suit of armor.

How could she, who was connected to the Living Gate, wield a holy relic like the Keyblade? It just didn't make sense to him.

30 seconds remaining.

Shadow had known Saeji through Ryuki. Saeji's mannerism had reminded Shadow of the way he'd been after Misha's death. He was a loner, aloof and held up an emotional barrier around himself. Right now, he was seeing Saeji's determined side in order to finish a mission. Saeji was a text book case of someone suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. Everything had to be perfect.

20 seconds remaining.

Warren had known Saeji for more than two months, like he knew Tazuka. Saeji, like Tazuka, was like a brother to Ryuki. Unfortunately, said 'brother' was trying to kill Ryuki's sister. He knew if the Dragon Knight were to find out then he would go ballistic. Warren knew and understood that Saeji had a good reason for doing all this, but it just didn't feel right to him.

10 seconds remaining.

Kenzaki was hoping, wishing, that Neko would win this one. A lot was on the line. Her life was on the line! How could she even think of wagering her life like that, especially with a guy who wanted to kill her? Cousin or not, Kenzaki was going to stop this before it got out of hand. Unfortunately, Neko would never forgive him if she did. This was about her honor too and he had to respect that. Didn't mean he had to like it.

9…

REDDO was running out of time as he blocked a slash to his chest.

8…

Ryukendo was not going to die! She wanted to live! That was why she was fighting.

7…

Ryukendo managed to land a hit on REDDO's chest, forcing him to stagger back in shock.

6…

The three boys watched with rapt attention.

5…

The two armored warriors swung their swords for the kill, green flames enveloping REDDO's as a blue aura enveloped Ryukendo's.

4…

There was a huge explosion, sending sand flying everywhere.

3…

Warren, Kenzaki and Shadow had to shield their eyes from the sand that had exploded and flown everywhere. They didn't want it to get into their eyes.

2…

The sand and dust settled.

1…

Who had won?

0…

Kenzaki, Warren and Shadow could see as the silhouette of Neko and Saeji stood within the cloud of dust as it began to settle. Their armors had disengaged and now they could see who'd won.

Kenzaki hoped and prayed to the gods above that it was Neko. He prayed hard.

Shadow's eyes focused and he could see the result.

Saeji's Reddoken had its tip directly pointed at Neko's heart. However, the Gekiryuken's blade was directly aimed at Saeji's throat.

Neither had won.

It was a tie.

Saeji pulled back his sword and sheathed it. Neko let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been keeping and smiled.

"100 days," Saeji stated as Kenzaki, Warren and Shadow walked up to meet with them.

100 days?

"What do you mean 100 days?" asked Kenzaki, glaring at Saeji.

"Usually, 100 days is the amount of time that a person who's been stained by Horror blood has to live," Warren began to explain. "But this isn't the case, so why are you giving her 100 days?"

Saeji explained, "100 days is also the amount of time Neko has to live after she is being marked for death. A Makai Knight is allowed to postpone the death of the target within reason and right now there is a good reason." He hadn't expected Neko to be able to battle with him as an equal. Maybe there was more to her than he'd come to believe.

Maybe…maybe there was another way.

"But what about the Living Gate?" Shadow asked. "I thought you were going to stop it."

"I've come to realize that killing Neko is the coward's way," Saeji answered. "Even if the council has ordered me to do it, I will not follow the path of a coward."

"That wasn't what you were saying awhile ago," Kenzaki snorted. "You said it was more 'efficient'."

"Efficient is too simple for my taste," Saeji replied. His eyes hardened, "However, if in those 100 days the Living Gate becomes a threat, expect my return to finish the job."

Neko turned Gekiryuken back into a medallion and hung him around her neck. "I understand," she nodded.

* * *

Later, Saeji was walking the streets of Jump City lamenting what he had discovered earlier that day. The good of his cousin possessed the Gekiryuken while the evil side was the Living Gate.

"Quite the anomaly," Kurenai remarked.

"Very much so," Saeji nodded.

"What are you going to tell the council?" the ring asked. "When they find out that Neko has the Gekiryuken, they might send GARO after her."

"Maybe," Saeji nodded. "She just barely defeated me. GARO would destroy her, but I doubt he would go after Neko."

"You're right," Kurenai agreed. "He is much too kind for that. GARO would go after Copycat instead."

* * *

Later that night, in Steel City, Joey and Eri were currently on a date. Despite Steel City being an industrial city with a lot of factories, it was still a beautiful city, especially with the Titans East protecting it. The only problem was that a lot of criminals loved to hang out in some of the abandoned factories that littered the industrial area.

Eri was leaning into Joey as he sat down next to her. He was playing a song for her on guitar. Eri often wondered how she could get so lucky as to have Joey as a boyfriend. Her last boyfriend had been Ryuki and it had gotten complicated due to the fact that both were Knights. Joey on the other hand had been an enemy of the Titans and was a Zodiac Knight too, yet she didn't feel that anything was wrong with that. Her brother, however, did and both Pluto and Scizzors had done battle in the Mirror World. Luckily, Ryuki and herself had put a stop to it quickly. As much as she loved her brother, he could be such an idiot; even if he was a (self-proclaimed) genius.

When their mother had awakened from her coma after 4 long years, Eri had been ecstatic. She hugged and cried into her mother's chest, wishing that all this wasn't a dream. Her mother was back. She was truly happy now and no longer needed to fight as a Knight. However, as much as she wanted to give up her power as the Knight of Virgo, she couldn't do it. She'd used the power to help so many people and if the power could be used for that then she wasn't going to give it up. Now, she had a new reason to fight.

Joey had told her telepathically that all he wanted was to be able to speak again. Even the Power of the Horse couldn't repair the damage to his vocal cords and Eri couldn't heal it. Maybe it was because it was his reason for being a Knight and thus healing it would make his decision moot. Nevertheless, despite not being able to tell her directly that he loved her, he could speak into her mind and it would be special since it would be private and all for her.

As the couple basked in their love, they didn't notice someone watching them from the darkness with red eyes filled with malice, lust and hatred.

* * *

_Damn it, things weren't supposed to get this complicated. The jobs were always simple, go in, get the target, and cash the paycheck. Always simple._

_Then I got the job of a lifetime. Kill one girl, get 5 trillion. It was a dream come true. I could retire after that…not that I would. Even better, it was the same girl who took my family from me. This couldn't have been better…_

_And then things went straight to shit, and fast. I met the girl, and I couldn't bring myself to kill her, if not for lack of trying and more than a little interference. Then I found myself helping her. I helped her save those she cared about._

_Damn it. It wasn't supposed to be complicated! If anything, this should have been my easiest job ever. Then, I actually found myself liking this girl. At first I tried to crush down those feelings, but it's getting harder and harder to crush down those feelings…_

-Kenzaki Tsukuba/Kamen Rider Garoh

To Be Continued…

I'd like to thank Shadow Element 13 and Ten-Faced Paladin for their generous help!


	90. PT090: Destruction of the GaroLiner

Part 90: Destruction of the GaroLiner! Birth of Emperor Form!

_When evolution selects its agents, it does so at a cost. It makes demands in exchange for singularity, and you may be asked to do something against your very nature. Suddenly, the change in your life that should have been wonderful comes as a betrayal. It may seem cruel, but the goal is nothing short of self-preservation... survival._

* * *

Shiori, the gynoid waitress/maid of the GaroLiner, was currently walking along the sidewalk with a bag of groceries in hand. She was smiling cheerfully while humming a tune, unaware of the danger that would soon befall her.

In one of the store windows was Copycat and she was stalking Shiori. The Mirror World was the perfect way to spy on ones targets and the Evil Cat Knight was using it for such a purpose.

Shiori blinked as she saw something shining on the ground. She stepped over and squatted down, picking up a shiny quarter, "Wow! Lucky day!" she grinned.

Suddenly, she was grabbed by the shoulders and pulled straight into a window. The surface of the glass rippled like water as Shiori struggled, kicking her legs in a panic. In the process, she'd dropped her new quarter and groceries.

* * *

Shiori had been shutdown and strapped down to an operating table. Prof. Chang, a villainous scientist, was looking over the gynoid with a perverted grin. He ran his hand over her body. "Such a magnificent specimen," he grinned lecherously, "I wonder what makes her tick." He was about to pull down the zipper when Copycat smacked his hand away. He recoiled from the pain and looked up at the Cat Knight whose eyes were glowing menacingly.

"Professor Chang," she spoke in a dangerous tone, "I want you to reprogram her, not satisfy any fantasies you have."

Prof. Chang nodded hastily, "R-right away!" He started to do as ordered. Copycat observed as he did his work. Wires were hooked up to Shiori's body and there was a headband around her head with wires attached to it. Prof. Chang then uploaded the new commands into Shiori's CPU and wiped the sweat off his brow. The process had taken hours and had been difficult.

Copycat placed a hand on Prof. Chang's shoulder. "So, was it successful?" she asked.

"She's been reprogrammed as you ordered," he said nervously.

Copycat grinned, "Good…maybe when this is over you can keep the girl." Copycat inwardly laughed at the look on Chang's face. This man, if he was desperate enough to want a love doll, was sure pathetic and lonely. Maybe he got picked on a lot in his childhood. Copycat cared none for that. Shiori's eyes opened as she was turned back on. The wires were removed and so was the headband. Copycat leaned in to the gynoid's ear and whispered, "Who am I?"

"You are my mistress," Shiori answered without hesitation. Copycat smirked.

* * *

"Hey, Shiori!" Buraki greeted as Shiori entered the GaroLiner. "Welcome home!" He made a motion to hug her but was stopped by Byakko. "Hey!"

"Stop being lecherous!" Byakko scolded.

"I was just trying to give her a hug!" Buraki complained.

"Urusai, baka!" Kumiko yelled, bopping them on the head. She greeted Shiori, "Okaeri, Shiori-chan." Shiori looked towards Kumiko blankly. "So, where are the groceries?" Shiori didn't respond and went towards the exit. Kumiko scratched her head. "That was weird."

"Something is wrong with Shiori's vibes," spoke Raion.

* * *

Shiori entered the cockpit and began to plant the explosives. The one she'd planted had enough force to destroy the entire GaroLiner in one single blast. After attaching it to the bike, she reported back, "Mistress, I have planted the bomb."

"_Good_," Copycat returned. "_Now just stay there and wait for the fireworks_." There was a sadistic tone to her voice as she said this.

"I understand, mistress." Shiori then closed her eyes and shut herself down.

* * *

Kenzaki and Okami walked into the common room. He had shown up earlier that morning with the solidified Wolf Imagin to train. Okami was the only one of Kenzaki's Imagin partners who was solid. This was because Okami belonged to the First Garoh. Okami had granted the first Garoh's wish, to watch over Kenzaki.

Kenzaki, though they had a rough start, was now an official Titan. He had also formed a friendship with Neko, which had struck all the teen heroes as odd, considering when they first met he had tried to kill her. Kenzaki sat down at the table next to Neko. He was enjoying a meal of toast and eggs. All the Titans stared at him, still seeing it as odd that the bounty hunter was now among their ranks.

Rose too was a member of the team and had taken the codename 'Ravager'. Her choice of uniform unnerved them, especially Robin, since it bore colors similar to Slade's. She had on a tight black bodysuit made of Soul Fiber making it extremely durable and bulletproof, knee high orange boots and elbow length gloves, metal shoulder pads and kneepads, a utility belt for her gear that had a holster for her machete, and to top it all off a half black and half orange cowl to hide her identity.

Neko, after weeks of wearing her brother's Smart Brain uniform, finally wore something completely different, courtesy of her mother. She wore a tight blue T-shirt with a golden dragon on it, a white vest with a golden dragon on her back, a short denim skirt with black leggings, white boots and white hand gloves. She still wore Gekiryuken around her neck and her hair had been pulled into a braid with the bow at the end and a pair of bangs sticking out in order to differentiate herself from her evil half. The goggles were worn on her head.

Cathy was staying in the Tower too, but only as a precaution. Despite her training and experience she needed to stay indoors in the Tower for her own protection and could not go out without an escort of at least two Titans. Copycat might just try to use her against them. Despite being the designated user of the ALPHA Gear, she couldn't access it anymore since Shadow had locked it away. It had been stolen property until a few weeks ago. She was dressed in civvies and her tail was wagging back and forth.

The ALPHA Gear had DNA recognition software in it. Thus, since Cathy was the first person to use it, she's the only person who will be able to use it until it is reset and becomes blank. So far, Shadow was thinking if he would reset it or even send it back to New York. Currently, it was in a safe in his room.

A few weeks ago, Rose, Jinx, Cathy, Neko and Ryuki had gone to visit the twins' mother. She welcomed them all with a smile and open arms. That was when Neko had confessed everything to her mother alone and cried, and cried, sorry for all the pain she'd caused, despite it all being because of her evil half. However, Neko still felt that all that'd happened was her fault and she felt nothing but grief and pain. Emiko held her daughter tightly and soothingly, telling her everything would be alright.

The visit became happier when Emiko finally met with Cathy. She instantly fell in love with her adopted granddaughter and started smothering her with tight hugs. As much as Cathy loved the attention, she loved breathing more. When told of how Cathy had been rescued from a dumpster after being abandoned, it melted Emiko's heart to see that her daughter still had such kindness within her. Emiko had even designed a new uniform for Neko before she needed to head back to Titans Tower.

What nagged at Neko was her first meeting with her newly adopted brother Kyuusuke Marcus Hasuma. Emiko had told them that she'd found the boy and rescued the amnesiac from the ocean before adopting him.

Something about Kyuusuke just seemed vaguely familiar to Neko and Ryuki. Her brother had remarked that the boy reminded him a bit of Mortuary. That was just plain weird and freaky to be honest.

At the moment, everybody was having their breakfast. It was a relatively peaceful meal…until the large screen in the common room turned on. "_Ryuki!_" screamed the person on the screen. Everyone looked at the screen and saw none other than Antonitis Fenton McCrown.

"Ant-san? What's wrong?" asked Ryuki.

"_It's the GaroLiner!_" shouted Ant. Everyone turned and looked at Kenzaki. "_It's been destroyed!_" Kenzaki's eyes widened in shock. His hands gripped tightly into fists, so tightly, that he was starting to bleed. "_We have reason to believe that Copycat was responsible since we found evidence there that pointed to her or at least someone working for her. She somehow managed to sneak explosives onto the Liner. All we found was rubble_…"

Kenzaki was stunned by the news.

"Ken-kun…" Neko said worriedly.

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!" roared Kenzaki as he slammed his fist into the table, causing it to dent in the middle. The Titans all backed away from him. "I'll kill her!" He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Ken-kun…" Neko said, trying to calm her friend down. "Are you-?"

"Get away from me, Neko," growled Kenzaki, shrugging off her hand harshly. "Don't talk to me, don't even look at me." He was afraid that if he did, he would want to kill her.

Ryuki grabbed Kenzaki roughly and made him face the Dragon Knight. "Don't you dare talk to my sister like that!" said Ryuki.

"Yeah, don't talk to Neko like that!" Rose snapped, "She was just showing her concern for you!"

"Shut up! That bitch just stole my entire family from me! AGAIN! And now I can't even look at Neko without seeing Copycat!" He stood up and stomped away. "I'm out of here! Okami, hayaku!" Okami followed shortly after Kenzaki.

"Ken-kun," Neko whispered sadly.

"Mama, are you alright?" Cathy asked.

Neko remained silent, unsure of what to say.

* * *

Copycat was in the city, looking for an ideal host for one of her Horrors. She watched as a strange creature resembling a heavily armored skeleton was jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Copycat recognized it to be a creature known as an Imagin. She smirked, "So, one of those wish granters is in this dimension. Maybe he will be useful." She created a dark portal and stepped backwards into it.

* * *

Kenzaki was in the Sands of Time. As soon as he had left the Tower, Ant had arrived and picked him up, bringing him to the wreckage. He was on his knees, in front of the ruins that had once been the GaroLiner. "Again…" he said. "I failed them again!" he roared, pounding his fists into the sand.

"Shonen…" said Okami. Though he didn't want to admit it, the other members of the GaroLiner had become like a family to him. Kenzaki stood up and began inspecting the wreckage. He eventually found what had once been the dining car. He could tell because of the charred remains of a couple booths. Kenzaki looked around until he found something and dug it out of the sand.

"A cell phone?" he said. He collapsed to his knees. "I always thought…I always thought I could keep you all safe. That I'd never let what happen to my family happen to you…I guess I really am worthless."

* * *

_Kenzaki, who was only twelve, was lying in the Sands of Time. His clothes were ragged, and his eyes were dull and empty. He looked up when he heard something come by him. "Is that…a train…?" he asked no one._

_The train stopped right in front of him. One of the doors opened up and a man jumped out in front of Kenzaki. He had short, messy black hair and brown eyes, with three vertical scars going across his face. The man looked at Kenzaki. "Oi! Shiori! Get some meds ready!" This was all Kenzaki heard before he lost consciousness._

_Kenzaki awoke with a start, having relived a nightmare. He looked around and noticed he was in something similar to a room that was found on a train, only larger. "Ohayo!" shouted a very happy voice. This caused Kenzaki to jump, as he didn't know what to expect. He looked over and saw a woman. She was a very pretty girl with short black hair and blue eyes, wearing a tight white stewardess outfit. "I'm Shiori. What's your name?"_

_Kenzaki was about to open his mouth when two more people enter the room, the man from before and a strange wolf-like creature. "Shonen's awake," said the creature._

"_Ohayo," greeted the man. "My name is Gou Tsukuba and this is the GaroLiner," said the man, Gou. "This here is Okami, an Imagin," he said, pointing at the creature. Okami let out a low growl in response._

_Kenzaki said the only thing he could, the only word he thought that could describe him. "I'm…I'm Kenzaki…and I'm…worthless…"_

* * *

Kenzaki remembered that day clearly, the day his new life started. He remembered a few days later even clearer, when he would meet his soon to be adopted sister.

* * *

_A few days after picking up Kenzaki, the GaroLiner stopped again. Kenzaki didn't care. Over the days, he hadn't left the room. Shiori brought him meals, and Gou kept him company, but he hadn't uttered a single word since he first spoke to them, calling himself worthless. It was stopped for a few minutes before it started again._

_A few minutes later, the door leading to Kenzaki's room opened. Gou walked in, but he brought someone new with him. It was a young girl, only about 10 years old. She had slightly long green hair and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a tattered dress and was clutching a teddy bear closely to her chest._

"_This is Kumiko," said Gou, introducing Kenzaki to the girl._

_She looked very shyly at Kenzaki. "N--nice to meet you…" she said softly._

_Okami walked behind Gou. "Oi, Gou. You starting an orphanage or something? First Shonen and now Chibi?" asked the Imagin. Kumiko's eyes lost their shy look and narrowed in anger. She turned around and kicked Okami in the shin, hard._

"_My name is Kumiko! NOT Chibi!" she shouted. She then kicked Okami in the other shin, causing the Imagin to fall to the ground before Kumiko ran off._

_Kenzaki smiled at that, and began laughing._

* * *

Kenzaki loved that memory, mainly because Kumiko, in less than a minute, had made Okami look like a complete fool. Okami never called Kumiko 'Chibi' ever again after that. Kenzaki opened up more after that. Unfortunately, shortly after Kenzaki turned 19, Gou was killed hunting a very dangerous bounty. As such, Kenzaki inherited the Garoh Belt, as well as the GaroLiner. Soon after becoming Garoh, Kenzaki met his second Imagin partner.

* * *

_Kenzaki, now 19, stood in the crowded street. He was searching the streets hunting a bounty. He spotted his target, but unfortunately, said target had spotted him as well and began to run. Kenzaki chased him down, but he was fast. Kenzaki swung the Garoh Belt around his waist. He pressed the black button on his belt and swiped the Rider Pass over it. "Henshin!"_

"_**HUNTER FORM!**__"_

_Kenzaki transformed into Garoh, and easily chased down the target. "__**Now, let's put an end to this…**__" spoke Garoh as he lifted up the target. However, this changed however when a white orb entered Garoh's body. The target took this as his chance and ran off. Garoh looked at him. "__**Halt, foul human!**__" shouted Garoh as he chased after the bounty._

'_Who the hell are you?!' shouted Kenzaki._

"_**I am Byakko, Garoh-sama, do you not remember me?**__"_

'_How could I?! I've only been Garoh for a couple of weeks!'_

_Garoh stopped, "__**Are you not Gou?**__"_

'_No! I'm Kenzaki. And don't stop running; you're letting my bounty get away!'_

"_**I owe Gou my life, but if you are now Garoh, I am honor bound to follow you, Kenzaki-sama!**__"_

'_Fine! Just catch that creep!'_

* * *

He had always wanted to ask Byakko why he owed Gou his life, but didn't think it was right to ask. Now he'd never know. About a year later, he met his next partner, at a rock concert no less.

* * *

_Kumiko, after countless amount of begging, was finally able to convince Kenzaki to go to a rock concert with her. To be honest, Kenzaki, now 20, did not care for any sort of music but he was more inclined towards Heavy Metal, though Okami enjoyed making fun of him because of it._

_There were too many people and Kenzaki absolutely hated crowds. Kumiko didn't seem too bothered by it and just wanted to enjoy itself. The band began to play and she shouted out like a banshee as she jumped up and down like the rest of the audience. Kenzaki didn't feel like jumping._

"_Is this supposed to be music?" he muttered._

_Suddenly, the music stopped as an Octopus Imagin appeared on stage and began attacking the band members. It let its tentacles loose and throwing the instruments and band members off the stage into the crowd below. _

_Kenzaki narrowed his eyes and fastened his Garoh belt around his waist before taking out his pass. He was about to press the black button for Hunter Form when all of a sudden a golden orb flew into his body._

'_Sweet! You got rockin' vibes, man!' the voice in his head voice._

_Kenzaki rolled his eyes. Great, another groupie. "What do you want, Imagin?"_

'_Oh, I just wanna rock and rock out loud!'_

"_Can we do this some other time? I'm kinda busy," Kenzaki returned._

'_Hey, don't worry! I can help!' Suddenly, a golden streak appeared in Kenzaki's hair and his eyes flashed golden. "LET'S ROCK!" the now possessed Kenzaki shouted as he pressed a gold button before swiping the Pass over the belt._

"_**RAMPAGE FORM!**__"_

* * *

Kenzaki had liked Raion, since the very beginning. Raion was like a younger brother to Kenzaki, and had always been able to cheer him up. He was also the only one that managed to get along with Kumiko, which was something, considering even Byakko couldn't get along with her. Buraki on the other hand…he was a different matter.

* * *

_A crimson orb was flying through the crowd, invisible to the naked eye, as it maneuvered itself like it was looking for something. This was an Imagin who hadn't created its body and needed a host tot make a contract with in order to create his own physical form._

_The orb was dissatisfied. No one seemed to be compatible with its taste. This Imagin orb, truth be told, had its own tastes when it came to a proper host._

_It soon found itself at the beach and it floated in midair. If it had eyes, they'd be focused on the bikini-clad girls on the beach. _

"_Wow, pretty girls!" The orb flew around, checking them out, trying to find the perfect person to make a contract with._

_The orb soon found a pretty looking Asian girl sunbathing and it bopped up and down in appreciation as if it was checking her out. "Perfect!" It then flew straight for her._

_However, it didn't get to her. Instead, a man, Kenzaki, got in his way and he was absorbed into that body. "NO!!" the Imagin orb wailed as sand flew off his new host. "I got a man instead! So unfair!" He whined like a kid that had been denied his candy. _

* * *

"Oi, Shonen-kun," said Okami, getting Kenzaki's attention. He'd been so lost in memories that he didn't notice Okami calling him several times. "I'm sensing an Imagin…but there's something wrong with it. It seems darker."

Kenzaki stood up, putting the phone in his pocket. "Right, let's go."

* * *

Neko was standing on the roof, thinking, depressingly. Neither Cathy nor Rose were with her since she wanted to be alone with only Gekiryuken as company. Kenzaki's words had hurt him but they were nothing less than the truth. Her face and Copycat's were the same, but that was to be expected since they were two sides of the same coin. While Neko was good, Copycat was pure evil and her previous actions had just affirmed that belief.

Copycat had not only stolen Kenzaki's family once, but twice, and it broke Neko's heart. She remembered when the darkness had controlled her and she was jumping dimensions. She had been injured and hungry but killed Kenzaki's family who'd been nothing but kind to her. No wonder Kenzaki hated Copycat. The bounty was nothing compared to the satisfaction of attaining his vengeance against the one who'd ruined his life.

"Ojou-sama, you're worried about the boy, aren't you?" Gekiryuken asked from his place where he was hanging from Neko's neck.

"Is it that obvious?" Neko said as she pulled Gekiryuken up to face her. "I mean, it's my fault that all this is happening."

Gekiryuken sighed, "Copycat was the one who did this."

"She's part of me!" Neko countered. "What she does still reflects me and reminds me of what I had done when she and I used to be whole!"

"But, you are not evil," Gekiryuken stated. "If you were, I wouldn't have chosen you."

"The sins of the past cannot be erased by noble deeds in the present," Neko quoted. "No matter what I do, the blood on my hands can never wash away."

Gekiryuken fell silent but then his eyes flashed. "Ojou-sama, maybe we should go someplace else to clear your head."

Neko nodded in agreement and teleported away.

* * *

At the park, the Skeleton Imagin was causing a panic. The creature looked up when it heard a strange tune. A portal opened and out from the portal came the ChronoLiner, dropping off Kenzaki.

"Okami…ikuzo," said Kenzaki.

'_Hai. Just like the old days, just you and me_…'

A black streak appeared in Kenzaki's hair. He swung the Garo Belt around, connecting it. He pressed the black button on the belt. "Henshin!" growled Kenzaki. He then swiped his Rider Pass over the belt.

"**HUNTER FORM!**"

Garoh's Plat Form armor appeared on him first, before the attachments for Hunter Form appeared and combined with him. Garoh combined the Gasher into its Scimitar form. Garoh haphazardly swung the blade around, sending out arcs of energy. He then spun the blade around and rested it on his shoulder. He reared his head back and howled into the air. He then crouched down on one knee, with his right arm pointed down. He then scratched his claws across the ground "**Who****'s afraid of the big, bad wolf?**"

The Skeleton Imagin growled at Garoh. "Who's afraid? Who would be afraid of you!?" The Imagin charged at Garoh, brandishing its bone sword.

"**I'm going to crush you!**" The two swung their blades, colliding with each other. The Skeleton Imagin jumped backward. Garoh kept swinging his blade, but the Imagin was able to dodge every strike. "**Damn it! Stay still and fight!**" He charged again and swung, only to be sidestepped. Garoh continued his assault, but was dodged each time. He swung again, but was dodged. The Imagin swung around and slashed Garoh in the back with his blade. Garoh tried to recover, but was slashed multiple times by the blade. Garoh rolled away to try and regain some footing in the battle. He stood back up, only to be relentlessly attacked by the Imagin.

The Skeleton Imagin laughed as Garoh tried to get back up. The Imagin raised his hand and bullets made of bone slammed into Garoh, knocking him backwards. "What's wrong? I heard Garoh was stronger than this," taunted the Imagin.

Garoh scrambled to his feet and went behind a tree. "**Damn it. I just can't land a hit,**" growled Garoh.

'_But we have to do this_,' said Kenzaki, from inside his own head. Garoh watched as the Skeleton Imagin got closer.

"**You're right. Can't call in replacements for this one,**" agreed Garoh.

'_That's not true…_' said Kenzaki. Garoh reached behind him and pulled out something from a pouch on the belt. It was the cell phone that Kenzaki had found amongst the ruble. '_Don't you find it strange that we found this there? Maybe they were leaving us a message? I think that those bakas are still with us._' Images of the Imagin partners, Shiori, and Kumiko flashed in Garoh's mind.

"**Kuso…Did they really disappear?**" The Skeleton Imagin was now upon them and preparing to attack. "**Did they really!?**" roared Garoh as he slashed the Imagin, slicing the tree in half as he did so.

* * *

Neko was taking a walk in the park when all of a sudden several people ran past her in a panic. She wondered what was going on until Gekiryuken alerted her, "Ojou-sama, I sense something! It feels like a Horror!"

Neko narrowed her eyes in determination, "Ikuyo!" She ran the opposite direction as the panicking people and could hear the sound of a battle.

Neko had originally gone to the park to get some alone time and think but plans had changed quickly. Upon arrival she witnessed as Garoh was fighting with this Skeleton Imagin but saw that something was wrong with him and his fighting style. The death of his family and the destruction of the GaroLiner had greatly affected him. As much as she wanted to help him, she knew he wouldn't accept it considering she had the face of the person he hated the most. She gripped Gekiryuken tightly. As much as she wanted to help him, she knew he had to do this alone. It was his mission after all. It was his responsibility. It was his honor.

"**Bakas! Shiori! Kumiko-Kowai!**" shouted Garoh. "**Don't just disappear! You assholes!**" Garoh charged at the Skeleton and began slashing the Imagin rapidly, causing it to stagger backwards. As he was slashing, the phone began to ring. "**Nani?**" He stopped slashing. The Skeleton Imagin charged at him, only to be slashed and kick backwards. Garoh flipped open the phone. "**Moshi moshi?**"

"_Violent as always, Okami-kun,_" said a familiar voice on the other end.

"**Baka-Imoogi!?**" shouted Garoh. "**Why are you…**"

"_Forget that! Try using the cell phone!_" said Buraki.

"**You! Where are you calling from?!**"

"_Just do it! Hayaku!_"

The skeleton Imagin charged at Garoh, only to get slashed twice and kicked backwards again. "**You're in the way, bakayarou!**" growled Garoh.

'_Okami, I don't know what's going on, but try it!_' shouted Kenzaki.

"**Fine…**" He dialed 3-6-9-# and ENTER.

"**OKA-BYA-RAI-BURA!**" said the phone. "**EMPEROR FORM!**"

As soon as the phone announced that, an energy beam fired out from the phone. It wrapped around his waist before the phone flew out and connected with the belt buckle.

A multicolored portal formed above in and three objects flew out of it. They were the chestplates of his Predator (Byakko), Rampage (Raion) and Savage (Buraki) Forms. The chestplate for Savage Form resembled the head of a red Korean dragon. The chestplates flew straight towards Garoh who screamed and dropped his sword.

"**WHAT THE HELL!?**" Garoh shouted as the chestplates flew around. The Predator and Rampage chests attached to his left and right shoulders, respectively. "**Oh, this is so sick and wrong!**" Garoh shouted as they snapped on. The Savage chest connected with his back, sending him stumbling forwards. A pair of red dragon wings spread out before hanging down his back like a cape. His Hunter Form mask detached and then from the portal the masks for his additional forms also flew out. The Rampage and Predator Masks attached to the right and left knees, respectively, as the Hunter and Savage Masks (the Savage Mask is red and draconic with fins on the side) attached themselves to his right and left forearms, respectively. A new mask slid over his faceplate and snapped on. The new mask possessed features of all his other masks, put together. It was basically the Hunter Mask with dragon horns, a blade horn in the centre, 3 horizontal slits on it, and jagged edges.

Neko's eyes went wide with surprise as she let go of Gekiryuken. "Masaka…Kenzaki?"

"Wow, that was surprising," Gekiryuken spoke up.

"_WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?_" Okami shouted from his place on Garoh's chest as he looked himself over and all of a sudden a portal formed and the GaroLiner, all good as new, flew out of it and raced past right behind him with a colorful aura. "_GAROLINER!?_"

"But how?" Garoh, now speaking with Kenzaki's voice, spoke. "The GaroLiner?"

Shiori and Kumiko were inside the GaroLiner, watching everything through the window. "Kenzaki, we'll explain everything, just kick that Imagin's butt!"

"Kenzaki! Gambatte!" Shiro cheered, now back to her old self, "Okami, Byakko, Buraki, Raion, gambatte!"

The Skeleton Imagin stared at his changed enemy as Garoh approached him.

"Guys, you're back?" Garoh asked.

"_Did you miss us, kid?_" Buraki's voice came out from the back. "_Come on, you know you do!_"

"_This so rocks in the weirdest way!_" Raion's voice came out from the Rampage Mask. "_TOTALLY GNARLY!_"

"_Now we are one. Let us stand together and be united!_" Byakko's voice came out from the Predator Mask.

"_OK, this is so weirding me out!_" Okami yelled from the chest. "_But…I feel…FREAKIN' POWERFUL!_"

"You're a freak!" the Skeleton Imagin shouted, "DIE!!" he charged straight at Garoh Emperor Form.

Garoh swung his fist that had the Hunter Mask on it as Okami proclaimed, "_Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?_"

He punched him again with his other fist, which became enflamed, as Buraki announced, "_Let's light the fire!_"

Garoh then kicked the Imagin in the stomach with his left foot, as Byakko announced, "_Remember the basics!_"

The right foot met the Imagin's face and sent it tumbling backwards, as Raion announced, "_Let's turn up the volume!_"

"Guys, HISSATSU WAZA!" Garoh commanded.

"**OKAY!**" the four Imagin inside him agreed. Garoh pressed the ENTER button again before passing his Pass over the belt.

"**CHARGE AND UP!**" the belt announced.

Garoh, Buraki, Byakko, Okami and Raion all roared together as they dashed at the Imagin, his entire armor glowing with a multicolor aura as lightning arched all around him. His wings spread out and took him into the air and then went into a flying sidekick. He rocketed straight towards his target. "**IMPERIAL SMASH!**" roared Garoh and all the Imagin as they, literally, smashed into the Imagin and destroyed it in an instant.

Garoh stood up in a circle of flames, looking over his handiwork, smiling, not only because of the victory but to have his family back.

Neko shouted happily, "Ken-kun!" She ran towards him as his armor disengaged. "Sugoi! You were amazing!"

"Took the words right out of my mouth, if I had one!" laughed Gekiryuken joyously. "That was an amazing display!"

Kenzaki looked towards Neko but the looked away shamefully. He'd said such horrible things to her earlier. Now, he had to be a man and do the right thing. "Neko, I'm…I'm sorry about what I said to you."

Neko fell silent and smiled widely, "Hey, it's no big deal! You were pissed off and I wasn't helping matters."

"That still doesn't make it right," the bounty hunter responded. He looked towards the GaroLiner and then invited Neko, "Neko, you wanna come in? I think I hear a party."

"Hai!" Neko smiled as she followed Kenzaki towards the GaroLiner to party. Maybe she could ask Kenzaki if he could let the Titans in on the party. They were all friends now, after all.

* * *

Copycat had seen the Skeleton Imagin's defeat but that was of no consequence for her. A dark orb flew towards her and she spoke, eyes narrowed, "So, you were defeated."

The voice coming out of the orb was that of the Skeleton Imagin's, "_Yes, I do apologize._" Despite the destruction of his body, he'd managed to survive. "_I'll get him next time._"

Copycat bit her lower lip. Her plan to destroy the GaroLiner had been a waste of time and effort. She then said, "Good, now follow me."

The orb bobbed up and down as if it was nodding before following after its new mistress.

* * *

Neko was watching the sunset with Rose and Cathy. The holder of Gekiryuken had her arms around the two girls flanking her.

"It's really beautiful," Neko admired.

"Yes, mama," Cathy nodded in agreement.

Rose leaned against Neko, enjoying the warmth. The three girls heard footsteps and turned to see Kenzaki. Rose scowled and glared at Kenzaki angrily.

"What the hell are you doing up here?" Rose demanded, her hand tightly gripped on the handle of her machete. Earlier, Kenzaki had yelled at Neko and that was unforgivable in Rose's eyes.

"It's okay," Neko assured Rose. She said to Cathy and Rose, "You both head inside. I'll catch up."

Rose reluctantly agreed to the request and walked towards the door which led into the Tower but not before casting Kenzaki a glare. Cathy had a neutral gaze focused on Kenzaki before following after Rose.

"So, what's up?" Neko asked.

"Say, Neko?" Kenzaki began. "Can we talk?" He eyed Gekiryuken. "Alone?"

"Oh, okay," Neko said as she removed Gekiryuken and stuffed him inside her pocket where he wouldn't be able to hear them. "There, how's that?"

"That's cool," Kenzaki nodded before continuing, rather awkwardly, "I'm really sorry about yelling at you."

Neko rolled her eyes, "Are we still going on about that? It's ancient history as far as I'm concern."

Kenzaki wasn't sure why or how but Neko brought out certain feelings inside of him. "Say, Neko…we're good friends, right?"

"Sure." Neko and Kenzaki had become friends since they worked together in rescuing Cathy and Rose.

"And we can tell each other everything, right?" Kenzaki questioned.

Neko laughed, "Ken-kun, what's wrong? You're acting funny." She eyed him suspiciously, "You're not going to suddenly pledge your undying love for me or something like that, are ya?" She actually meant it as a joke.

"WHAT!?" Kenzaki yelled in shock with a blush on his cheeks.

"Hey, I'm kidding!" she laughed.

Kenzaki, after hearing those words, gawked at her for a second before he swiftly recomposed himself, "No, of course, not. Nothing like that. It's just that I really wanted to say thanks for being my friend, even if I was a jerk to you." Kenzaki, of course, was thinking, _'If only you knew about how much I deeply care about you._'

"Hey, let bygones be bygones," Neko responded. For some reason, when Kenzaki had said that he _wasn't_ going to confess his love to her, it kinda hurt. It felt strange to her. The urge to read his mind built up for a second but she stomped on it quickly. "I mean, it's all behind us, right?"

"Yeah," Kenzaki nodded. "All behind us." He was just happy that everything had turned out alright.

Previously, Kenzaki, after a tearful reunion with his family, had finally gotten the full story from them on how the GaroLiner and the crew had survived their supposed destruction.

Earlier that day right after Shiori had returned to the GaroLiner and temporarily shut herself down Kumiko had snuck inside the cockpit to check up on her. She realized that Shiori had been acting weird upon her return. Kumiko thought she could find some reasons for it by talking with the gynoid. Instead, she found a powerful explosive attached to the bike which controlled the GarohLiner. From the timer on the explosive, Kumiko could tell that she was running out of time. Kumiko had to work fast. After quickly examining the bike, she'd discovered that the bomb hadn't been attached to it through any sort of wires. She'd quickly removed the bomb from the bike and went to the teleporter in the back, carrying the bomb with her. She had no time to disarm it or throw it out of the train so instead Kumiko teleported straight towards the end of the GaroLiner which had several empty train cars. She'd placed the bomb there before teleporting back into the cockpit and then detaching the train cars before the bomb exploded. Later, they had gone to the King's Terminal to get some replacement cars and to get Shiori repaired. It was revealed that Shiori had been reprogrammed and the obvious suspect was Copycat.

When Kenzaki had asked why he had not been able to communicate with Byakko, Buraki and Raion, they'd explained that it would be safer for them to lay low until it was time. The phone, in fact, had been left for Kenzaki by the original Garoh to be used only for emergencies.

The bounty hunter wiped some sweat off his brow. "Well, we better get inside. I think they are still partying down there. I don't think they should have fun without us."

"Well, your friends and family whom you thought were dead just came back," Neko elaborated, "I'll say that's a reason to party!"

"Well, what are we waiting for? Come on!"

* * *

_This force, evolution, is not sentimental. Like the Earth itself, it knows only the hard facts of life's struggle with death. All you can do is hope and trust that when you've served its needs faithfully... there may still remain some glimmer... of the life you once knew._

To Be Continued...

I am going to take a nice long break now...ENJOY!


	91. PT091: I am Changeling!

Part 91: I AM CHANGELING!

Beast Boy was in his room, sulking. Out of all the Titans, he still hadn't gotten a cool upgrade. All he had was suit that could form armor for his animal forms but it paled in comparison to the upgrades the others had. To list it all up, each of the Titans possessed the following:

Robin had the Titan Gear.

Starfire had her Pactio Form and Starblade.

Raven had her Pactio Form and Scythe of Light.

Renia had her Locust Inzecter.

Terra had her Cutter Inzecter.

Jinx had her Scarab Inzecter.

Blackfire had her Fire Inzecter.

Cyborg had bigger and better weapons, was coated in Soul Metal, had a near infinite energy source and now could link up with the T-Car.

Draco had his Keyblade, the Hyper Inzecter, Perfect Inzecter and all those powerful forms.

Neko had Gekiryuken.

Shadowcobra had his Arch Vampangel Powers.

Kenzaki had recently acquired his Emperor Form.

And Pluto, well, had his nanobots which were constantly evolving.

The green changeling still missed the Dog Knight. Before, he would be helping out with Pluto's experiments as his assistant (read: guinea pig). Sure, there were mishaps and explosions but that was why it had been fun. Now, with Pluto gone, Beast Boy had to find other means of entertaining himself. Playing videogames wasn't doing it for him anymore and going on dates with Terra, though fun, didn't fill up the gap of missing Pluto.

Now, he wasn't just sulking, but bored.

"Maybe there's something here I can use to entertain myself," Beast Boy thought. Beast Boy wasn't the tidiest of Titans and his room had a weird odor that smelt like tofu. Regardless, it was still his room and not many, aside from Terra, ever dared to tread into the habitat of Garfield Logan.

Beast Boy opened up his closet and the clothes fell up, burying him up to his neck. He rummaged through the clothing, throwing stuff over his shoulder. He then found something hard and took it out. "A book? Why is this here?" Beast Boy said. He looked at the title. "Mythical and Magical Creatures." He then remembered, "Hey, Shadow gave me this book on my birthday!" Beast Boy announced. He flipped through the pages and stared at the pictures of the creatures in them. His favorites were definitely the centaurs and dragons.

He remembered _why_ Shadow had given him such a book.

* * *

"_Happy Birthday, Beast Boy," Shadowcobra said as he handed the wrapped up package to Beast Boy. It was covered in black wrapping paper with a purple bow on it. Beast Boy stared at it warily._

"_This isn't going to blow up in my face, right?" Beast Boy asked regarding the present. He hesitantly took it and looked it over. "What is it?"_

"_Unwrap it," Shadow instructed and Beast Boy tore the wrapping paper to shreds, "I meant without the mess but it's your birthday."_

_Beast Boy stared and said flatly, "A book?" Books were Raven things. If it was a comic book then maybe Beast Boy would enjoy it but a thick old book. He read the title, which was in cursive, "Mythical…and Magical…Creatures?"_

"_It's a picture book with information on legendary creatures like dragons," Shadow looked over to Draco who was enjoying the cake. Thank goodness they hadn't gotten chocolate._

"_Oh, cool!" Beast Boy opened the book. He then asked, "You have a reason for doing this, don't you?" Even the changeling had grown accustomed to Shadow's habits and since the Snake Knight was a businessman, he never did anything without something to gain._

"_Logan," Shadow said softly, "You have a lot of potential. Your shape-shifting abilities can go much farther than you realize. I've seen you take on the forms of magnificent beasts from this world and others." He was talking about Beast Boy's ability to take on the shape of alien animals. "So, this book is to help you add on more options to your arsenal." Since the day they'd been forced to work together to face the Collector and rescue their friends, he'd grown to respect Beast Boy a little._

"_You think I can become…" Beast Boy flipped through the book and then showed Shadow a page of a huge multi-headed serpent known as the Hydra. "This?"_

"_With practice and studying," Shadow affirmed. "I can see you have a potential, Beast Boy. Though you act like a clown, you can become a capable warrior."_

"_I won't disappoint you, dude!" Beast Boy grinned._

_"Don't call me dude."_

* * *

Of course, a few weeks after that, Beast Boy had misplaced the book and never took the effort to go look. Even if Shadow had been upset, he hadn't shown it, but Beast Boy felt that Shadow's respect for him had lessened a bit since then.

Beast Boy set the book aside, making sure it was in his sight, before rummaging through his stuff again. He came upon a shiny metal sphere. This was another gift from Shadow. It was known as…

* * *

"_Here, a Deathtronian Puzzle Sphere," Shadow said as he handed it to Beast Boy. "Merry Christmas."_

"_Wow, thanks, dude!" Beast Boy grinned. It was a Christmas Party at the Tower and everyone was getting in the mood. Draco had gotten drunk on the eggnog. Obviously, someone had spiked it. "So, how does this work?"_

"_It's like a Rubik's Cube, except that you need to twist it around to get an image." The sphere had been twisted around so now the Deathtron emblem was ineligible. There were several sections that needed to be twisted._

_Beast Boy sweatdropped. There was still that one Rubik's Cube he'd yet to solve and he'd had it for years now. He smiled sheepishly, "Thanks, dude."_

_Shadow frowned, "Don't call me dude. Now, enjoy your gift."_

* * *

Like the book he'd gotten bored with it. At first it'd frustrated it and eventually he just gave up on it. The look on Shadow's face when he found out…

Beast Boy then saw something else and took it out. It was a photo album. He leafed through it and remembered what it was after seeing the pictures inside. There were pictures of Japanese girls.

"Now this brings back memories," Beast Boy smiled. "My fangirls. Wonder how they are?" He'd become quite the sensation in Tokyo after his impromptu Karaoke singing. Terra hadn't been too happy and that was why he hadn't told her about the photos.

This brought back another memory.

* * *

"_You want me do what?" Shadow responded after hearing Beast Boy's request. The Snake Knight was standing in his doorframe with his cloak draped over his body. His face held a bewildered expression at his friend's odd request. After nearly a year, Shadow had gotten used to the strangeness which was Titans Tower. _

_His originally opinion of this place was to compare it to an insane asylum on several occasions. Sometimes he compared it to a youth hostel or even a frat house. Fraternity was far too up class to categorize the Titans. A frat house was the closest comparison since he'd witnessed the boys having a burping contest one time and other ridiculous rituals._

_None as ridiculous as this._

"_Terra has no idea I got these pictures, dude! I need you to hide them!" Beast Boy begged, holding out a pile of photos. They were vacation photos composed of the fangirls Beast Boy had collected in Tokyo due to his impromptu performance at a karaoke club. If memory serves, Terra hadn't actually been happy about it._

_Shadow narrowed his eyes. "And why me? Why not Pluto or Cyborg? They're your best friends, aren't they?" Shadow wondered why Beast Boy couldn't ask the other two-thirds of the '3-Stooges'._

"_Blackfire and Terra are kinda tight!" Beast Boy answered. "If Blackfire finds these in his room, she can get the truth out of him. Plus, Cyborg has sworn to never help me hide anything ever again."_

"_Is this about that magazine Sarah found in his room when she came over for a visit?" Shadow questioned. He remembered Sarah stomping away, fuming, as Cyborg pleaded for her to listen to his explanation. Shadow found out it'd been about a 'Playboy'._

"_Well, you gotta admit Angelina Jolie is hot!" Beast Boy said lightly and then got panicky, "Please, dude!" He shoved the photos towards Shadow. "I'm begging you!"_

_Shadow was not only a hero and a businessman, but he was also a Deathtron. As much as he wanted to help Beast Boy, he also wanted to benefit somehow._

"_What do I get out of this?" Shadow asked. Beast Boy gawked. "I wish to know what I stand to gain for helping you."_

"_Dude!" Beast Boy whined._

"_Give me an offer, Garfield," Shadow smirked. "And make it good."_

* * *

Beast Boy had promised to train himself harder once he found the sphere and book. Since Shadow had done his end of the deal, and even put the photos in an album for him, it was time for Beast Boy to do his part.

"Now, how do I do this again?" Beast Boy asked himself as he looked at the sphere. He gave a section a horizontal twist. "No, that's not it." He began to twist the sphere around a little more, eyes narrowing. "OK, I think I got it…" He twisted it vertically. "Damn." He was ready to chuck it but remembered his promise. "It's the least I could do," Beast Boy sighed. He picked up the book and went out of his room, without even bothering to clean up.

In the shadows, a large eye opened up. It looked around the room before fading out of existence.

* * *

Warren was in the living room, alone, watching TV. Actually, he was just flipping through the channels. Beast Boy came into the living room and the guest from another dimension looked over the backrest to see Beast Boy coming in. "Hey, BB!" Warren greeted.

"Oh, didn't know anyone was here," stated Beast Boy. He had the book in his armpit and holding the puzzle sphere in his hand, twisting it around.

"Hey, whatcha got there?" Warren asked, interested as Beast Boy walked over and sat down on the couch. He placed the book down between himself and Warren. Warren quirked an eyebrow at seeing the book.

"Never pegged you for the bookish type," Warren commented as he picked up the book. The only thing he'd ever seen Beast Boy read would be comic books, Playboy magazines, video game manuals and whatever was on the back of a cereal box. He read the title. "You into fantasy stuff now?"

"That was something Shadow gave me for my birthday," Beast Boy answered, struggling to solve the puzzle sphere. "Stupid ball thing."

"Is that a new toy Pluto left you?" Warren asked. He hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Pluto in person but from what he could tell the guy was an inventor, though he was also infamously known as a mad scientist. Pluto was actually pretty eccentric. However, the mishaps and explosions caused by his experiments and inventions didn't help with his reputation. The guy had so many inventions that he had to turn the basement into a lab. The basement lab was off limits since Pluto decided to stay on Tamaran. His room was locked too and his car was something nobody would there go near, knowing his reputation.

"No, it's something Shadow gave me for Christmas," Beast Boy answered.

"He did?" Warren questioned. Shadow was a lot like Nekrad, a vampire on Warren's team back on his world. He could be nice but not too often. A birthday AND a Christmas present? The guy must really like Beast Boy to go through all that trouble.

"But, I still haven't solved this!" Beast Boy grumbled, ready to throw the sphere in frustration.

"Let me see," Warren volunteered.

"Hey, be my guest," Beast Boy allowed, handing the sphere over to Warren.

Warren looked at it warily. "This thing won't open up a gateway that leads to another dimension inhabited by demons that see pain as the equal to pleasure, is it? Because I've had enough of those for one lifetime."

"Dude, Shadow's the one who gave it to me. I don't know what'll happen." That was true. One time, he and Cyborg had snuck into Shadow's room and well…Beast Boy shuddered. He didn't want another trip to the Netherworld again.

Shadow came into the living room. He could see both Beast Boy and Warren at the couch. The TV was on but neither of their attention was on it. Curious, he went to see what was going on. He smiled a bit when he saw the scene.

"So, you're going to try to solve it," Shadow stated when he saw the sphere. Warren may have been handling it, but Shadow knew that was because the green kid needed help. A Deathtronian Puzzle wasn't exactly child's play. In fact it was a tool to determine the intelligence of students in the Academy. He'd solved his in record time and now he'd given the same one to Beast Boy.

That had been last Christmas, which had been months ago.

"Well, it's the least I could do," Beast Boy replied. "I mean, you did give it to me. Would be a shame to just throw it away. It's still kinda cool, though."

Shadow also saw the book and asked, "Have you been studying those new forms?"

Beast Boy couldn't lie because Shadow could pick up on that. Instead, he chose to come clean, "No…I haven't."

Shadow gave him a neutral gaze. "I see." He walked over to the fridge to take out a bottle of water. He chugged the contents into his mouth before placing the bottle on the counter. "Ah, I needed that."

"So, what are you up to?" Warren asked, still twisting the sphere around.

"Raven and I are training," Shadow replied. "She's practicing with the Scythe of Light with me."

Warren winced a bit, imaging his own Raven with such a weapon. With that cloak of hers, she'd look like an attractive and sexy version of the Grim Reaper.

Despite the fact that it would be dangerous to let their guard down because of Katherine and her Horrors, morale had to be maintained. Thus, the other Titans were doing their own thing. Terra was taking a long nap in her room, Cyborg was fixing up the T-Car, Starfire & Robin had gone to the mall with Jinx & Draco, and Renia was in her room studying new Alchemical techniques no doubt. Kenzaki had left this dimension shortly after acquiring his Emperor Form. He said he had a lead on another big bounty that he had been after, someone named Gog. When asked about who Gog was, Kenzaki just brushed them off, saying it wasn't any of their concern. Neko, Rose and Cathy were out at the park, spending some quality family time together…

* * *

Neko was sent crashing into a park bench, breaking it in two. The holder of Gekiryuken groaned but her anger outweighed her pain. "All I wanted was to spend some quality time with Rosey-chan and Cathy-chan," she growled, getting back up. "Instead I get THIS!"

Cinderblock roared as he charged at the girl. Neko leapt up and bounded off Cinderblock's shoulders before doing several flips in the air and touching down between Cathy and Rose.

"And I didn't even bring my machete," Rose complained. She was in fighting stance. She could take Cinderblock. She'd been trained by her daddy. Cathy was also in a fighting stance, her tail flicking back and forth. Despite Neko's protests, they wanted to help out.

"OK, follow my lead, and be careful," Neko grasped Gekiryuken. "OK…NOW!" She charged forward, forming her sword. Cinderblock threw his fist but Neko jumped up to evade it. She landed on his shoulder and tapped his head with her finger. "Let me borrow something," she grinned as he skin turned rock hard like Cinderblock's. She'd discovered this secondary absorption ability by accident when she'd been sparring against Cyborg. As soon as her fingers brushed up against him, her skin transmuted to steel. Right now, her skin had transmuted to a rocky state. However, it didn't extend to her clothes or hair. Regardless, this would give her more defensive and offensive power.

She curled her fingers into a fist and smashed it into the back of Cinderblock's head. The force of the punch sent the golem falling, face first, into the dirt.

The golem pushed itself back up on his hands and knees but then got smashed in the face by a trio of fists, sending him falling backwards instead. Cathy flicked her wrist in pain from having to hit such a hardhead.

"OK, that hurt," Cathy flinched.

"And he's coming back up!" Rose warned as Cinderblock got back to his feet and roared. He swung both his fists down on them. Cathy turned invisible to avoid the hits as Rose and Neko somersaulted out of the way. Neko touched down in a squatting position as did Rose. Cathy reappeared next to them.

"Mama, are you okay?" Cathy asked.

"I'm fine, Koneko-chan," Neko assured her daughter. She got up to her feet, standing tall. "Now, let's take this thing down!" She rushed forward, yelling out a war cry, gripping Gekiryuken tightly. She jumped up as Cinderblock took a swipe at her before she started to land blow after blow on the titanic golem's body. It staggered backward from every slash that was chipping away at his skin. Neko then used a powerful frontal jump kick that sent Cinderblock staggering back before she leapt up and did a spinning backhand to his face.

Rose and Cathy watched. "Sugoi," Cathy let out.

Rose sighed at her girlfriend. "She's just showing off." She then ran to the battle. "Let's go help before she gets too cocky."

Too late for that.

"Hey, rocky, you're too slow!" Neko taunted as she ducked under a swing to her head. "Your momma was a brick wall!" She jumped back from a kick. "Hah, can't touch me!" She got too cocky and got punched and sent flying. She slammed into a lamppost which dented as her rocky body hit it. "Ow…" she groaned. Despite the thick rocky skin, that'd hurt.

* * *

Beast Boy and Warren, working together, nearly got the sphere. They could see something, like an emblem, on the surface of the sphere coming together after several twists and turns.

Warren handed the sphere back to Beast Boy, saying, "It's all yours, kid."

Beast Boy looked at the sphere hesitantly. What would happen once he solved it? Shadow had been the one to give it to him and he always had an ulterior motive in doing things. Whatever would happen after he'd solved the puzzle, did he really want?

Beast Boy's face showed resolve as he exclaimed, "Oh, what the hell!" He gave the sphere one last vertical twist and the Deathtron symbol was formed.

The sphere clicked.

The symbol glowed.

Beast Boy, yelling, dropped the object in surprise. It then…broke in half.

"Aw, man!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I broke it!" He clutched his hair. Warren inspected the two halves of the sphere and lifted them up.

"Hey, looks like you've won a prize," Warren pointed out. He showed Beast Boy one of the halves. Both halves were hollow and inside one was what looked like…

"A watch?" Beast Boy took the aforementioned object out of the hollow sphere half. He looked it over. It looked like any old watch, but it was black with a metal strap, a silver ring around the face, and some small pictures around the face.

The 12 and 6 o'clock positions were blank but not the other 10.

In the 1 o'clock position was the image of a flame (fire).

In the 2 o'clock position was the image of a teardrop (water).

In the 3 o'clock position was the image of a mountain (earth).

In the 4 o'clock position was the image of a tornado (wind).

In the 5 o'clock position was the image of a sun (light).

In the 7 o'clock position was the image of a moon (darkness).

In the 8 o'clock position was the image of a lightning bolt (lightning).

In the 9 o'clock position was the image of a leaf (wood).

In the 10 o'clock position was the image of a gear (metal).

And in the 11 o'clock position was the image of a snowflake (ice).

The face was pitch black and had a yellow three pointed star in the centre.

Beast Boy quirked an eyebrow as he looked at it. "This watch doesn't even tell time!" There weren't any hands in the watch to show time. He did notice a black arrow on the silver ring pointing down on the blank 12 o'clock position.

"You should just wear it," Warren advised. "Shadow did give it to you."

Beast Boy thought about it. It wouldn't be nice to just throw it away, even if Shadow had been the one to give it to him as a prize for solving the puzzle.

Beast Boy put on the watch and as soon as he did the watch's face glowed for a second. It was barely noticeable but Warren noticed it. However, he didn't say a word as Beast Boy leapt off the sofa and towards the door. Shadow and Raven were in the training room last he remembered.

* * *

Raven had switched her white ensemble for her old black leotard but kept the white cloak. However, this cloak had black lining on the inside. Holding on her artifact, the Scythe of Light, she was poised for combat.

Shadow was wearing his Smart Brain uniform and without his usual cloak. In his hand was his Cobra Staff.

Both had sweat forming on their faces, evident that they'd been training hard. Both were panting hard as they eyed one another and circled each other.

Shadow made his move and charged forward. He jabbed with his staff and she sidestepped it. She attempted to slash at him but he turned invisible at the last second only to reappear behind her and using a sweep kick to knock her off her feet. He pounced on her and she raised the shaft of her staff up, horizontally, the block his blow. He discarded the staff and gripped the shaft of the scythe, trying to push it down on Raven. The half demon girl struggled as she pushed back up but her husband was stronger. As soon as the shaft rested near her neck, he leaned down and kissed her. He removed one hand from the shaft and ran it up and down her bare thigh, causing her to shiver.

"Point to me," he said arrogantly before she used her leg to throw him off of her. She flipped back to her feet, blushing.

Shadow remained lying on the ground before grinning. He levitated back to his feet and spun around. "Impressive, beloved," Shadow complimented as he strode forward. Raven banished the scythe once she sensed no hostile intent from him. He pulled her into a hug and pulled down her hood, nuzzling her fragrant hair.

"You're not so bad yourself," Raven returned, leaning against her husband. Husband. That was such a strange concept for her. She never expected to find love, much less get married, but here she was married to a man of her choice through Azarathean customs. Of course, his parents had arranged for a wedding ceremony too.

They weren't 'officially' married by any Earth laws but they didn't care. They were married and that was all that mattered.

Shadow gazed into his wife's purple eyes with his own red ones and smiled before leaning forward to capture her…

"Hey, dude!" Beast Boy called suddenly, forcing Shadow to let go of Raven and look to the entrance in shock. He hissed in annoyance. The changeling had ruined a perfect moment. From Raven's expression, it was obvious that she was annoyed too.

"What?" she asked, "What are you doing here?" Ever since she'd defeated her father, Raven had no need to restrain her powers or risk losing control. Of course, this also meant that she was much quicker to anger.

"Oh, sorry, Rae," Beast Boy apologized. A vein throbbed on Raven's forehead.

"**Don't** call me 'Rae'," she hissed angrily. Beast Boy gulped.

"What is it Beast Boy?" Shadow asked. Beast Boy showed Shadow the watch he'd put on his left wrist.

"Just to say thanks for the watch," Beast Boy explained. Shadow's eyes widened for a second. "It's awesome!" Shadow knew Beast Boy was lying but as soon as the shape-shifter knew of the 'watch's' true potential, that 'awesome' statement would become truth.

"I'm glad you like it," Shadow nodded.

"OK, now can you leave?" Raven said curtly. "Shadow and I were in training and-" The alarms blared as the lights flashed red. "Damn," she muttered.

"Let's roll," Shadow commanded.

* * *

For some reason, Cinderblock was much more difficult to defeat than expected. Neko, Rose and Cathy were in a pinch as the giant living statue roared and pounded his fists together.

"OK, I think we need a new plan," said Neko, her rocky skin cracking.

"Ojou-sama, I sense something off about this rock man," Gekiryuken warned.

"Horror?" Neko asked. It would make sense that Cinderblock had been infused with a Horror to give him such endurance.

"It's dark energy, but not a Horror," Gekiryuken replied, "At least I don't think so."

"Whatever," Neko replied. "The sooner we take this thing down, the sooner Cathy and Rose can get help." Rose had most likely broken her left arm as it hung limply by her side and a sprained ankle. Cathy, however, looked far worse as she was unconscious and bleeding from her scalp. She had most likely gotten a concussion.

"Gekiryu Hen-" Neko began but a fist flew into her and sent her crashing into a car.

"Neko!" Rose shouted. Cinderblock chose to ignore them and lumbered towards Neko who cracked one eye open in pain at the golem.

Suddenly, several missiles slammed into Cinderblock and exploded, knocking him backwards. Neko looked to see that the cavalry had arrived.

"About time," Neko groaned.

Shadowcobra was riding on the ZX-Shadow Basher with Beast Boy in the sidecar. Raven was levitating in the air holding her Scythe of Light with Terra riding a flat slab of rock like a hover board. Cyborg was standing next to the T-Car as Renia exited the vehicle from the passenger side. Warren then landed on the ground, having flown after the Titans.

"Are you alright?" the Snake Knight asked as he hopped off his vehicle. He ran towards Neko.

"I'm fine, but Rose and Cathy are hurt bad," Neko replied as Shadowcobra helped her to her feet. "And I don't think Cinderblock is ready to go down yet."

Cinderblock roared. Despite the cracks and craters on his body he still looked ready to throw down.

Terra rolled her eyes and said, "This is gonna be easy." Her eyes glowed yellow as she prepared to use her geokinetic powers to throw Cinderblock around like a rag doll.

Raven had gone to Rose and Cathy and started healing them. Soon enough, Rose's ankle and arm had fully healed as Cathy regained consciousness. The mutant girl may just suffer from a mild headache but other than that she was alright.

"Thank you, Raven," Rose said in gratitude. Despite their history as enemies, Rose was grateful.

Raven gave a nod and turned her focus towards Cinderblock. She had her powers and her Scythe of Light. Plus, all the Titans were ready to take Cinderblock down.

However, Shadowcobra commanded, "Stand down."

They all stared at him.

"Say what?" Cyborg gawked.

"You're kidding, right?" Neko nearly growled. "He beat up Rose and Cathy!"

Shadowcobra's expression remained passive as he moved his eyes towards Beast Boy. "Logan, show Cinderblock what you can do."

Everyone stared at the Snake Knight with wide eyes, assuming that he had gone insane. Beast Boy? Sure, he had powerful animal forms but he often needed the others to back him up. Shadowcobra was sending him alone. It was suicide!

"M-me?" Beast Boy stuttered.

Shadowcobra leaned down to Beast Boy's ear, "Let me let you in on a little secret; that watch is more than it seems." Beast Boy looked at the watch. If Shadow had given it to him, then it must be special. "Consider this a crash course, Logan."

Beast Boy stared at the watch as Cinderblock lumbered towards them. He pounded his fists together and growled before rushing at the Titans. Shadowcobra narrowed his eyes and tapped the end of his staff on the ground. Black chains lashed out from Cinderblock's shadow, binding him. The Titans got into ready stances and Shadow shouted, "Be patient!"

Beast Boy finally realized that the ring could be twisted. He twisted the purple ring so that the arrow was pointed at the flame picture and soon enough a hologram of a flaming humanoid appeared on the face, standing on it like a platform. "Cool," Beast Boy realized. He twisted it again and got a fish-man hologram when the arrow pointed at the teardrop. He twisted it another time and the arrow pointed on the mountain and a hologram resembling a humanoid made of rock and crystal appeared.

"Use that," Shadow instructed. Beast Boy looked at him. "Slam your palm down on the hologram. Do it!"

Beast Boy nodded and quickly slammed his palm on top of the display. There was a bright flash of light and the Titans had to turn their eyes away.

In Beast Boy's place was a tall humanoid being with a body made of dark purple stone. It had pink hands made of crystal with two pink spikes coming on his chest and six more on his back that were made from the same crystal. A pink crystal horn also extended from his head. The face was pink and it had a single green eye like a Cyclops. Though the arms and legs looked thin, they were anything but weak. The alien being had more of an athletic build than a bulky and muscular one.

"A Crystalsapien," Shadowcobra stated, identifying the alien being that had taken Beast Boy's place. Everyone stared at Beast Boy with wide eyes.

"Beast…Boy?" Terra began.

"Woah!" 'Beast Boy' looked himself over. Ever his voice had changed and become deeper, more adult-like. "What the heck happened to me!?" Cinderblock shattered the chains. "Well, let's see what this guy can do!" He ran towards Cinderblock and the two monsters started trading blows. Cinderblock got a lucky punch in Beast Boy's chest and sent the now alien shape-shifter skidding back several feet. Beast Boy grinned as he looked up. He'd barely felt a thing.

"Hah, is that all you got?" Beast Boy jeered. Cinderblock roared and charged straight at Beast Boy who charged right back.

"OK, what was that watch thing?" Terra asked.

"The Christmas gift Shadow gave him," Raven answered, glaring at Shadow.

"You gave him THAT?" Cyborg shouted, pointing accusingly.

"Yes, I did," Shadow nodded, unfazed. "It was in a puzzle sphere I gave him."

"It's true," Warren confirmed. "Of course, I helped him solve it."

"What kind of puzzle sphere?" Cyborg asked.

"Deathtronian," Shadow answered nonchalantly. "It's alien technology."

"You gave alien tech to Beast Boy!?" Raven shouted, aghast.

"I've seen what Beast Boy's capable of and I've seen how down he's been since we all got upgraded," Shadow explained. "I gave that to him on Christmas to help ease him a little."

"Well, from the way he's beating up Cinderblock, he's getting the hand of it," Renia admired. "Shouldn't we help him?"

Shadow smiled, "No, he doesn't need any help." Shadowcobra heard the sound of two motorcycles and looked to see Robin, Starfire, Jinx and Draco coming on their way. "Looks like the others are here."

Robin dismounted from his bike and apologized, "Sorry we're late." He removed his helmet and saw the two monsters duking out. "OK, let's do this." Shadow gripped Robin's shoulder. "Huh?"

"Hold on there, Robin," Shadow said. "Just stand and watch."

"What?" Robin asked. Two monsters were fighting and could be possibly dangerous and Shadow was telling him, the leader, to stand by and watch? He looked around and noticed someone was absent, "Where's Beast Boy?"

Starfire gasped, "A Crystalsapien!"

"You know what that is?" Draco asked.

"Yes, it's an alien species from a planet called Morotesi," Starfire explained. "What is it doing here?"

"That's Beast Boy," Terra answered bluntly.

Jinx, Starfire, Robin and Draco stared in shock.

"You're joking, right?" Jinx asked. "Since when can Beast Boy turn into aliens?"

"Since a certain Deathtron Commander decided that it was a good idea to give alien technology to Beast Boy as a Christmas present," Raven answered cynically. Robin, Draco, Jinx and Starfire's eyes all fell on Shadow.

"I'll explain later, but right now let's just watch and see how this ends, shall we?" Shadow requested. He would have them move in if things got a little difficult for Beast Boy.

Beast Boy was actually a match for the much larger and bulkier Cinderblock and was currently grappling with him. Both were trying to force the other into submission.

Shadow decided to lend a hand and ordered Starfire, "Starfire, blast Beast Boy!"

"What?" Starfire gasped. Terra was appalled and so was Robin.

"You can't do that!" Robin denied. "You can't make Starfire attack her own teammate!"

"Starfire, you must know what Crystalsapiens are capable of, correct?" Shadow inquired, ignoring Robin's tirade. Starfire nodded. "Go for it."

"Yes!" Starfire sent a beam of her energy flying at Beast Boy.

Terra shouted, "No!" However, she was silenced when the energy was absorbed into the Crystalsapien's body instead of sending him flying or blowing him up.

"I feel funny…" Beast Boy mumbled as his body glowed in multiple colors. Suddenly, his body reacted on instinct and he fired multicolor energy blasts from his hands forcing the golem to let go of Beast Boy's hand. The beams impacted against Cinderblock's body and the golem sent flying before he landed roughly on the park's grass.

"Oh yeah!" Beast Boy threw a fist up in the air. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Roaring in rage, Cinderblock got back up and rushed at Beast Boy. When he got close enough, Cinderblock threw a fist and at the exact moment Beast Boy threw a fist too.

**SMASH!!**

The sound of the impact was deafening…and then there was silence.

The two men of stone stood still as their fists connected with their faces. Neither budged…

Slowly, time passed. Seconds felt like hours…

Eventually, Cinderblock stumbled back and then collapsed onto his back, unconscious.

Beast Boy threw his arms up, "OH YEAH! WHO'S BAD? WHO'S YOUR DADDY?" Suddenly, the emblem began flashing red and in a flash of red light Beast Boy was restored to normal. He didn't seem too upset over changing back but he wished he could stay in that alien form a little while longer.

Robin turned his eyes towards Shadow, "You got some explaining to do once we get back to the Tower."

Shadow sighed, "I knew you'd say that."

* * *

"How did you get that thing?" Robin asked. All of them were in the living room now, ready to listen to an explanation Shadow had ready regarding Beast Boy's new watch and transformations.

"Remember Swindler?" Shadow reminded.

"You mean that arms dealer we caught a few months back?" Raven questioned. "How can I forget?"

"Well, when I had him sent to prison, all of his weapons were confiscated. One of those weapons happens to be that watch you see on Beast Boy's wrist." Shadow pointed to Beast Boy who was twisting the ring to admire all the aliens' holographic displays.

"You stole it?" Raven questioned.

"I prefer the term procured, really."

"So, it's some sort of weapon?" Robin asked.

"A powerful weapon," Shadow elaborated, "It was created by some Trikatron scientists during the Sabretron-Deathtron War and is the only one of its kind as far as I can tell. The DNA Change Watch we decided to call it. It has DNA sampled from 10 different alien breeds and has the power to allow the wearer to assume the form of those aliens." Shadow continued, "It uses the same DNA scanning and reconstructing technology that all Orions use to assume Beast Modes." He finished, "Of course, the scanning part had already been done."

"Why 10 aliens?" Terra asked, "Why not 10,000?"

"Because of the 10 Elements," Shadow answered. Draco's eyes widened. "Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, Darkness, Metal, Lightning, Ice and Wood," Shadow listed. "10 elements equals to 10 aliens, each matching the other."

"So why Beast Boy of all people?" Renia asked curiously. Beast Boy seemed to be the most unlikely of candidates.

"I guess it was because I also wanted to give Beast Boy an 'upgrade'," he used air-quotes when he said 'upgrade'. "Or maybe I thought it was time that Beast Boy got his device to call his own." Actually, it was because he trusted it more on Beast Boy than anybody else but he wasn't going to actually admit that anytime soon.

"But isn't it dangerous to leave it with Beast Boy?" Robin asked. "Maybe I should…"

"It's locked to his wrist," Shadowcobra interrupted. "Also, only he can use it since he was the first to put it on and activate it. The watch won't work for anybody else. It's a safeguard like the ones most of the Rider systems have."

"Sugoi," Draco admired. Cathy was impressed too. Terra had to admit that it was kinda cool.

"Also, speaking of Rider systems…" Shadow created a portal, reached inside, and pulled out a familiar looking briefcase. Cathy's eyes widened. "Here you go." He tossed the briefcase to Cathy who caught it.

"Does this mean I get to keep it?" Cathy asked.

"For now, at least," Shadow nodded. "You're still its designated user so I've decided that you should be able to use it again. You've earned it."

Cathy beamed. Neko frowned but then again there was nothing she could do about it. If Cathy wanted to fight, at least now she had the means to do so and now she could protect herself.

"Hey, what about me?" Rose asked. "I mean I don't have a Rider system either."

"You gave up your Zodiac Powers to Neko, right?" Shadow asked and received a nod. "As for your own Rider system, I'm not sure if there are any left at the moment."

"What?" Rose glared.

"Let me finish," Shadow continued, "However, I do have an extra set of Smartrooper Gear you can use." Smartroopers were the most powerful of Smart Brain's foot soldiers. They were nearly as strong as some of the Rider systems, though more simplified.

"OK, I'll take it," Rose shrugged. What Shadow failed to mention was that it was actually the prototype for the Smartrooper Riot Gear. Of course, he wanted to see the surprised look on Rose's face once she activated it.

"But, still…" Robin hesitated. "Beast Boy's got a really powerful weapon on him now. I'm not sure it's wise…"

"These are dangerous times so we need to be better prepared," Shadow said. "That's why we need these new weapons to help combat the Horrors."

Shadow was right. Katherine was a big threat now and the Titans needed to arm themselves better. Furthermore, Katherine was growing stronger and thus the Titans too needed to grow stronger.

Hopefully, it was enough.

"Hey, guys!" Beast Boy called. "Can I make an announcement?"

"What is it?" Robin asked.

"What is this announcement? Is it grand?" Starfire inquired.

"I've decided to change my codename," Beast Boy answered, hands to his hips. "From now on, you guys can call me Changeling!" He grinned widely.

* * *

Cinderblock was placed in a special containment cell. This time they had him properly restrained with adamantium cuffs and chains. He would not be able to escape no matter how hard he tried. The walls were also made of adamantium. A pair of guards was also posted outside his cell.

Cinderblock looked unresponsive. However, this was farther from the truth.

"_Cinderblock-kun, you did very well today_," spoke a voice in his head. Obviously, it was Katherine's and it was coming from in his head. He probably had some sort of radio receiver and transmitter installed in there there. "_I saw everything. Don't worry yourself. You'll be freed soon. Just wait patiently and you'll get your revenge. Do you understand?_" Cinderblock nodded and gave a positive grunt. "_Good…_"

* * *

Katherine flipped her SB-Cell closed and looked towards the large monitor in front of her. The conference room was dark with the only source of illumination being the large monitor which replayed the battle. She paused part of it and zoomed in…on Beast Boy.

"So, another one of those goodie-goodie Titans gets an upgrade," she scowled, eyes on the DNA Change Watch. "Wonder what other surprises they have in store for us?" She grinned, "Oh, but we have some surprises too…" She turned around towards a large round table where 7 other individuals who were shrouded in the darkness sat, though one in particular seemed to radiate evil energy.

Katherine had discarded her bow ribbon, considering it to be a childish accessory. Her new ensemble was a black tube top worn under a black leather jacket, a spiked choker, black gloves with retractable claws at the fingertips, tight black jeans and thigh high leather boots with red steel toes.

She addressed the 7 as followed:

"My Pride, my Lust, my Greed, my Gluttony, my Wrath, my Sloth and my Envy," Katherine grinned as she walked over to the table. One seat was empty and it was hers. She sat down on the chair and addressed the seven others with her. "My Lords of Sin…"

She had many desires. One of them was to defeat her the Dragon Knight (she refused to call him her brother), her primary one was to reabsorb Neko and take back Rose & Cathy, and the final one would be to win the Zodiac War. She already had a wish prepared once she became the victor.

The Titans, she suspected, were hiding something. She could sense it through her connection with her weaker half and once she found out what it was...well, the Titans would need everything they had to stop her once she put her plans into motion.

* * *

The next day, everyone sat in the Common Room, with Warren being the center of attention. He was about to take his leave once more. "OK, folks," he began. "As much as I'd love to stay here and help out, the wife is probably getting more than a little pissed." He cast a glance over at Raven when he mentioned his wife, who was an alternate version of Raven. A portal appeared behind Warren. "So, like I said if you guys ever need any help, feel free to call me up." He then stepped backwards into the portal. "Later!" he waved as the portal blinked out.

"Ja ne, Warren-san!" Draco said with a wave.

For a moment everything was quiet, until the emergency channel on all the Titans communicators activated. "_Titans! We need help!_" shouted a voice on the other end. The Titans opened the communicators to see Kumiko on the other end.

"Kumiko, what's wrong?" asked Neko, sounding worried. If Kumiko was worried, that meant something must have happened to Kenzaki.

"_It's Kenzaki! We need to get him to the infirmary! We're out front!_"

Immediately, all the Titans, with Neko in the lead, ran towards the front. They opened the door to see Kenzaki being supported by Okami and Kumiko. His clothes were torn and he was bleeding badly and barely conscious. "Ken-kun!" shouted Neko. "What happened!?"

"Gog is coming…" was all he could say before falling into unconsciousness.

"KEN-KUN!!" Neko screamed.

To Be Continued…

Beast Boy's "DNA Change Watch" is based on the Omnitrix from 'BEN 10'. Also, the following aliens are as followed: The symbol on the watch is the Trikatron symbol.

Element: Species (Name)

Fire: Pyronite (Heatblast)

Water: Piscciss Volann (Ripjaws)

Wind: Lepidopterran (Stinkfly)

Earth: Crystalsapien (Chromastone)

Light: Kineceleran (XLR8)

Metal: Galvanic Mechomorph (Upgrade)

Lightning: Megawhatt (Buzzshock)

Wood: Florauna (Wildvine)

Ice: Polar Manzardil (Arcticguana)

Darkness: Ectonurite (Ghostfreak)

Note: The names are for reference use since I may or may not be describing the aliens from this point onwards and Beast Boy/Changeling may just go by his own codename but we never know.

What do you guys think?

Question: Who are the 7 Lords of Sin and who is this 'Gog'?

Also, when I said I was taking a break, it was because I wasn't sure if I was gonna have the time to write or any ideas. Guess I was wrong about that.


	92. PT092: Arella's Visit

Part 92: Arella's Visit

_The Keyblade War?_

_Who is Fear?_

_VAIOLANGAIZER LIVES AGAIN!_

_TIME IS BROKEN_

_Someone is monitoring. They see us. They see me._

_The old gods are DEAD, Gog wants what's left._

_The Living Gate is still open_

_Time is being stolen_

_I'm supposed to be DEAD? _

_WHEN AM I? _

_OTHERS?_

_No Fear __**equals**__ Disaster_

* * *

Due to the severity of his injuries, the Titans had no choice but to use one of Pluto's TR-Chambers. Kumiko looked on in worry as Kenzaki was placed inside the chamber with an oxygen mask on. He'd been stripped of his clothes which revealed that while his head and the lower half of his body looked normal, his torso and arms were covered in a strange type of metal, which also gave his hands their claw-like appearance, and his injuries, which included a nasty looking scorch mark over Kenzaki's heart. Cyborg attached the electrodes to Kenzaki's body to monitor his vitals. The door of the chamber closed.

"T.I.T.A.N., begin process," Cyborg commanded the Tower's AI and it obeyed.

"Will he be alright?" Kumiko asked Cyborg as the chamber filled up with nanotech fluid. The nanobots within the fluid would repair all the damage that'd been made on Kenzaki's body.

A screen connected to the chamber showed Kenzaki as he floated inside the fluid. The screen also showed his vitals and any important information.

"And be honest, Cyborg," Neko added.

"Well, he's a tough one. According to this data he should be dead," Cyborg informed.

"The kid's tough," Okami said gruffly. "He'll pull through."

"What happened and who is Gog?" Neko asked.

Kumiko began explaining, "Gog is…Gog is the one who killed the original Garoh 5 years ago. He's also an S-Class bounty."

"S-Class?" asked Neko. "What does that mean?"

"S-Class bounties are Multiversal threats and major threats to the Time Stream, like Copycat," explained Okami.

Kumiko continued, "As to what happened…"

* * *

_Garoh, Emperor Form, charged at Gog. There were various gashes in his armor, showing that the battle had been quite fierce. Gog was, in fact, a muscular man wearing golden metal shoulder pads, brown pants with gold boots going up to his knees and a helmet on his head that had the appearance of a ram's horns. He was wielding a staff that had three prongs on its end. "Blasphemy! You will kneel before Gog and beg for forgiveness!" He swung his fist, slamming into Garoh's chest. Garoh slid backwards._

"_We gotta put an end to this…" said Garoh, gasping for breath._

"_**HAI!**__" agreed his Imagin partners. Garoh pressed the ENTER button before passing his Pass over the belt._

"_**CHARGE AND UP!**__**" **__the belt announced._

_Garoh, Buraki, Byakko, Okami and Raion all roared together as they dashed at Gog, his entire armor glowing with a multicolor aura as lightning arched all around him. His wings spread out and took him into the air and then went into a flying punch. He rocketed straight towards his target. "__**IMPERIAL FIST!**__" roared Garoh and all the Imagin as they threw the fist forward._

_Normally, this would have guaranteed a victory for Garoh…but not this time. Garoh was shocked when he saw his fist had been caught by Gog and he couldn't break free. Garoh noticed the tip of Gog's staff glowing with energy. He felt the burning hot tip of Gog's staff begin to pierce the armor. "Rot in hell," was all Gog said as the energy ripped though Kenzaki's body._

* * *

"_The girl is here? In this city? Are you sure?_"

"**Yes, she is. This city was where Lord Trigon appeared and also where he met his demise.**"

"_**Bite your tongue! Lord Trigon could never be defeated by his half-breed bastard daughter!**_"

"**Be that as it may, the fact remains that Lord Trigon was vanquished right here on this very spot.**"

"_Then, the prophecy had indeed come to past. Lord Trigon did arrive here._"

"**Unfortunately, he was unable to finish the job. Maybe he isn't all powerful as we originally thought.**"

"_**How dare you say such traitorous things?**_"

"**I speak only the truth, the facts, not words of a traitor.**"

"_Enough! Your constant bickering will get us nowhere! What we need to do is capture the girl. We know where the mother is but we are unable to enter Neo Azarath and we need both of them to complete the ritual._"

"**So, how can we continue without the mother?**"

"_I've recently heard some very interesting news. It would appear that the mother has come to visit the girl and her husband._"

"_**Husband!? Someone actually became wedded to that half-breed brat?**_"

"**Now who is the one speaking traitorous things? The girl is our Lord's daughter if I remember.**"

"_**She is merely a tool. Once her usefulness has ended, she will be disposed of. She is as expendable as her whore of a mother.**_"

"_Yes, and once we have them; we can finally use them to resurrect our Lord and Master. All hail Lord Trigon!_"

"**All hail Lord Trigon.**"

"_**All hail Lord Trigon!**_"

* * *

The Titans were busy cleaning up the Tower. Today was a special day. Today was a hectic day. Today was the day Raven's mother was coming for a visit. Each of the Titans had their own little jobs. The first thing needed to be done was for each of them to clean their rooms. The others did so easily. Changeling used his DNA Morpher (formerly DNA Change Watch) to assume the form of an alien with super-speed known as a Kineceleran and used its abilities to clean his room in under a second flat. The Kineceleran form he was in resembled a semi-armored velociraptor clad in a black skintight suit with a purple stripe running down the middle. He wore a long black helmet that had a retractable visor. He had double-jointed legs with wheels for feet, a long and thick tail, and thin arms with sharp scissor-like claws. Whenever he spoke, he had a raspy voice. The creature's skin was blue and its eyes were green.

Next, all the floors needed to be mopped and the carpets vacuumed. Make no mistake, Raven was shouting out orders. Everything needed to be perfect and it was stressing the girl out.

The fliers then went outside to clean the windows, which meant that Draco and Starfire were doing it. Neko helped too as did ALPHA. Cathy, now regaining use of the ALPHA Gear, was allowed to go on missions.

Jinx and Terra did the mopping. Using their Inzecters and the Clock Up system, they were able to make all the floors nice and shiny.

Cyborg was stuck reorganizing the garage. The doors to Pluto's basement lab had been locked so there would be no danger of anyone going in there without Pluto's secret pass code.

Shadow used his telekinesis to raise the sofa as Raven vacuumed. He looked concerned at his wife. The thought of her mother visiting was causing her great amount of stress if his empathy was picking up on her emotions.

Robin in the kitchen, doing the dishes and wiping the tables and counters clean. Looks like living with Bruce Wayne hadn't made him soft at doing the housework. Good old Alfred.

Rose was given the worst job of all. It seemed that even after all this time, the blue mold in the fridge kept coming back and taking root. Despite getting a new and bigger fridge, the problem still occurred. Whatever attracted the blue fuzzy mold was still a mystery.

Renia had conveniently left the Tower early and hadn't answered her communicator. She was actually at the arcade. To her, housework was something she'd rather not get her hands dirty with doing. Then again, the last time they had her help out she destroyed all the dishes. It had been when someone accidentally called her small. Do the math.

Raven wiped the sweat off her brow, sitting on the sofa. After hours of work, they were finally done. Even the lobby looked presentable as did the kitchen. The old moldy food had been thrown down the garbage chute which led to an incinerator that dealt with the garbage.

Raven felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and turned her head around to see Shadow, sitting behind the sofa's back rest, and kneading her shoulder. "Relax, luv. You're getting way too stressed about all this."

"Can't help it," Raven replied. "This will be the first time my mother has ever visited Titans Tower and I want it to be perfect. You remember her house, right?"

He did. It was immaculate and bland.

"I just want to introduce her to my friends and maybe and hopefully have a normal relationship with her again," Raven continued.

"I know what you mean," Shadow said as he continued to rub her shoulders. She moaned as his hands did their magic. "My mother would occasionally drop by unannounced at my apartment. One visit had been very…eventful."

"What happened?" Raven asked.

"One word: Mongrel."

Raven needn't hear anymore. If Takada was involved it always ended horribly.

"It's a good thing Renia and Kenzaki are not here," Raven said in a relieved tone. "I like Renia, but she can be a little…"

"Loud?" supplied Shadowcobra.

"More like vulgar."

"She's just a child."

"I know, but she has a mouth like a sailor."

"And what about Kenzaki?" Shadow asked.

"I don't think mother would appreciate being under the same roof with a bounty hunter. He's a great ally but I'm not sure if I can call him a friend yet." Kenzaki had recovered quickly thanks to the TR-Chamber and had once again gone off on one of his hunts**, **though not without protests from Neko and Kumiko. That had been several days ago and Raven was relieved to not have him around.

"You're not sure if you can call Neko a friend yet either," Shadow added, "Rose and Cathy too."

"They were our enemies."

Shadow pointed out, "You forgave Terra."

"True, but only because she showed she was truly repentant. I'm not so sure about those three."

"Is it because you woke up with Copycat in bed with you that one time?" Shadow teased. Raven blushed at the memory, her face contorted into a look of disgust and embarrassment.

"Ichijyo!"

Shadow laughed. "Take your time, luv. You'll learn to trust them soon too as you did with the rest and I."

"Do _you_ trust them?" Raven asked her husband.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have returned the ALPHA Gear to Cathy or given the Smartrooper Riot Gear to Rose."

Shadow made a good argument. "How did Rose take it?" Raven asked. "I mean, I haven't seen her use it."

"She has yet to use it, unfortunately." Shadow sighed.

"I just hope my mother doesn't ask about children," Raven paused. "I mean, can you imagine us having kids?"

"Actually…" Shadow leaned down so his head was near her ear as he whispered, "We could _try_ and see what that would like." It was spoken in a rather suggestive tone.

SMACK!

"Ow!" Shadow yelled as he recoiled.

"Sorry, that was a reflex whenever you say something perverted," Raven apologized.

"OK, I'm not sure if I deserved that but I apologize for making such an inappropriate comment."

Raven sighed. "Sorry, I'm just really on edge."

Shadow added, "And you need to bathe. We all do. We've been cleaning the Tower and I believe a majority of us have perspired."

"OK, I guess I do need a bath."

"May I join you?" Shadow grinned lecherously.

SMACK!

"Ow!"

"Sorry!"

* * *

A few hours later evening had arrived and the Titans had gotten themselves cleaned up. Renia finally got back. Well, Raven had asked (threatened) the Homunculus to be on her best behavior and not blow up if her mother used the 'L' word or anything close.

They all stood on the roof.

"So, why are we here on the roof?" asked Changeling, the Titan formerly known as Beast Boy.

"My mother told me that she wanted to make an entrance," Raven shrugged. "I told her about the Tower and she suggested we wait for her on the roof."

"Oh, I so wish to meet Raven's mother," Starfire beamed.

"Yeah," Jinx added. "I've been wondering what she's like."

"A charming woman," Shadow said in deep respect.

Raven spoke, silencing them. "It's time. Take three steps back." They all did as told and a magical circle formed on the ground. Ryuki's eyes sparkled as did Neko's.

"Sugoi!" the twins admired.

"Wow!" Cathy admired, also impressed, her eyes wide with curiosity and amazement.

Shadow recognized a few Azarathean runes within the magical circle. The white light which radiated off it was holy and powerful magic. It sent a jolt through his nerves but he was able to compose himself.

Slowly, Arella began to appear as shimmering orbs of light spun around her. She slowly materialized in the circle. The glowing runes slowly began to fade as did the orbs, signifying that their job had ended. Arella pulled down her hood and smiled. She greeted, "Greetings, Teen Titans."

The boys gawked. Raven's mom was gorgeous!

"Woah!" Changeling exclaimed, "Raven, you never told me your mom was HOT!" Open mouth and insert foot Changeling. He received an intense glare from Raven and his girlfriend, Terra. The Cutter Inzecter on her shoulder was snapping its mandibles in a threatening manner. Starfire and Jinx quickly made sure their own boyfriends weren't staring at Arella like horny little boys.

Robin cleared his throat and greeted, "Welcome to Titans Tower. I'm-"

"Don't tell me," Arella politely interrupted, raising a hand. "My daughter has told me all about you. Let me guess." She began to identify each of the Titans, "You're Robin the leader, the girl with red hair is Starfire, Terra is the blonde, Jinx is the one with pink hair, the one with goggles is Draco, Cyborg is obviously the one made of metal, the youngest girl is Renia and finally there's the green one known as Beast Boy."

"Actually, I'm called Changeling now, ma'am," Changeling corrected.

Arella frowned. "The ones called Pluto and Blackfire are missing."

"They are on another planet right now, mother," Raven explained.

"I understand," Arella nodded. She saw the three other girls, "And who might you three be?"

"I'm Neko," Neko introduced herself, "I'm also known as Mimic. These are Rose and Cathy, also known as Ravager and Nekokage."

Cathy curtseyed politely and Rose gave a curt nod.

"And this is Gekiryuken," Neko introduced, pointing to her medallion.

"Greetings, madam," Gekiryuken greeted politely.

"A talking medallion," Arella murmurred. "A lot has changed it would seem," Arella commented. "Raven, you have very interesting friends." She smiled. "I'm glad for it."

"Thank you, mother," Raven accepted graciously. "We should go inside now."

"Right, I agree. I would like to see this Titans Tower for myself." She then turned her attention towards Shadow. "You look awfully quiet, Ichijyo. Is there anything wrong?"

"It's nothing, godmother," Shadow replied. Arella tapped his forehead.

"I've told you that you can call me Arella," Arella reminded.

"I'm sorry, but I must show respect to you," Shadow declined. "It was how I was raised."

Arella let out a small chuckle. Her son-in-law, whether he knew it or not, did have some quirks created through his rather bizarre upbringing. At least he'd grown up to be a fine gentleman.

"We've just prepared a feast in honor of your visit," Shadow said. "I hope you'll enjoy dinner."

"I'm sure I will."

"After you, godmother."

Arella rolled her eyes. To get him to stop calling her that would be a task in itself.

* * *

"_**She's here? Are you sure? The bride of Trigon is here?**_"

"**Yes, I sensed Azarathean magic being used. It was a transportation spell.**"

"_So, she's arrived_."

"**Now?**"

"_**You lazy bum! Of course now!**_"

* * *

Dinner was a quiet affair. Raven had asked (threatened) everyone to be on their best behavior. She didn't want dinner to be ruined by anything unexpected.

The meal had been prepared by Shadow, Cyborg, Changeling and Draco. Turns out since Changeling had been taking proper cooking lessons, he could actually cook something edible made out of tofu and vegetables. The tofu and vegetable soup was his concoction. Cyborg had prepared a lovely chicken stir-fry made with a special family recipe. He also made some fried chicken. Draco had prepared, surprisingly, pretty mild curry (mild for him that is). Raven didn't want her mother accidentally burning her tongue since Draco had a tendency of making his cooking a little too much on the spicy side. The curry was a lovely reddish orange color with bits of beef, potatoes, carrots and bell peppers. It was also thick and meant to be eaten with rice that he'd also prepared. For dessert, they would be having blackberry tarts that Shadow had made. It surprised Arella that Shadow knew a thing or two about cooking, well baking to be exact.

Arella, despite having to eat a strict vegetarian diet on Azarath, wasn't really a vegetarian. She had missed the taste of meat for a very long time and once she sat down, she immediately grabbed a piece of fried chicken and took a bite. She chewed, swallowed and sighed. "Now that was heaven!" She'd missed the taste.

Candid conversation was exchanged around the table and Arella wanted to hear all about their past adventures. She'd laughed at the Mother Mae-Eye story and commented, "I once wanted Raven to wear a dress like that."

"Mother!" Raven blushed, which caused Arella to laugh further.

After dinner and dessert, which everyone enjoyed much to Shadow's happiness, Arella was given a guided tour by her daughter, son-in-law, and Cyborg. Cyborg explained that he'd helped design the Tower the mainframe, and basically nearly everything in the tower.

As soon as the tour had ended, Arella sat down on the sofa to relax. Raven sat next to her and Shadow sat next to his wife. "Well, mother, what do you think?"

Arella sighed. "I'll be honest. If a few years ago you'd told me about this, I would've forced you to come with me to Neo Azarath and forbade you from ever contacting your friends. Thus lifestyle is dangerous." Raven frown. "However," Arella continued, "I can see that you feel at home here than you ever did on Azarath. These Titans, your teammates and friends, are your family here and I'd be a terrible mother for taking you away from that."

"Thank you, mother," Raven said gratefully.

"Also, if you hadn't come here, I doubt you'd met with Ichijyo," Arella smiled. "From what I heard, Ichijyo, you have changed quite a lot than I expected."

"Thank you, godmother," Ichijyo replied. Arella frowned.

"And I've told you many time to call me 'Arella' or at the very least 'mother'! We're family now," Arella said in exasperation.

Suddenly, the alarms blared. Arella gasped, "What's going on!?"

Shadow jumped from the sofa and activated the computer. The large flat screen monitor showed a map of the city and several locations were pinpointed with red spots, signifying a crime taking place in each one.

"It's trouble," Raven answered.

Robin and the others immediately ran into Ops to see what was going on. "Report," Robin ordered.

"We've got crimes being commited in four different locations," Shadow reported. "We might need to split up."

"Alright," Robin nodded. "Titans, let's move!"

Arella watched as the team of teen heroes left through the door. She prayed like any mother should for their daughter, "Be careful, Rachel."

* * *

The Titans split themselves into four group:

Group A: Robin (group leader), Starfire and Ravager (Rose).

Group B: Cyborg (group leader), Terra and Changeling.

Group C: Shadow (group leader), Raven and Renia (Crystal Alchemist).

Group D: Draco (group leader), Jinx, Mimic (Neko) and Nekokage (Cathy)

With the four Groups already set, they each split up towards their destinations, ready to carry out their assignments.

* * *

Group A arrived at the bank where Le Blanc was trying to blast open the safe. He already had dynamite planted. The guards had all been incapacitated and there were hostages too. Robin, Starfire and Ravager had to approach this carefully in order to save these people and to bring Le Blanc to justice.

"OK, here's the plan," Robin began as he, Starfire and Ravager stood outside the bank. The police were there to make sure no civilians tried anything foolish. It was protocol, really as Le Blanc, despite not having any impressive abilities, was still classed as a 'super' criminal. Because of that, the Titans were needed. "We'll try to sneak our way inside and then we'll take down Le Blanc. Then, I'll disarm the bombs."

Starfire nodded in understanding and then realized something, "Um…Robin? Where's Rose?"

Robin looked around to see that Ravager had vanished. He narrowed his eyes. "Great…just great…" he muttered sarcastically.

* * *

The thing about Rose was that there was no way in hell she was going to take orders from Robin. The only person she would ever consider listening to would be her dearest Neko. Right now, the Ravager was currently crawling in the ventilation system. She looked down from one of the grills to see that Le Blanc was currently hooking a bomb up to the safe. She shook her head and mumbled, "Extravagant as always." She took hold of the grill and began to carefully remove it. She set the grill aside and then used her flexibility to bring her legs under her. She then started to slide down the hole and gripped the edges with her hands. The hostages took notice of her and she placed a finger to her lips as a silent command for them to stay quiet. She then jumped down to the floor. Le Blanc hadn't taken notice of her or anything so Ravager quickly started to sneak up behind Le Blanc. The guy was so arrogant that he never thought of backup. She wondered why the Brotherhood had recruited him. Desperation, maybe?

Le Blanc laughed and spoke in a nasally French accent, "Now to start things with a bang!" He reached to his utility belt and pulled out a detonator. "Now it's time to say bonjour to a lot of cash." He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to face the cowl wearing Ravager.

"Au revoir," Ravager said before she punched him in the face. It was lights out for him. Smirking at the crumpled heap that was Le Blanc, she spoke into her communicator, "Robin, this is Ravager. Le Blanc is down."

* * *

Group B arrived at a high school where a football game was being interrupted by Atlas. He was throwing football players around like they themselves were the footballs.

Atlas laughed as he grabbed the fleeing football players and began flinging them around. The spectators fled in a panic from the mechanical madman. "Hah! Yes, weaklings! Flee from the Mighty Atlas!" he boasted.

His boasting was ceased by a massive wrecking ball meeting his face and sending him falling on his back. The cable retracted straight back into Cyborg's arm. Atlas picked himself back up and glared. "You!" Atlas shouted.

"That's right!" Cyborg grinned, boasting too, "I'm the one that kicked your butt, remember?" Standing with him were Terra and Changeling.

Atlas growled and cracked his knuckles, "Oh, I do, and I've gotten some modifications too." He converted his arm into a cannon like Cyborg's. Cyborg's eyes widened. "We managed to recover some of the information Blood had on your designs so I was fitted with them." He fired an orb of energy.

Terra slammed her foot on the ground and instantly a thick slab of dirt rose up to shield them from the energy orb. It was destroyed and Atlas began firing volleys of energy orbs at the three Titans. Terra got on her 'stone hover board' while Changeling ran from the blasts as a cheetah. Cyborg ran straight towards Atlas, ready to deal with the robot personally.

Cyborg threw a fist at Atlas' face, sending him staggering back. Atlas wiped the oil leaking from the corner of his mouth and grinned before he converted his cannon back into a fist. He threw a fist at Cyborg who blocked with his forearms and was sent skidding back along the field. "See? I have become stronger with my upgrades!" laughed Atlas. A rock slammed into his chest and he stared, "What's this?"

"Here's the weather forecast!" Terra announced, her hands glowing gold as she levitated several rocks above her, "It's a rock storm!" Rocks rained down on Atlas yet he shrugged them off.

"Hah, you think pebbles will be enough to defeat me?" Atlas snorted. Changeling, as a gorilla, grabbed Atlas from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. "Hah, is that all?" He bent his body over forwards and threw Changeling off him and crashing into some Gatorade. The sports drink spilled all over Changeling.

"Hey, this is a new uniform!" Changeling shouted, angry and soaked with grape and orange flavored Gatorade. He twisted the silver ring of his DNA Morpher, bringing up the holographic displays until he found the one he wanted. It was a Galvanic Mechomorph. "I'll have to hack my way in!" He slammed his palm down on the watch. "Henshin!"

In a flash of light Changeling was replaced by…a big bug. He had six limbs with the front ones acting as arms. He had a long tail with a stinger like a scorpion, dragonfly wings, a black head with four eyestalks, and a body that was black with purple strikes. The DNA Morpher's symbol was on his head.

"Aw…man!" Changeling shouted as he'd turned into a Lepidopterran, an insectoid alien, instead of his desired Galvanic Mechomorph. Note that the watch had a habit of turning him into the alien he did not select. The juice on him just added on to his now putrid smell. "Well," his wings buzzed. "Might as well use what I got." He took to the air.

Cyborg and Atlas resumed their grappling and with a roar the evil mech threw Cyborg into the stands. Terra tried to do something Draco had taught her and covered her body in rock. She threw a fist at Atlas and it made a 'gong' sound against his body. Atlas chuckled before raising his leg and kicking Terra backwards. "Well, time to take care of the weaklings." He strode towards Terra but suddenly some sort of green gunk had entrapped his right foot, sticking it to the ground. "What's this?"

"Don't you just hate it when you got gum stuck to your shoe?" Lepidopterran Changeling joked. His eye stalks were showing mirth. Atlas swung his arms at the alien bug but couldn't reach. He tried to pull his foot out to the gunk but was stuck.

"Come back here and fight, coward!" Atlas roared. He readied his cannon and charged it up but Changeling spat out a wad of the gunk into the cannon's barrel. Atlas' arm exploded as he tried to fire. "NO!"

"Ha ha!" Changeling laughed. He started to fly circles around Atlas, taunting him, while shooting the gunk out of his eyes. Atlas was not trapped and immobilized. Changeling landed next to Terra who covered her nose. "What?"

"Gar, don't stand too close to me right now," she said, blanching.

Atlas was struggling against his gunky restraints but then felt a tap on his head. He turned his head around 180 degrees to see Cyborg grinning. "Booyah." Cyborg converted his fist and slammed it into Atlas.

**BOOM!!  
**

After the smoke cleared, all that was left of Atlas was his head.

"Looks like we might just need a smaller cell," Changeling joked once he turned back to normal.

* * *

Group C arrived at a local movie theatre. The movie theatre was having a special 'Classic Monster Movie Marathon' which would explain all the screaming. However, the movies had to be really scary if people were running out of the theatre.

"I'm guessing that those people won't be getting their money back," Renia commented as she stood in front of the theatre with Shadow and Raven. Shadow had on his spell-caster uniform along with his purple cloak.

"Let's get inside and end this," Shadow ordered. Raven nodded and followed after her husband with Renia following behind them.

All they had to do was follow the screaming and they would find their man. There stood Control Freak in the lobby, holding his remote and all around him were famous Classic Movie Monsters. "Come, my army! We shall take over this city!"

"I don't think so, fanboy!" Shadow denied. He scolded himself, '_OK, I am turning into Robin right now._'

"So, the Teen Titans have come to face their arch nemesis, CONTROL FREAK!" Control Freak shouted. Control Freak of all people was using his remote to terrorize the audience. Conveniently for him it was a 'Classic Monster Movie Marathon' night at the theatre so right now Control Freak was using his remote to bring all the movie monsters to life and scaring the crap out of people.

Shadow just groaned. Despite how realistic the monsters appeared, they were still bound by Control Freak's remote. Considering Control Freak's track record, it would be easy to outsmart him by using his own fanboy obsession against him.

Renia looked at Control Freak blankly.

"Um…are you supposed to be a villain or some geek who got lost headed towards a Sci-Fi Convention?" Renia asked, clearly not remembering Control Freak. Control Freak's face turned red at being told off like that.

"I AM CONTROL FREAK!" he roared and commanded, "GET THEM!!"

The Movie Monsters like Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Mummy and Dracula all obeyed and lunged at the Titans. For Renia, once Dracula got too close, she smashed her crystal fist into his face, sending him flying and crashing into the popcorn machine. Popcorn spilled down all over the famed vampire. Renia leapt onto the counter and looked down at Dracula. Renia rolled her eyes as Dracula bared his fangs at her. He lunged but then got his heart impaled by a crystal blade.

Shadow rolled his eyes as Frankenstein's Monster and the Mummy both lumbered towards him. They weren't very fast and well it would be easy to take them down. He snapped his fingers and turned invisible. The two Monsters looked around for their missing quarry. Where had he gone? A loose length of bandage from the Mummy was given a swift tongue and the Mummy started to spin and spin and spin as the bandages were being pulled off. When the last of the bandages had been removed, nothing but a skeleton remained and it collapsed in a heap. Frankenstein's Monster then saw Shadowcobra appear once more. The Snake Knight dashed towards the monstrous amalgam of human body parts and started to use his staff to jab and strike at him. Frankenstein was strong and wouldn't budge despite the hits to his body and the monster man grabbed Shadow by the throat. He raised the Snake Knight and started squeezing. Shadow instinctively turned himself into shadow matter and slipped out from the monster's grasp. He then created blades of shadow matter and flung them at the monster, slicing his arms off. He leapt up and performed a bicycle kick, sending the monster staggering backwards.

Renia, seeing this, decided to give her assistance. She tapped her foot on the ground and sent a surge of Alchemical magic towards Frankenstein's Monster. A transmutation appeared beneath the behemoth's feet and he looked down curiously.

"Let's see how you look as a nice lawn ornament," Renia grinned before snapping her fingers. Slowly, crystal began to spread up the Frankenstein's Monsters legs. It spread up and all over his body before completely encasing him. Actually, he'd been turned into inert crystal. The disembodied arms were lying on the ground, unmoving.

"Good job," Shadow complimented. Renia rubbed under her nose.

Raven was dodging claw slashes and bites from the Wolfman. She chanted, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" and threw a chair at the werewolf. It howled and pounced. She was pinned to the ground and he snarled in her face.

"Two words: breath mints," she said in a bored tone before she called out, "Adeat!" Her Scythe of Light formed in her hand and she used the Scythe's energy to blast the werewolf off her. She got back to her feet and duster her cloak. "No way am I letting you have your way with me."

The werewolf lunged at her and she gripped her scythe. When the Wolfman got in range, she swung her scythe downwards and sliced the werewolf cleanly straight down the middle in half. She watched as its two pieces dropped down on the carpet. She grinned. "That was almost too easy…"

Control Freak was stunned at seeing Raven's scythe and had stars in his eyes, "THAT IS SO AWESOME!" He muttered, "Note to self: give Raven action figure a grim reaper scythe!" He shouted, "But, don't think you've beaten me yet, Titans! With my remote I shall make a new army!"

Shadow turned to Renia, "Ren, you know what to do."

Renia nodded and chanted a spell. Her appearance then began to change as her body shimmered.

As Control Freak was laughing maniacally, like he had won, a serene voice entered his ears, "Oh, Control Freak. Would you like to play with me?" His eyes followed towards the source of the voice and his jaw dropped as his eyes widened.

There…standing before him…was a vision of beauty…it was STARFIRE IN A SKIMPY PURPLE STRING BIKINI!! 'Starfire' was doing a provocative pose, showing off her body to him. She blew him a kiss.

"OH BABY!!" Control Freak shouted, his entire attention on 'Starfire' as she giggled.

Raven rolled her eyes and with her magic pulled Control Freak's remote out of his hand. His grip hadn't even been strong. He was drooling which was rather unattractive as he ogled at 'Starfire'.

Raven placed the remote in Shadow's hand who then dropped it to the floor and crushed it with his foot. The Movie Monsters all vanished and Renia turned back to normal.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Control Freak wailed, not even noticing his missing remote. "Starfire turned into a runt!"

He just said runt.

Not good…for him.

A vein throbbed on Renia's forehead as she roared, "WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU PERVERTED SICKO!! DIE!!"

"ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!" Control Freak screamed in agony. "GET THIS MIDGET OFF ME!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MIDGET THAT NEEDS A HIGH CHAIR TO EAT IN A RESTAURANT AND TOO SHORT TO RIDE THE ROLLERCOASTER, FATSO!?"

* * *

Group D arrived at the museum. There trying to rob the place blind were none other Billy Numerous and his gang of duplicates. There were only twelve Billies now but that could change at any moment. Luckily, Draco knew how to beat Billy thanks to some info Jinx managed to recover from her days back in the HIVE Academy. Mimic and Nekokage were ready too.

Billy and his gang of well…Billies, were in the museum. They were just grabbing whatever it was they could find without a care. All they really cared about was how much they could sell this old 'junk'.

Despite their cunning and the ability to duplicate themselves, they weren't exactly geniuses. It meant it would be easy to outsmart them, if one knew how…

Billy Prime felt something touch his shoulder. He spun around and saw nothing. "Must be my imagination…" he muttered.

"Guess again, Billy," grinned Mimic as she appeared in front of him. "Boo!"

"Argh!!" Billy Numerous Prime screamed as he backed away, memories of what Katherine considered training coming back to him as he saw Mimic. The two had the same face and thus the same affect on him: fear.

The Billies were alerted by their source's scream. Jinx, Cathy and Draco appeared in the museum, having teleported inside, taking advantage of their shock. "You're all under arrest!" Draco announced. "So freeze!" He emphasized this by freezing several Billies in ice.

Cathy, while on the field, was known as Nekokage. Her uniform was jet black and tight ninja uniform that did not hinder her movements and had a hole cut for her tail. She wore a hood and clothe mask, revealing only her eyes. The hood had cat ears on top.

"You traitor!" Billy Prime shouted as he glared at Jinx. His eyes fell on Mimic. "Hey, you look just like my boss."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Mimic shrugged. She kneeled down and took hold of a steel bar. She turned her skin into solid steel. Billy Prime stared. "And I get those too," she grinned.

"GET THEM!!" Billy Prime shouted and the duplicates dropped what they were doing.

"Don't damage the artifacts! Ikuzo!" Draco ordered. Mimic grinned and with that bit of power she absorbed from Billy made a dozen duplicates of herself, much to Billies chagrin.

"Hey, don't steal my thing!" Billy Prime shouted.

Nekokage pounced on a Billy and then leapt up in the air. She twisted her body and kicked a Billy in the head as she dropped before going into a roundhouse that knocked another Billy down. Two of them charged at her from either side. In the blink of an eye she turned invisible and they knocked into one another. She possessed cat-like agility and the power to turn invisible. A dangerous combination. Jinx got dogpiled by Billies but a bright pink flash sent the flying in all directions. Draco quickly started throwing ice beams all around him freezing up Billies in ice. The Mimics all started bashing Billy heads together and beating the crud out of each other.

Billy Numerous Prime began to sneak away, hoping his duplicates would but him some time. There were still other places he could hit. He headed for the door quietly but then a vase was smashed into the back of his head, shattering on impact. Billy Prime fell down like a sack of potatoes and with that all his other duplicates vanished. Mimic's duplicates also vanished as she turned her skin back to normal.

Mimic grinned but then heard her brother yell, "Neko-chan!!" He ran towards her. "You broke a priceless vase!" He frowned. "Shadow is not going to like this." Not at all.

"Hey, stuff was gonna get broken anyway," Mimic shrugged.

"Ojou-sama, I do believe that you need to practice more restraint," Gekiryuken advised, "You cannot disregard priceless artifacts like that."

Mimic rolled her eyes and Nekokage inspected the pieces of the vase. "Mama, look at this." She picked up a piece and Mimic read it. There was something written inside.

"Made in…Taiwan?" Mimic quirked an eyebrow. She turned to her brother, "Priceless, huh?"

Jinx couldn't help but laugh as her boyfriend's expression of shock. Soon, Gekiryuken, Nekokage and Mimic joined in and finally Draco joined in the laughter.

* * *

"You disobeyed orders!" Robin yelled as himself, Rose and Starfire entered the Tower.

"Must you tell me that again?" Ravager retorted, annoyed by Robin's ranting. "I mean, you've been going on and on about that."

"We're supposed to be a team, meaning you need to follow the plan," Robin explained.

"You mean follow _your_ plan," Ravager responded with a snort. "We got the job done, didn't we?"

Robin was about to speak again when Starfire stopped him. "Dearest Robin, the important thing is that the people are safe and Le Blanc is in prison. The job has been done."

Robin sighed. Starfire was right but still…Ravager was still Slade's daughter and in the past she had fought against them. She gave them little reason to trust her and well she still needed to earn that trust in his eyes. She was already wearing the new SB buckle on her so she could transform at anytime.

They went up the elevator to the top floor. They then walked along the hallway, with Ravager and Robin keeping their distance away from each other. Starfire sighed. She had learnt to value Rose as a friend already, much like she valued Jinx upon her own arrival in the past.

They entered the Common Room to see everyone already there, finished with their job and with no arguments between them. At least most of them managed to get along before, during and after a mission, despite the result.

"What kept you?" Shadow asked. "It was only Le Blanc, wasn't it?"

"Oh, the Boy Wonder here held us up afterwards by lecturing me," Ravager jabbed a thumb at Robin who glared back.

"Mommy, we beat Billy together!" Cathy boasted. "Actually, mama and I did all the work."

"Cathy, it's not nice to lie," Neko reminded.

"But you used to tell me to always lie when in trouble or to look good," Cathy replied. Neko groaned. It was going to take a while to teach Cathy a few new lessons like telling the truth. It was a good thing she'd gotten her away from the place or else Katherine would've corrupted her further.

"You taught her that?" Gekiryuken inquired.

"I wasn't thinking straight back then," Neko answered.

"You have very interesting teammates, Rachel," Arella commented idly.

"Yes, they are," Raven smiled. "And I wouldn't want it any other way."

Suddenly, the nearby radio was playing VERY LOUD music. Judging from its now black exterior and the green circuitry pattern, the culprit was obvious.

"GAR! KNOCK IT OFF!" Raven shouted. Changeling slipped off the radio and reformed himself into a vaguely humanoid shape with long arms, big hands and a single eye. He was black and green with the DNA Morpher's symbol on his chest and green circuitry patterns along the black parts. A green circular outline made up the alien's cycloptic eye. As a Galvanic Mechomorph Changeling possessed the ability to bond with machines and upgrade them. He could've used it on Atlas but since Atlas was more or less sentient, it would've been difficult to control him for long. Controlling Cyborg wouldn't be an option since Cyborg absolutely hated it whenever someone tried to hack into him. It was a bit personal for him. Of course, the watch had turned him into a Lepidopterran instead.

"Aw, but Raven! Those tunes were awesome!" Changeling spoke in a digital voice. The DNA Morpher symbol flashed red and in a flash of red light he was restored to normal. "Great, it runs out on me again."

* * *

"_**Let's go and capture them now!**_"

"_We must wait and plan carefully. The daughter has powerful allies._"

"_**Who cares!? We can just kill them!**_"

"**So impulsive as always.**"

"_We need to get them alone somehow and then we capture them._"

* * *

_Though I am her mother, I barely know my own daughter. Despite the teachings of Azarath, I wanted so much to hold Rachel in my arms and tell her that I loved her. However, that would only hinder her training and to control her powers she needed to be separated from me. Azar said that it was for the best and for a long time I believed her. Maybe Azar was preparing Rachel for the future when the time of the Prophecy came and when Rachel had to make a choice. I don't know what Rachel would choose and I only hoped she would make the right one._

_She ultimately made the biggest mistake of her life. She brought Trigon to Earth and with him he brought force pain and suffering. How could Rachel do such a thing? Was it because her hold on her emotions had weakened or was it because of something else? I never got the full story from her. However, seeing as Trigon is gone, I see now that Raven had managed to fix her mistake with the help and support of her friends._

_When Azarath fell at Trigon's hand, she thought for many years that I had perished with it. However, I was able to send her a psychic message, assuring her that myself and others had survived and moved on to a new home. I wouldn't be able to communicate her for awhile but I knew she got the message. _

_When Rachel brought Ichijyo to Neo Azarath, I was very surprised. I never expected that my daughter would fall in love with my god-son. Yes, I am Ichijyo's godmother. I helped deliver him as I delivered his sister before him and brother after him. His parents are my closest friends and the ones that brought me to Azarath once I was impregnated by Trigon. They too also assisted in the evacuation of the Azaratheans to New Azarath. Despite his demonic heritage, he was my friend, and I accepted him as I accept his son to be the lover and fiancé of my daughter._

_They told me many tales of their adventures and I was surprised to hear of all the things my daughter had done with her powers. She had saved many lives, fought super villains, and saved the world. It made me very proud of Rachel. She had grown up to be a beautiful young woman. Except for her skin, she looked just like me when I was her age._

_On Azarath, my daughter and god-son were wed. It was really funny to see Ichijyo faint at the sight of his parents attending. Before this I had wanted to scare him since he didn't remember me. I did that only because I was a parent and wanted what was best for Rachel._

_Now, here I am, in the home of my daughter and my friends. They are the protectors of this city known as Jump and the protectors of this world too._

_I am very, very proud of my daughter._

-Arella/Angela Roth

To Be Continued…

Notes:

Question:

Who are the mysterious 3 voices?

Which alien do you want Changeling to turn into next?

Kineceleran is the alien species XLR8 is from, which belongs to "Ben 10"

Galvanic Mechomorph is the alien species Upgrade belongs to from "Ben 10"

Lepidopterran is the species Stinkfly is from, also from "Ben 10"


	93. PT093: Moving Onwards

Part 93: Moving Onwards

On a relatively peaceful morning, the Teen Titans, minus Kenzaki who was still off-world, and plus Arella who was still visiting her daughter, were sitting down for breakfast. After the normal argument between Changeling and Cyborg over meat and tofu, everything settled down, like it always did. Yep, everything was normal, including the portal forming itself in the Common Room. Everyone turned to see the familiar face of Warren Smith pop out of the portal. He walked out of the portal with a yawn. "Man, I really need a drink…" He looked over at the Titans and waved at them. "Morning Titans!" he said. He then noticed Arella and his face paled, all the color leaving his face.

"Warren-san, daijoubu?" asked Ryuki.

Warren then leapt backward and curled into the fetal position. "Don't shoot! I married Raven! I did the right thing!"

Arella stared. "Did he say he married Raven?" she asked, eyes on her daughter. "Did you marry another man without me knowing?"

"Mother!" Raven gasped.

"Warren's an interdimensional traveler who hails from an alternate dimension," Shadow explained. "He's a good friend of Draco's and loves to stop by. Also, he's married to an alternate version of Raven."

Arella blinked and said to Raven, "It's never a dull moment here, is it?"

"It never is," Raven replied.

"Warren-san, it's okay! Relax. This isn't the same Arella you know," Ryuki attempted to calm his friend down.

"It…isn't?" Warren spoke coherently. Draco nodded as he helped his friend up. "Woah, that's a relief."

"Don't shoot me?" Shadow repeated. "What is that supposed to mean or do I want to know?" Knowing Warren, it would be a funny story.

"Shadow, remember how you said it was a shotgun wedding…Arella used an actual shotgun for our wedding," answered Warren. "Where a pacifist got a shotgun, I don't know and frankly, I don't want to."

"So what brings you back here so soon?" Draco asked curiously.

Warren's expression was serious, meaning he had urgent news and news from Warren with that expression was never the good type.

"OK, since you're all here, I might as well get straight to business," said Warren. "Ryuki, I've been doing some research on my world, using some of my connections through the S-Loan office, Hellsing and the Soul Society, and I found that someone is on your world. Someone who shouldn't be."

"Who?" asked Robin.

"Damien is on your world."

Draco's eyes widened and so did Neko's. They both remembered Damien. "HE'S HERE!?" Neko and Draco shouted in shock.

"OK, who's Damien?" asked Jinx.

"Remember when I told you about Ryuga?" questioned Draco and Jinx nodded. "Let's just say Damien and he have a lot in common."

"How bad is this Damien dude anyway?" Beast Boy asked.

"He makes Trigon looks like a cupcake," Neko answered.

"You're kidding, right?" Raven asked. How could anyone be that powerful?

"If I was kidding, I would be telling a knock-knock joke right now. If Damien's here, it's not good," Neko said worriedly.

"How do you know so much about him?" Robin questioned suspiciously. Neko remained silent. She did not want to go into that. "Well?"

"Robin, please don't ask her that," Draco protested. "There are some things she doesn't want to talk about."

"But this is important," Robin said. "Isn't it?"

"I'll tell you guys then," Warren said. Neko looked horrified. Warren began his explanation about Damien, "Like my universe has a version of Raven, Damien's universe had a version of me… in fact, he is me." Everyone, with the exception of Neko and Ryuki, looked at Warren in stunned silence. "In fact, a part of Damien is still with me…" Warren tapped his head, "In here." He got a few looks from the Titans. "I suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder…"

"What's that?" asked Changeling.

"Multiple personalities," answered Warren. "Damien was the personality that was created through all the bad stuff that I went through in life. Child abuse, seeing my foster mother killed, being killed, anything you can think of. One day I snapped and killed Dr. Light. On that day, I could have gone in one of two directions. Damien went down the wrong path. He completely controls his universe. Not only that, but like Neko said, Trigon is nothing compared to him."

"So, what is he doing here then?" Raven asked. "Why is he here? From what you told us we would've noticed something."

"I don't know, but if I know myself I would be waiting for the right moment to strike," Warren finished.

Cyborg nodded and ordered, "T.I.T.A.N., initiate a DNA scan on Warren Smith."

A device resembling a camera came down from the ceiling and fired a beam that swept over Warren. The beam then receded into the ceiling.

Cyborg continued, "Run scan on DNA matches." He turned towards Warren, "If he's in the city, we'll find him."

* * *

"_We strike now when they're out of the tower._"

"**We strike now when they're vulnerable.**"

"_**We strike now when they're so close**_."

* * *

While Raven and Starfire were in civvies (civilian clothes), Arella was earning a lot of stares due to her white robe. She hadn't brought any luggage along with her so now she had been coaxed into shopping by Starfire. Raven decided to tag along to make sure her mother didn't end up getting dressed up by Starfire. Starfire, despite being knowledgeable about fashion, could not comprehend that her taste in clothing did not match others.

They were in the mall, Cyborg having driven them there. Terra, Jinx and Renia could not come since it was time for their training. Cyborg would come to pick them up later.

"The mall is quite impressive, is it not?" Starfire asked Arella.

"Yes, it is," Arella admired. "It's been such a long time since I've set foot in a place like this. I used to be considered a shopaholic in the past and I used my dad's credit cards to buy whatever I wanted. My parents didn't like it when I did that but they never cared about me so why should I care what they thought."

Raven had never seen her mother so…open before. In fact, this was the first time she'd heard about her mother's life prior to Azarath and caught a glimpse of what her mother had been like as a teen.

"This was before…?" Raven began.

"Before I got into the wrong crowd," Arella admitted. By the wrong crowd, she meant the Order of Scath. "I didn't know any better back then, Raven, and I was afraid, but I never regretted having you."

Raven smiled. Despite their limited interaction in the past on Azarath, they were still mother and daughter. There was still a connection between them.

Arella had once in the past contemplated suicide after she'd been rescued from the cult. Having been raped by Trigon, she had conceived Raven that very night. If it hadn't been for Ichiro and Keiko taking care of her and bringing her to Azarath, well…Arella didn't know what would've happened.

"We're here!" Starfire announced, beaming, and Raven blanched. No wonder Terra, Renia and Jinx had declined. It was Starfire's favorite place to shop…

"Planet…Pink?" Raven said, feeling sickened by all the pink.

"Isn't it marvelous?" Starfire said happily, oblivious to her friend's discomfort. "This is where I've bought my favorite articles of clothing."

"You don't say," Raven said cynically. The place sold pink tops, bathing suits and even underwear. This wasn't a place Raven would be caught dead at. Happy Raven maybe but that was a very small part of her.

"Let us go," Starfire began, dragging Raven inside. Raven was powerless against Starfire's strength.

"Um, Miss Starfire," Arella began. "How about a different place?"

Starfire blinked, "A different place? But what about?"

"We've got some time. We can check this store out before we leave."

Starfire took a moment to think about it as Raven pulled her hand away from Starfire's grip. "I supposed that would be acceptable," Starfire answered.

Arella smiled and Raven whispered, "Thank you, mother."

"Well, you never truly loved pink as I recall," Arella replied.

"With good reason," Raven nodded.

* * *

"_So, you know what to do?_"

ARMS snorted, crossing his arms, "Yeah, yeah. You just pay me and I'll deliver."

"**Don't damage the goods, alright?**"

"_**It doesn't matter! As long as they're alive it doesn't matter!**_"

ARMS rolled his visor covered eyes. He was a mercenary so he couldn't be picky about the people who hired him. He just wished he didn't get the crazy ones for once.

* * *

"So the three stars in Orion's Belt aren't really stars but planets?" Robin questioned, trying to understand the bit of information he had just received from Shadow regarding a question he'd asked about the Deathtrons' planet.

"That's right," Shadow nodded, "But to more accurate they are artificial planets. Like giant space stations"

"And these artificial planets are the home to…"

"The Orions," Shadow finished. "Their original home world, Planet Orion, was the home to numerous alien species that lived in peace. There were three main governing bodies…"

"The Deathtrons, Sabretrons and Trikatrons, right?" Robin stated. Shadow nodded, pleased that Robin had paid attention up until now. Then again, he shouldn't be surprised. Robin was a detective and had to pay attention to even the minutest of details. It was his obsession that was trouble.

"While the Sabretrons wanted a peaceful co-existence with the rest of the galaxy, the more power hungry Deathtrons wished to conquer other world. The Trikatrons were merely content with living their lives the way they chose, not choosing sides. Then, the war began and eventually the planet became so uninhabitable that the three nations needed to evacuate. They built spherical evacuation ships and launched them into space, carrying everyone as the planet itself died. Over time the three ships evolved into space stations and finally became artificial worlds with their own atmosphere. They could stimulate day, night and weather. Their worlds were also light years apart but even so, they still formed Orion's Belt," Shadow explained. "They became the planets Death, Trika and Sabre."

"OK, I guess that makes sense," Robin nodded. "But, what about the war? It came to Earth, right?"

"It did, and it was on this planet that it ended," Shadow finished. He knew the full story, however. The Legendary Squadron Elemental Rangers, descendants and reincarnations of the Orions that had escaped to Earth, had defeated Vaiolangaizer. "So, if that's all, I think I should take my leave."

"Yeah, that does clear a lot of things up," Robin agreed. "So, why did you decide to finally tell me?"

Shadow sighed, "I guess because I sensed a lot of questions regarding what the Sabretrons and Deathtrons really are. Maybe I just wanted to satisfy your curiosity."

Robin nodded and commented, "You know, it's almost dark. Starfire, Raven and Arella should be back by now."

"Yes, and it worries me slightly," Shadow agreed. His Pactio card which depicted Raven had been giving him trouble. It was trying to tell him something, but what?

In an instant, Starfire's face showed up on the large computer/TV screen. She looked absolutely panicked. It was never a good sign.

"Starfire, what's wrong?"

Shadow fell silent when he heard her answer.

"_Arella and Raven! I cannot find them! They have vanished!_"

* * *

Shadow held the Pactio card in his hand. It was the one made between him and Raven. It was his link with her and he was going to use it to find her. He decided to do this alone. While the other Titans were out looking for her and Arella without success since Raven's communicator signal had gone cold. However, he would find her without trouble at all. She had her copy of their Pactio and with it he could find her using his master copy.

Starfire had told them they had ventured into a store called the 'Reject Shoppe', a warehouse outlet, and decided to try on some clothes. They'd entered the changing rooms together but only Starfire came out. When she'd gone to check on Raven and Arella, they had gone. The only way they could've vanished was because someone using the Mirror World had been involved and Shadow suspected a Knight was involved.

As he was walking along the dark street of the slums, he could see the homeless sitting in alleys, keeping warm at night with a fire they had made in old empty oil drums. Shadow frowned at their poverty but despite his wealth he couldn't really exterminate poverty. He could only help them, which resulted in the homeless shelter he'd opened up in the area a year ago once he began protecting the slums.

If he had walked in his usual cloak, he would've garnered attention. Instead, he was clad in a black turtleneck shirt, a black trench coat, matching black slack, black leather shoes and black gloves. His black hair was combed so that the bangs would cover his Mark of Sin and his eyes were completely black with blood red irises.

"Change?" one homeless man approached him, hands out, begging for money. Shadow reached into his coat and pulled out a wad of cash. He knew if he just handed the money to the man, the others would come crawling asking for more. With a single toss, he threw the money into the air and the sheets of paper came raining down. Many other homeless came out scurrying from their hiding places like rats and went to catch the money as it came falling. Shadow walked away. He didn't care if they were fighting amongst themselves or anything. Right now all he cared about was finding his wife and Arella.

He stopped in mid step and drew something from his coat, spinning around before aiming his Gunblade at an invisible target. He said, "It's useless to hide from me, Gar. I can still sense you, even in that form."

An Ectonurite slowly faded in. The homeless who saw him fled in fear at seeing the 'ghost'. The alien's appearance did hold the appearance of one, or at least one wearing a sheet to look like a ghost for Halloween. Its skin was grey with black tracks, it had thin arms with no muscle on them, four fingered hands, and in the place of legs was a tail that waved in the air. It had s single pink eye that stared back at Shadow eerily. The symbol of the DNA Morpher was on his chest.

"Dude, seriously, so not cool how you can sense me," Changeling replied in an eerie raspy voice. "And can you take that gun away."

"I can still smell you without trying. Your odor is not one I can ignore," Shadow replied as he withdrew his gun from the Ectonurite's head and slipped it into his coat. He asked, "Why did you follow me? I thought I asked to do this alone."

"Robin was worried and he had a hunch that you weren't totally honest about not knowing where Raven and her mom are," Changeling replied. No sense of lying to someone who could dig into your brain for the info. "You do know where they are."

"No, but I know how to find them," Shadow flashed Changeling the card.

"That Pactio thingy?" Changeling questioned. Shadow nodded. "But doesn't Starfire have one of those too?"

"A Pactio card links the Ministra Magi to their Magistra Magi and vice versa. It doesn't link between two Ministra Magi, despite being partnered with the same Magistra Magi," Shadow explained. "Now, go back to Robin and tell the others to stay out of this. This is personal."

"It's personal for us too!" Changeling snapped, the eye moving along the tracks. "Raven's our friend!"

"She's also my wife!" Shadow shot back, "And one of the Codes of the Akuma Clan is to always take care of family. I don't need you or the others, so just leave." He turned around to walk ahead.

"She's our family too so that applies to us as well, whether you like it or not," Changeling spoke seriously.

Shadow sighed. Initially, he saw Garfield as nothing more than an immature simpleton, but he'd seen him grow into a man and a man stuck by his friends no matter the odds. Shadow was pushing the ones who cared about him away, and it wasn't right…it just wasn't…

"Alright, you can help," Shadow said and Changeling smiled despite the fact you couldn't see a visible mouth on his Ectonurite form. "But you do what I say and when I say it, understand?" Changeling nodded. Shadow turned his eyes towards a nearby alley, "That applies to you too, Warren."

Warren stepped from the shadows. "Fine," said Warren. Even if it wasn't his world's Raven, it was still Raven and he'd do anything to protect her. The DNA Morpher timed out, revealing Changeling in his true form.

"Follow me," Shadow ordered and he led the Wraith and shape-shifter towards the destination the card was leading him to…Raven. Find Raven and they find Arella.

They stopped at a manhole. "Here," Shadow said, slipping the card into his coat and lifting up the manhole cover. He flung it aside and asked, "You two coming?"

"It's not like I haven't gotten myself dirty before," Warren shrugged. He rubbed his hands together. "Let's do this."

Shadow climbed down the ladder, followed by Warren. Changeling hesitated for a second before grumbling, "Fine!" He climbed in after them. "Ugh, this so stinks!"

* * *

"_**Soon, very soon, our master will return!**_"

"_The two sacrifices have been prepared, I take it?_"

"**Yes, and we already paid that mercenary. He left us with a message.**"

"_Which is?_"

"'**Good luck because you're going to need it'.**"

"_**Hah! Luck? We need no such things!**_ _**We have faith in our power! Our power shall return the Master to his glory. Hail Trigon**_!"

"_You're quite eager._"

"**I don't believe eager describes him well enough.**"

"_Even so, we wait until the time is right, and then their blood shall return Trigon to this plane of existence._"

* * *

Raven was slowly coming too. She was trying to move her arms but realized they had been tied together behind her. Her legs were also bound together at the ankles. Her eyes looked around. A gag had been tied around her mouth too. She had been tied to a pillar of some sort. To her side was her mother, Arella, also bound and gagged. Arella had been stripped down to her undergarments and so was she.

Raven remembered seeing a man in green armor grabbing her. ARMS! ARMS had grabbed her and he must've grabbed her mother too. But why? Was he acting under orders and if so, then whose?

She looked around the chamber. It looked like a temple made to serve as the base for a cult. Demonic statues lined the walls holding lit torches and there were support pillars with blood red occult runes on them. Raven looked down towards the floor and saw the Mark of Scath on it with various runes in a circle around it. The runes also decorated the walls. Whoever had done this had links with the Order of Scath and thus links with Trigon.

But Trigon was dead, right? So why all this?

She would get her answer soon enough as the door to the chamber opened.

* * *

The phrase 'dirty job but somebody has to do it' would apply to this situation as Shadow, Warren and Changeling walked along the sewers with the Snake Knight in the lead. Changeling had his nose covered since it was picking up the worst smell imaginable. What else would you expect to find in the sewers?

"It's not far," Shadow informed them.

"You sure?" Warren asked. "It's like we've been walking for ages."

"Wish the others were here," stated Changeling. Shadow gave him a glare. "I know, I know. You want to sneak inside and we can't pull it off with that many of us."

"At least you remember that," Shadow gave a curt nod before looking ahead.

"We're supposed to be looking for an entrance, right?" Warren asked.

"Something like that," Shadow replied. "If I know which Knight had done this I could just take the information away from him, but unfortunately the only ones I can think of are Copycat and ARMS."

"So, you think either of them kidnapped Raven?"

"I'm sure of it."

Several rats scurried away as they stepped ahead.

Suddenly, Shadow's danger senses reacted and the Snake Knight erected a dome of darkness around them before several shots were heard and the bullets bounced off the dome. Shadow dropped the dome and glared at the figure before them.

"Grant…Wilson…" Shadow hissed as his eyes were focused on the green armored Knight of Taurus.

"That's right," ARMS snorted as he had his submachine gun aimed at the trio. "And you're all going down."

"I should've suspected it was you who kidnapped Raven," Shadow spoke. "So, Slade and Copycat are planning something."

"Oh, it's not their plan," ARMS denied. "Just some guy who decided to hire me."

"Guy? What guy?" demanded Changeling. ARMS shrugged.

"Heh, just some loon from some dead cult called the Order of Scath," ARMS shrugged. Shadow, Changeling and Warren's eyes widened in shock at hearing the name Scath. Scath was a pseudonym for Trigon the Terrible!

* * *

"_The bride and daughter of Trigon_," the black robed and hooded figure began as he approached the two bound women. His face was covered by a yellow drama mask depicting happiness. Arella began to stir but couldn't speak due to her gag. "_As much as I would love to hear your screams, the ceremony will begin soon. Of course, I need to wait and it's not time yet._" He chuckled. "_Oh, and don't bother with trying to use your magic. Yours is useless due to the runes in this room._" He rolled up his sleeve to reveal the same runes had been tattooed to his skin, reminding Raven of the marks that'd appeared on her skin prior to Trigon's arrival, "_While the runes grant me power._" He waved his hand in front of his masked face and switched it with a blue mask depicting sorrow. "**But, it bores me that you have nothing to say, so…**" He snapped his fingers and the gags were torn off. "**How's that?**" He waved his hand in front of his mask, switching it with a red one depicting anger, "_**Can you talk now?**_"

"Who are you?" Raven demanded, struggling.

"_**We…**_" Angry Mask began before switching with Sorrowful Mask.

"…**Are…" **Sorrowful Mask paused before switching with Happy Mask.

"…_The Triad!" _Happy Mask finished.

* * *

Shadow took his deck out of his pocket, "The Triad?"

"Yep, and I guess you can say he can give Two-Face a run for his money," ARMS replied. "Well, the Triad paid to grab Raven and her mom and also paid me for extra security."

"What are they planning?" demanded Warren.

"Heck should I know and heck should I care. I get paid, end of story."

Shadow was ready to transform when Warren placed a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "I'll take care of this trigger-happy merc-bull. You go save Raven and her mom."

"No, we'll take care of him," Beast Boy added firmly. "Warren, I'll back you up."

Shadow gave a curt nod and ran ahead. ARMS aimed his gun at Shadow and shouted, "No way!"

There was a bright flash of light and then a fireball smashed into ARMS' chest.

"I don't think so," scoffed a humanoid made of red hot rock with glowing yellow veins that had molten lava running through them, and a skull-like flaming head. The emblem on his chest identified him as Changeling who'd DNA Morphed into a Pyronite. "Shadow, go get the girls!"

Shadow nodded and ran past ARMS quickly, following the Pactio and his gut instincts.

"Bring it on!" ARMS shouted as he opened fire on Changeling but the bullets seemed to melt as soon as they hit the intensely hot skin of the Pyronite. Even the water was starting to boil from the alien's body heat.

Warren got ready and muttered, "Good luck," before he shouted "SHATTER!!"

* * *

"_The blood of the bride and daughter is required to revive our Lord_," started Happy Mask.

Sorrowful Mask continued, drawing a ceremonial dagger out of his sleeve, "**And that time is now.**"

Angry Mask finished, "_**This is what you're here for. Nothing more and nothing else. Consider it an honor that this will be your last service to Lord Trigon**_."

Raven spat, "It won't work!"

"**Why do you even bother to deny the inevitable?**" Sorrowful Mask questioned. "**It's pointless.**"

"Because we have faith," Arella answered, "Faith that there'll be others to stop you."

Angry Mask scoffed, "_**Your faith is meaningless compares to OURS!**_"

"Is it?" Raven smirked before the door was kicked open. Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra ran into the room.

"WHAT!?" The Triad shouted in unison.

"Raven!" Shadowcobra shouted as he saw the bound women. He hissed hatefully, "You dare kidnap my wife and godmother?"

The Triad's eyes narrowed behind the Happy Mask, "_So, you're the daughter's husband and the bride's god-son? A Zodiac Knight?_"

"Correct, and you're finished!" Shadowcobra prepared to blast him with a shadow ball…but found that he couldn't. "What is this?"

Sorrowful Mask of the Triad explained, "**The runes in this room neutralizes all mystical energy but mine and I see yours are mystical in nature**."

Shadow hissed and shouted, "I don't need my powers to take you down!" He charged, drawing his Cobra Staff and letting out a war-cry. He swung his staff at the Triad's face but it met with an energy barrier. Shadowcobra was sent flying when the force of his attack was redirected back to him and sent him crashing into a pillar. Shadowcobra drew out his Gunblade and opened fire but his shots were absorbed into a red energy barrier around the Triad's body.

"_**Your weapons, power and strength are meaningless here and nothing compared to mine!**_" the Triad boasted. He chanted a spell and red lightning struck Shadowcobra from all direction, causing the Snake Knight to scream and drop his weapons in agony.

"Ichijyo!" Raven shouted. Arella turned her head away. Shadowcobra collapsed onto his knees, his entire body smoking.

"_**Heh, a weakling**_," snorted Angry Mask. He turned towards the two women, the ceremonial dagger in hand. It is time…

"No!" Shadowcobra got back to his feet and lunged forward. He struck but his attack got countered by the dagger and Shadowcobra was slashed across the chest, sending sparks flying. An open palm struck his chest and a beam of red demon magic sent him crashing into a pillar in the far back.

"**Maybe I should just finish you off**," Sorrowful Mask stated. "**Once I take care of you, I can continue with our plan uninterrupted.**"

Shadowcobra turned invisible. It was a good thing the runes had no effect on Zodiac Magic. The Triad was undeterred and tried to seek Shadowcobra out based on his aura.

Shadowcobra hid behind one of the support pillars and pulled out a card in desperation. '_Please, give me something I can use,_' he mentally pled. He held the card out in front of him and flipped it over, revealing a purple Deathtron emblem staring back at him. '_This card…the one father gave me._'

* * *

"_Here is my Christmas present to you," Mr. Amakusa, Ichijyo's father, said as he handed the card over, facedown, to his son. Ichijyo took it and flipped it over. On the face of the card was the Deathtron emblem staring right back at him. _

_Ichijyo looked up at his father, confused, "Father, what is this?"_

"_Remember when you became a Deathtron all those years ago; what was the first thing you learnt?" his father questioned._

"_Great power comes with a great cost," Ichijyo recited, "We must be willing to sacrifice something equally precious for it."_

"_The Deathtrons believe in power, and always will, willing to sacrifice anything for it. That card represents that," his father explained._

"_But…why?" Ichijyo questioned._

"_When the time comes, you must make a choice. Are you willing to give up your most prized possession for the sake of power? Make a wise decision because the power you receive must be used for the right reasons."_

_Ichijyo gazed down on the card before sliding it into his deck case. When the time comes…_

* * *

Shadowcobra could hear the demonic Triad's footsteps approaching. At Shadowcobra's current power and with the runes neutralizing his abilities he stood no chance and using his true Vampangel form would probably make things worse. He closed his eyes and summoned his staff into his hand. He whispered, "Looks like it's time for me to make that choice." He then slowly slid the card into the slot before slamming it all the way through.

The demon Triad heard it and turned his head towards the pillar. "Found you!" he snarled before sending a powerful blast of unholy power at the pillar, destroying it in a powerful explosion that sent Shadowcobra, now visible, flying and slamming into the far wall. He then fell in a heap, totally unconscious.

Satisfied, the Triad turned back towards the altar where Raven and Arella were bound up. He continued the ceremony, "**Oh, great Lord Trigon. I sacrifice to you the blood and flesh of your ungrateful spawn and mate. Please, accept your servant's offering.**" He should've have been paying attention to Shadowcobra.

* * *

Within his mind, Ichijyo was at peace. He felt like he was lying in a bed of clouds. Opening up his eyes, he could see that it was true. "Where am I?" he asked himself. A soft glow shone above him and he looked up while shielding his eyes. "Mother, is that you?" His mother had a bright aura around her so that was the only logical guess.

However, the person who landed and stood before him was NOT his mother. His eyes widened as the angel approached him.

"Misha?" he questioned.

"Hello, Ichijyo," Misha smiled, her dark hair falling down like curtains as she looked deeply into his eyes with her own. "It has been a long time."

He nearly felt like crying, "Is this…a dream."

"Maybe," she smiled serenely. To see her again, it brought something back.

"I've missed you," he said. "I've missed you so much."

"And I've missed you too," Misha reached over to cup his cheek. "But, you must forget me."

Shocked, Ichijyo asked, "Why? Why must I do that?"

"You must," she insisted.

"I can't!"

"Raven needs you."

Ichijyo fell silent. Raven and her mother; how could he'd have forgotten?

"This power you seek can only be used with a sacrifice. Sacrifice your wish to revive me so you may obtain it and save Raven and her mother," Misha continued. "Forget about me."

"But, if I do that, I won't have a reason to fight," Ichijyo replied. He declined, "I won't do it! I entered this war in order to bring you back!"

"You must move on. I love you but your feelings for Raven run deeper than they ever did for me."

"No," Ichijyo denied.

"It's true," Misha nodded.

"But I can't just forget you!"

"You won't. I will always be in your heart, but you must forget about your wish to revive me in order to save her. Sacrifice your desire for this power."

Could he just forget about his wish? He'd entered the Zodiac War for just that purpose. For 4 years he'd fought to revive Misha and he was supposed to forget about it. It didn't mean purging Misha's memory from him. He just needed to accept that he couldn't bring her back. For this power he needed to forget his wish to bring Misha back.

"Alright, I'll do it," Ichijyo nodded. "For you."

Misha smiled and said, "I love you, Ichijyo."

Ichijyo could now finally say it, "And I love you, Misha. Goodbye."

They both embraced one another and kissed...for the first and last time...

* * *

Shadowcobra's armor was going into a change. The shadows were creeping all over his armor, turning it obsidian black. Shadowcobra's head began to rise as the slits of his visor glowed red. He pushed himself back up and then stepped towards the altar and the Triad.

Raven's head snapped up and her eyes widened. The Triad followed where she was looking and turned around. "_**YOU!**_"

Shadowcobra was now back in action, and this time the Triad was going to pay. "You shouldn't have done that. That was a cheap shot." Shadowcobra's armor had now changed. Shadowcobra's new armor mostly resembled his original default one in terms of its base design. The colors had been changed and now the torso armor, gauntlet, helmet, and boots were black with deep violet trimmings. His faceplate and visor remained the consistent silver color but the slits that enabled him to see had turned to blood red and were glowing. His bodysuit had his Excel Streams decorating it along the sleeves and legs. Some new accessories had been added to the armor like the curved red spike attached to his right shoulder, the rhinoceros horn in the middle of his visor, the twin flaps of armor hanging from the sides of his belt and finally the artificial ponytail which resembled a stingray's tail that hung from the back of his helmet.

His Cobra Staff had also changed. The cobra head now had a silver covering over the top half of it with a golden horn and on the back were pink wings that resembled a stingray's fins.

The final change was his cobra emblem as it flaked away to reveal a golden Deathtron insignia in its place.

Shadowcobra Death Form had been born. He held up his staff and a black ball of shadow energy generated from the head.

"_**YOU SHALL NOT STOP ME!**_" the Triad roared as he sent energy blasts flying at Shadowcobra. The Vampangel Knight summoned forth a shield of darkness that blocked the blasts before he countered by swinging his staff, sending a black orb or energy flying at the Triad. The orb connected and the Triad was sent crashing into one of the pillars

"I doubt you can do anything about it you three-faced bastard," Shadowcobra hissed.

Angered at the Snake Knight's insolence, the Triad chanted a spell but when he tried to launch it at Shadowcobra…there was nothing. "_**What!?**_"

"I'm through playing with you," hissed Shadowcobra as he slid a card into his staff. "Add Vent!" Genocide roared as it materialized into existence. "Now, I'm going finish you off!"

"_Now, hold on!_" the Triad panicked. "_M-maybe we can make a deal!_"

"Whatever you have to say to me, you can take it with you to Hell! Over Soul!" Shadowcobra shouted. Genocide reared its head back and roared, turning into energy which then engulfed the Death Staff. The Death Staff morphed into the Geno-Blaster. The Geno-Blaster took on the physical attributes of Genocide. The barrel resembled the head and neck of the monster with the claws attached to the sides of the head. The handle of the weapon had the wings and hind legs attached to it, forming a chamber for Shadowcobra's cards. The tail became the hammer. The weapon glowed with a purple aura.

The Triad seethed and roared as he charged straight for Shadowcobra. Shadowcobra aimed his new weapon at the charging demon priest and opened fire. All the shots struck the priest but he wouldn't stop charging despite his wounds. As he got close enough, Shadowcobra spun around and slammed the weapon into the back of his head like a club. The Triad went reeling to the ground. "It's over," Shadowcobra sighed.

"_**NO!**_" the Triad roared, "_**IT SHALL NEVER BE OVER! LORD TRIGON'S POWER IS ABSOLUTE!**_" He chanted his most powerful spell, one which Shadowcobra was unable to counter with his power nullification ability, and launched a powerful dark magic spell into Shadowcobra's chest, sending him flying into the wall. Shadowcobra dropped his weapon in response as the Triad got back to his feet and shouted, "_**YOU SEE!? YOU ARE WEAK COMPARED TO-ARRRGGHHHH!!**_" The Triad began to gloat but was cut short when a blade of a scythe came sticking out of his chest, spilling his blood. He swiveled his head to see Raven, fully clothed, and gripping the Scythe of Light which she had used to attack him from behind. "_**YOU!**_"

"Nobody attacks me, my mother or my husband and gets away with it," Raven snarled as she withdrew her scythe. Shadowcobra dropped to the ground and collected his weapon. He drew his Final Vent card from his belt and slid it into a slot located on his Geno-Blaster.

"Final Vent!"

"Raven, get out of the way!" Shadowcobra commanded as a dark orb formed at the front of the barrel. Raven complied and jumped out of the way. Shadowcobra aimed the Geno-Blaster at the staggering Triad who looked on in horror at the growing Dark Orb that was absorbing the dark essence around them. Shadowcobra didn't hesitate. Shadowcobra didn't think. Shadowcobra only squeezed the trigger.

"DARK HOLE CRUSHER!!"

The orb was sent flying and the recoil pushed Shadowcobra backwards several feet. The orb hit the Triad in the chest and when it did, the Triad was being sucked into the miniature black hole. The Triad screamed as he felt his body being ripped into the hole and crushed as he was slowly becoming devoured. His head was the last thing seen sticking out before he was sucked right in…and then…silence.

The Triad was gone for good.

Shadowcobra armor and weapon shattered and vanished, leaving him in his civilian clothes.

"Raven, are you alright?" he asked, approaching his beloved wife.

"I'm fine," Raven said, shaking. "I…"

"We both did what we had to do," Shadow stated. For him killing only felt natural. I was what he'd been trained to do. Raven, however, was so unused to it. He asked, "What about godmother?" He felt a smack in the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Right here," Arella grumbled, fully clothed as well. "And I've told you to call me Arella."

"Sorry," Shadow apologized. Both Raven and her mother had something in common, namely slapping his head. "So, how did you both escape?"

"Oh, while you were busy fighting, a big red guy covered in flames burned our ropes," Raven answered as a green parrot landed on her shoulder.

"Hey, Shadow!" the parrot squawked.

"Changeling? What about Warren and ARMS?" Shadow asked.

"Oh, he was taking care of that trigger-happy psycho before telling me to go on ahead and help. Said you might need backup," Changeling replied once he leapt off Raven's shoulder and turned back to his human form.

"Of course, he didn't have to stare at us the whole time," Raven muttered.

"Hey, you were in your undies!" Changeling said in protest. "Any guy would stare!" He then realized what he'd said. "Uh-oh."

"Changeling, to say such a thing about my wife and her mother is disrespectful to me as well." He smirked. "But, we shall talk after we return home."

"Sweet, coz I'm pooped."

"Let's just get out of here," Raven shivered, "Place give me the creeps." The runes brought back unpleasant memories. However, the ground shook slightly as the wall exploded and ARMS sailed through the room. His flight continued until he slammed through the wall across the room and kept on flying.

"What was that?" asked Arella.

"That would be my work," said a voice as the others looked towards the doorway to see Wraith stepping out of the shadows in his armor. "I told him I was gonna knock him into the next state. Idiot called me on it."

* * *

The next morning, Arella stood on top of the Tower, smiling, "My visit here has been an unforgettable experience."

"Of course," Shadow agreed, clad in his uniform, "You were kidnapped. I doubt anybody could forget about that."

Arella laughed at the joke her son-in-law had told, "Oh, Ichijyo. You're as funny as I remember." Everyone stared at Shadow who blushed.

"Mother, do come visit again soon," Raven spoke.

"Only if you promise to come visit me as well," Arella replied. The mother and daughter shared a hug. Arella then gave the red jewel on Raven's forehead a kiss.

Arella let go as the magical circle took shape under her feet. "Goodbye, Titans. See you soon! Oh, and Ichijyo, please take care of Raven once she gets pregnant!"

"Mother!" Raven blushed but Shadow's blush was more pronounced against his pale skin. Arella laughed before she vanished in shimmering light, returning straight to Neo Azarath.

The Titans slowly began to leave the roof, one by one. Raven asked Shadow who was looking out at the ocean, "You coming?"

"I'll catch up," Shadow replied. Raven nodded and went back into the Tower. Shadow reached into his cloak and pulled out a photo of Misha. He gave it a final kiss and whispered, "Goodbye," before tossing it away into the air. He then turned around and went back into the Tower.

To Be Continued…

Thanks to Tanyeera for editing and Shadow Element 13 for letting me use Warren/Wraith.

BTW, Shadowcobra's Death Form is based on a picture of Kamen Rider Ouja's supposed Survive Mode.


	94. PT094: The Lost Key

Part 94: The Lost Key

_For as long as I could remember, I was the monster inside Neko. Now, I'm loose. I am the Living Gate. I realize that now. I have so much power that I don't know what to do with it._

_Heh, that's not true. I do know what to do with it. I can do whatever I want with it. I am a GOD and nobody is going to tell me otherwise!_

_I feel it coursing through me, empowering me, feeding me. The darkness is so intoxicating that I…that I…that I crave for more!!_

_But I am only at half strength. I loathe to admit, it but it's because I am only half of my true self. I am not whole. I am incomplete!_

_My lover Rose and my daughter Cathy have been taken away from me by my weaker half and that pest refuses to cooperate with me. Fine, I'll make her do what I say, even if it kills us._

My weaker half! I hate her as much as I hate Draco, and yet I need her! She's my weakness! If she goes, then I go, and I can't have her out there risking herself and myself for some stupid heroics! Redemption she says. No matter what she does, that blood on our hands will never wash off.

_Ugh, it disgusts me! She's just like that naïve Dragon Knight I'd been trying to defeat when we were whole but she kept stopping me! That's right, my weaker half, my good half, my Yang side, stops me from landing the final blow. Sure, sometimes I can get free and yet she pulls me inside._

_Damn honor and damn everything else! She will be mine._

_And when she is, I will kill Draco and take his powers, like I have done with so many others before._

_I am a Gate, but without her, my powers mean nothing. For my full power, I need…I need…_

_I need a KEY…_

Katherine/Zodiac Knight Copycat

* * *

Venus screamed as she was sent reeling by a vicious axe slash from Copycat who was laughing as sparks flew from Venus' white swan armor. Venus tumbled along the ground, dropping he rapier. She got back up and tried to reach for it but Copycat kicked it away. Now, Venus was unarmed while Copycat was holding a pair of war axes. One had two edges while the other had a single edge. They were the axes of Kazuo and Tarou, the former Knights of Leo and the Tiger.

Before all this, Eri and Joey had been on a date. They had stopped by at a Burger King and Eri accidentally got some sauce spilt on his shirt. Joey went to the bathroom to clean it up and returned seconds later, smiling at her. They went to the park to take a walk in a secluded area. Joey placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in for a kiss. Before Eri could kiss back, she realized that something wasn't right with Joey. Her assumption had been correct as Joey started squeezing her neck. She tried to pry his hands away, begging him to stop, but he wouldn't. In self defense, she blasted him backwards. 'Joey', yelled as she did and Eri realized quickly that this was _not_ Joey. Joey was mute outside his armor and could only communicate with sign language and telepathy.

'Joey' got back to his feet and his form changed into…Copycat! Eri, angered that Copycat would do such a thing, transformed and decided to fight with Copycat without even waiting for Joey.

That was what led to this.

Copycat twirled one of her axes around and then she tossed it at Venus. The axe flew straight at her but then it was blocked by a shield.

"Nani?" Copycat questioned as her axe flew back in her hand. "Oh, it's you, Joey," she purred. "Long time no see since you decided to turn your back on your daddy and us." She scowled.

Scizzors held the Cancer Shield protectively in front of himself and Venus. "Eri," he helped the girl back to her feet. "Are you alright?"

"I've been better," Venus confessed. Scizzors nodded.

"Hey, don't ignore me!" Copycat snarled.

"Stay here and let me handle this from here," Scizzors told her before charging at Copycat. Venus gasped.

"Joey, don't!"

Scizzors slid a card into his card reader, "Strike Vent!" His Cancer Claws appeared and equipped themselves to his right arm. He struck at Copycat with those claws but she blocked with the shafts of her axes before pushing him back with a kick. She swung down with the Wild Axe and he caught the blade with his claw. A second later he got slashed in the midsection by the Savage Axe. Scizzors grunted in pain. The axe then came down again on his shoulder, eliciting a scream of pain forcing him to let go of the other axe. Copycat then went into a flurry of axe slashes, hacking away at Scizzors and chopping off pieces of his armor as sparks flew. Copycat laughed manically as she tortured Scizzors.

"If you had stayed with us," Copycat began taunting as she enjoyed the sound of Scizzors screaming. "You could've become stronger! Instead, you turned soft! You became a Titan!" She rested the edge of her axe on his neck. "You turned your back on me, the one who gave you your power!" She pulled her arm back and then swung the axe at Scizzor's neck.

"Joey!" Venus ran and towards them and then fired a beam of light energy which struck Copycat in the chest. Copycat was sent flying and crashing into a trailer, making a dent in it. She was stuck in it.

"Joey!" Venus helped the Cancer Knight back to his feet. "Let me help heal you."

"I'm fine," he insisted, groaning. He wasn't but he didn't want Eri to worry, not like it mattered anyway.

"You're not!" she objected.

Copycat stared at the two and snarled. "Aw…how sweet…" she mocked. She pulled herself out from the trailer. "Let's finish this!" She twirled her two axes around and around before she tossed them at the two.

Scizzors saw the two axes coming and pushed Venus away, "Eri, watch out!" He pushed Venus far and the axe came at him.

"JOEY!!" Eri shouted as one of the axe blades got stuck in his chest and the other sliced his left arm right off.

Scizzors struggled to stand and removed the axe stuck in his chest off. Turning his attention to his dismembered left arm, he concentrated on his Power of Cancer. The arm melted into liquid metal which then flew straight towards Scizzors. It enveloped the stump and generated into a new armored arm.

Copycat had to get that power!

"Is that…all you…got?" Scizzors taunted.

Copycat cracked her neck from side to side and flexed her claws. "No, it isn't. Now it's time to make crab cakes," She marched towards him but then Venus appeared and tackled her. Venus grabbed Copycat by the waist and the Cat Knight roared, "Let go!" She kneed Venus in the stomach several times and even struck the girl's back with her fists. "Let go you stupid bird!" With a snarl, she reached down to Venus' neck and was ready to twist it when…

"NO!!"

Scizzor's body turned intangible as he met eye contact with Copycat. He then swiftly possessed her. Copycat's body froze as her eyepieces turned green. Venus got off Copycat.

"Joey?" she asked.

* * *

Inside Copycat's mindscape stood Katherine and Jericho. He was shocked to see Katherine sitting at a throne as demonic Horrors kneeled behind her. She got up and strode towards Jericho.

"You're not Kat," Jericho realized.

"You're about half right," Katherine replied red eyes boring into Jericho's green ones. "But, I'm not the same girl you knew."

"No matter," Jericho huffed. "You're not going to hurt Eri. I won't let you."

"I know, I know," Katherine rolled her eyes, "You're gonna try to control my body, defeat me and get me locked up. I get it."

Jericho went into a fighting stance and charged at Katherine. He threw a fist at her but he caught it in her hand before it could connect. She twisted his arm and pinned it to his back in one swift motion before breathing into his ear. He shivered.

"I kinda liked you when we were on the same side, you know?" she asked, whispering. "You were like a brother to me. I loved Rose and well I just loved to mess with Grant." She chuckled. "A shame it can't be like it used to be. You just had to switch sides."

Jericho growled. "I had to. I finally realized what I was doing was wrong."

"I supposed I have Eri-_chan_ to thank for that," Katherine smirked. "You're happy, she's happy, but I'm the one left unhappy." She sighed. She pushed Jericho in front of her, sending him to the floor. "Pity you had to turn traitor, Joey. A pity."

Jericho picked himself up and glared at Katherine hatefully. "So, you're just going to kill Eri and take her powers?"

"How do you know I won't let her live like I did the others?" Katherine retorted, referring to Ron (Animorph), Tarou (Lion) and Tiger (Kazuo).

"Because I can sense the bloodlust in you," Jericho responded. "You love to kill. It's something you simply enjoy."

Katherine took a moment to ponder and shrugged, "Yeah, you're probably right. I do love to kill. I do love the feeling as I have control over someone's life or death. And, I do love it when I can do what I please. It's freedom at its best." She laughed.

"You won't be free any longer," Jericho growled. "I'm taking you down."

"I doubt you could," Katherine scoffed. "This is _my_ mind." She snapped her fingers and the Horrors stood at attention. "Show him the door."

A door materialized behind Jericho and it opened to show a black and white spiral. The Horrors stalked towards him and Jericho backed away towards the door. Katherine then popped up in front of him.

"Sayonara," Katherine purred before pushing him into the door. He screamed as he fell down the spiral with Katherine looking down. "See you on the outside!" she called.

* * *

Suddenly, Copycat screamed as Scizzors was violently ejected from her body. "Joey!" She ran towards Scizzors. "Are you okay?"

"What…are you?" Scizzors asked, gasping and panting as he stared at Copycat. The things in her mind…the things he'd seen falling down that spiral, they were…he couldn't even continue as he felt nauseous.

"So, you caught a glimpse into my mind?" Copycat tapped her helmet-covered noggin. "Not a pretty sight, don't you agree? But it ain't gonna save you." She reached to her deck and drew a card. She then slid it into her card reader. "Final Vent."

Psychorogue appeared and went into its transformation. Once its transformation into a custom bike was complete, Copycat leapt up and then did a flip in the air before landing on the seat. She accelerated and raced towards Venus and Scizzors.

Psychorogue and Copycat got into a spin and started spinning wildly, "PSYCHO SPIRAL!!" the makeshift 'spinning top of death' came dashing towards them.

Scizzors grasped Venus' shoulders and leaned down, whispering into her ear, "I love you."

Venus fell silent and said, "I love you too."

"Good," Scizzors nodded, a smile on his face. "So, this is goodbye."

"Huh?" Venus was confused.

"I'm sorry." He then pushed her aside before drawing his own Final Vent card and sliding it into his card reader. "Final Vent!"

The ground behind Scizzors exploded as Volcancer, his Zodiac Beast, appeared out of it. Scizzors leapt upon Volcancer's claws, using them as springboards and was sent into the air. He tucked in his head and legs to his body before he went into a rolling attack, dropping down towards Copycat and Psychorogue.

"SCISSOR CLAW ATTACK!"

The two Final Vents connected, resulting in an explosion.

Venus' eyes went wide as dinner plated under her visor as her legs trembled. She collapsed onto her knees, shuddering.

Copycat rode out of the flames safely but Scizzors didn't. He was lying in the flames, body unarmored and bleeding all over. His deck had been shattered to pieces with its remains lying by his body. She stopped her bike and said, "One more down." Copycat purred as she absorbed its power.

"Sword Vent!"

"Huh?" Copycat looked up to see Venus charging at her. Venus swung her Swan Glaive at Copycat but the Cat Knight grabbed the blade of the weapon before it could do any damage. She then tossed Venus aside like garbage. "Go take care of him. I don't think he has much time." With those last words, she rode away.

Venus entered the flames and pulled Joey out. She laid him down and pleaded, "Please, please be alright…please." If he was alive, she could still save him. She placed her hands on him and…

There was nothing.

No heartbeat, no breathing, no pulse.

There was nothing.

Venus pulled Joey's body against her and then let out a scream of anguish.

* * *

"Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust," the priest finished before the coffin was lowered into the grave. Dressed in black were the founding members of the Teen Titans, their additional members, several close honoraries and the Eastern branch of the team, Titans East. A close friend had died and was now gone.

Eri ran forward and tossed a white rose into the grave. "Goodbye, Joey-kun."

There was the sound of mocking applause and everyone turned their eyes onto someone they hadn't expected to attend or was even welcomed.

There stood Katherine, standing beside a tree. "Ah, this is so beautiful." She wiped an imaginary tear out of her eye. "Sayonara, Joey, and thanks for the powers…" She admired her nails which lengthened into claws.

The Titans looked ready to attack and Eri's face curled into an expression of rage. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her Zodiac Deck but a hand gripped her wrist.

"Don't," spoke Neko. Eri turned to look at her. "Not here, not right now."

"She's right," agreed Rose.

"Oh, not gonna fight me?" Katherine mocked. "Oh, well…" She turned both her arms into liquid metal that soon morphed into a pair of wicked metal blades. "Joey's final gift for me. That crab was decent, I'd give him that."

"Katherine," spoke Warren. The two glared at each other. "I hate fighting in cemeteries. I try to avoid it, being holy ground and all. But right now, it's taking every ounce of self control I have from killing you on the spot." Warren's angel wings unfurled behind him as his left and right hands became engulfed in white and black energy. "So if you value that pathetic stain you call a life; it's best if you leave now."

"Ugh, fine. This party's dead anyway," Katherine snorted before teleporting away.

Eri fell to her knees, sobbing, as tears fell from her eyes.

"You should help her get home," Rose advised Moon who nodded.

As Eri was sobbing, she heard a voice in her mind, "_Eri…don't cry…_"

Eri was stunned for a second and wondered if this was just someone's idea of a joke. That couldn't be Joey, could it?

"_I'm here with you…always…_"

Warren turned to see Joey's spirit embracing Eri from behind. He smiled. "Eri…Don't worry. I know for a fact Joey is exactly where he needs to be." Warren then walked away from the group for a moment and pulled out a cell phone, quickly dialing a number. "Urahara, I need a favor. Do you have a blonde male Gigai that I can use? Just a gift for a friend."

* * *

Katherine was sitting on her bed, wearing only her tank top and very short shorts which revealed her beautiful legs. Kneeling at her feet was a familiar looking girl with long white hair and wearing absolutely nothing. Katherine was stroking the girl's hair as she rested her head on Katherine's lap.

The door creaked open and Katherine's red eyes looked up from her 'pet'? "You should always knock first, Damien-dono."

Damien entered, "My apologies, Katherine, but I have grown too used to never needing to do that." He wore a tailor-made black suit, had white hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, his pitch black eyes glowed with malice. What was shocking was…he looked _exactly_ like Warren Smith, except he wasn't Warren Smith. In fact, anyone who thought otherwise couldn't be farther from the truth. This was Damien and while he may physically look like Warren Smith, personality wise there were worlds of difference between the two, literally, "And I see you're enjoying my little gift."

* * *

_Katherine stood before a throne. Sitting in the throne was Damien, and this was his universe. "Hello Damien-dono," spoke Katherine._

"_Katherine, a pleasure to see you again. So, what brings you to my universe?" he asked, the air seeming to freeze with his voice. "I take it you are not here for pleasantries."_

"_I came to see if you would like to reform our alliance," suggested Katherine._

"_Alliance? Hm…and what's in it for me? You know my services do not come…cheap," said Damien. He vanished from the throne and appeared behind Katherine. His hand lifted up her hair and he smelled it. "I see that wonderful aroma of yours has not changed." _

_Katherine turned and slapped Damien's hand away, "Save it, Damien-dono. I've grown immune to that charming trick of yours so it won't work on me. Plus, you're just not my type so don't bother trying to seduce me into bed anymore." Damien's eyes widened slightly, for just a fraction of a second, at Katherine's tone. It seemed he no longer had any power over her._

_Katherine continued, warning Damien, "And…I thought I told you never to get fresh with me again, Damien-dono, if you wish to keep your hands and manhood," Katherine added, "As for what I have to offer, what about Warren Smith's head on a platter, and his Raven in your bed?"_

_Damien smiled. The whole room wavered with dark energy that was released with his smile. "Warren's death and his lover as my own?" Damien tapped his chin as he walked around Katherine. "Fine, you have a deal."_

"_Then as such I dub you my Lord of Wrath, Damien."_

_Damien clapped his hands together. "Excellent!" he exclaimed in empty joy. "Now I believe a celebration is in order."_

_Shadows began to bend and form in front of Katherine, slowly taking the form of her pet, Rosalinda. Katherine's eyes widened slightly._

"_Rosalinda," she whispered. "But I thought she'd…" She remembered. Mortuary had been aiming for her when Rosalinda shielded her from the shot. She remembered Rosalinda dying in her arms and smiling at her as the life left her eyes. "How?"_

"_Death is simply an intermission between their sufferings on this world. This is one of the great things of being a god; you only stay dead if I want you dead."_

* * *

Katherine beckoned for the silver haired girl to stand and sit in her lap, which she complied. The silver haired girl nuzzled Katherine's neck, which she enjoyed, as the Living Gate looped her left arm around the petite girl's waist. "Yes, I am." The girl was Rosalinda, once a slave girl of Damien's harem. Katherine noted how similar she was to Rose but in appearance only. The girl seemed delicate, docile and very submissive; the fruits of Damien's…training. Maybe that was why Katherine was so fond of her. "I thank you for bringing Rosalinda back to me."

Rosalinda, in truth, did not _just_ look like Rose. Actually, she _was_ Rose, only from an alternate dimension that had been taken over by Damien.

"It wasn't a very difficult task, really," Damien boasted. Katherine ran her fingers up and down Rosalinda's back, causing the girl to moan as pleasant shivers ran through her body. "At least, not for me. Returning the dead to life is child's play for someone with my prowess on the matters of life and death. It was simply a matter of shifting time and space around the body to return the soul to its mortal shell."

"I still thank you," Katherine noted. Among the Lords, only three had earned and deserved Katherine's total respect. Damien was one and Slade was another. The third was well…unique. "So, why did you come to my room at this hour?"

Damien strode forward, a look on his face, "Well, you've changed it seems."

Katherine snorted, "Only because my weaker half has been purged from me."

"True, but your aura seems a little weaker," Damien continued. Katherine glared and Rosalinda shivered when she saw the look in her mistress' eyes.

"Are you implying that I am-" Katherine began, snarling.

"Oh, I didn't mean to offend you, really," Damien said, the closest thing sounding like an apology coming from him. "It's just you still have that evil aura but you're missing something."

"I'm just half a person," Katherine answered. "Even if I never liked my weaker half, I still yearn to be whole once more." She gazed into Rosalinda's eyes. "To be whole…once more."

"You're acting like one of those Nobodies I've heard so much about," Damien rolled his eyes.

Maybe that what Katherine was? A Nobody…

"Get straight to the point, Damien-dono," Katherine hissed.

"Your focus has shifted, it seems," Damien clarified. Katherine quirked an eyebrow. "You seem to have lost your obsession with defeating Draco." Katherine did not consider Draco as her brother, something she had confirmed quite vocally. No one was to mention him as her brother. She was disgusted and ashamed to even be related to him. To her, Draco was just another stain to be wiped out.

"I haven't lost it, really," Katherine said, stroking Rosalinda's hair. True, she still dreamed of defeating Draco. However, the Dragon Knight had defeated her once before so she needed a new plan to get back at him for sealing her powers away.

"Also, your daughter and lover were taken away from you," Damien added. Katherine frowned. Her weaker half had rescued Rose and Cathy. She had a lot of plans for the former and the latter would've benefited from her training. However, both had sided with her weaker half and this enraged her. One way or another, she would have them back, even if it was by force. They would be hers once more, whether they liked it or not. "I assumed you would've done everything in your power to take them back."

She did. She had sent those Horrors. Katherine's eyebrow twitched as she was trying to remain calm. Luckily, Rosalinda helped with that by kissing her cheek. "I just have other more important plans."

"You're focused on something on a much grander scale, I assume?" Damien inquired. Katherine scowled. Damien always knew what was on her mind, which was probably more of an annoyance rather than a convenience. She could never forget how they had first met.

* * *

_Copycat, in her armor but without her helmet, stood in front of a throne. Sitting on the throne was a young man in his late teens. This was Damien. "So, you are the demonic energy I've been sensing?" His voice was deep and cold, the air itself seemingly froze with each word he spoke._

_Copycat could only nod. When she first stepped into the room, she was nearly floored by the immense spiritual pressure he was giving off. She looked behind him and saw a young woman, or at least, what was a young woman. She had been skinned, and the remains were chained to the wall behind his throne. "What…what is that?" she asked._

_Damien looked behind himself. "Oh, she is simply the remains of a most unsatisfying victim. Still…You're here to change all that; aren't you?" Copycat was shocked when Damien vanished from the throne. Her entire body stiffened when she felt his hand on her cheek. It felt like scalding heat and freezing cold at the same time. "You are quite lovely, and you reek of blood and the dead. An intoxicating aroma." Copycat was shivering now. She had been face to face with Trigon the Terrible, and yet this man had her completely under his control somehow. Something about him demanded obedience and respect. She mused that this must have been what Slade-sama was like when he had been younger._

_Her eyes narrowed as she recomposed herself and slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me!" she hissed angrily. The shadows under her formed eyes which glared angrily at the man who'd dared to touch their beloved mistress._

"_Ah, I love a specimen with…energy," said Damien, his voice full of an empty joy._

"_Back off, pal," warned Copycat. "I only came here because I detected your power. If I knew you were going to be a jerk then I wouldn't have bothered coming."_

"_But you have me all wrong" said Damien, apparently offended. "You see, Katherine, you and I are one in the same: beings with unimaginably dark power."_

"_How did you know my name?" demanded Copycat._

"_Telepathy is a wonderful thing is it not. Especially for someone with my…tastes," spoke Damien._

"_Stay out of my head!" hissed Copycat as she put on her helmet. "You won't like the consequences!" Her shadow expanded and Horrors began attempting to crawl out to the aid of their mistress. She stomped her foot and sent them back. "Begone! I require no assistance from you!" She unwrapped her cat-o-nine tails from her waist and cracked it against the floor. The blades that tipped her weapon scraped against the floor as she pulled it closer. "I'm not someone to take lightly."_

_Damien looked at Copycat's display with interest. He let out a small chuckle that sent a chill down her spine. "Please, you are in my domain" he said. He snapped his fingers and Copycat's armor vanished. "My rule here is absolute." Normally, magic from another source had no effect on the Zodiac Armor, less it be used offensively. Copycat was shocked but then her expression turned to rage as she snarled at Damien. "Now please, I invited you here to speak, not fight."_

_Kat calmed herself down a bit. "Fine. I only stopped here because my HorrorLiner needed to refuel anyway. It thrives on negative energy and human flesh so it stopped her since this world has a lot of negative energy flowing through the air" explained Kat._

"_Yes, the living darkness that flows through these lands is my doing."_

"_Who are you exactly?" asked Kat._

"_Oh, I have many names, but you may call me Damien. Now if you would like to accompany me, I am off to find a new…subject" spoke Damien._

_Damien took Kat to a room, his harem. In the room were girls of various ethnicities and ages, ranging anywhere from 15 to 25. The girls were all dressed in only their bras and panties, and when Damien walked in, they all had a look of pure terror on their faces. Kat, upon seeing the women, felt desire growing inside of her. It was deep, and dark, and monstrous… but far from unpleasant. To her, anyway. Visions of Rose flowed through her mind but they vanished in a haze of lust. She saw one girl with silver hair, a spitting image of Rose, and approached her. The girl looked at Kat with terrified eyes as Kat hauled her up. "What's your name?" asked Kat._

"_R…Rosalinda," answered the girl, trembling._

'_Hm…this universe's version of my Rose,' mused Kat. She gently stroked the girl's cheek with one hand and another one ran down her back, causing her to shiver. 'So…soft…'_

_Kat then realized that this girl had already been broken. And not by her. Rage swelled in Katherine's soul; rage as red as blood and far hungrier for it than one could ever imagine. How dare he? How dare he touch her Rose? Oh, she knew that technically this Rose wasn't hers, that her own Rose was safely in her home dimension, but this was a Rose, a Rose that could have been her Rose under different circumstances._

_With a snarl of primal fury, Katherine swung her fist at Damien's face, only for it to be caught before she could feel the satisfying crunch of her knuckles against bone .Once he had a firm grip on her, she could feel the energy radiating from him in waves. She had to admit that it felt frighteningly delicious._

"_Trust me, Katherine. Attacking me is not in your best interest. If you so much as lift a finger against me, you'll find yourself as my next subject." He let go of her fist. Damien turned and cast a look at Rosalinda,__ "Rosalinda, where are your manners? Greet your master's guest properly," said Damien. Rosalinda shuddered again, but this time out of fear. Kat's eyes narrowed._

"_I am sorry, Master," Rosalinda apologized. She knelt and bowed before Kat. "It is an honor to meet you mistress, what do you require of me?"_

"_Damien is there a private chamber for me to use?" asked Kat, not looking at her host._

_Damien smiled sinisterly. "Why certainly. Rosalinda, take her to one of the bed chambers. And Katherine, enjoy yourself."_

_Kat grinned evilly. "I will…" Kat gazed at Rosalinda lovingly. "Fear not, Rosie-chan, I won't hurt you…"_

* * *

"You know me well, and to do that I need my weaker half again," Katherine answered.

"Is this particularly important, aside from your desire to be whole once more?"

"Oh, it is…" Katherine smirked, "After all, a Gate cannot open without a Key…"

* * *

The 'Biggest Rave in the Millennium' it was called and anybody could attend, provided you were hot or cool. For Neko, it was easy since she'd made quite an impression on a few places when she'd been whole. Rose was her date and Kenzaki decided to tag along.

They stood in a line as Neko couldn't wait to get inside. She had Gekiryuken around her neck and was eager. Rose was standing beside her with Kenzaki behind them.

Rose still didn't like Kenzaki that much. It was partly because Kenzaki had tried to kill Neko but now it was mostly because Rose often found Kenzaki hanging around Neko. One time, she caught both of them sitting close on the sofa and laughing while watching a movie. She hadn't liked it.

Once they got inside, they were going to have a talk.

The bouncer allowed a few teens in and sent others to the curb. The ones that were inside were either 'Hot' or 'Cool' while the ones who ended up on the curb were either 'Lame' or 'Losers'. It was an unfair system and biased but for a party like this it just seemed fair.

Soon, Neko's turn came up. She was dressed in a white halter top with a blue miniskirt and mesh stockings with black leather boots. Around her neck was a choker. The bouncer whistled at her in appreciation "OK, you're in, hot stuff."

Neko grinned as she got a devious idea and grabbed Rose, who was dressed in a blue tube top with tight blue jeans and sneakers. She kissed her deeply, giving the crowd a show. The bouncer, and several other boys in line, whistled and howled, cheering, "OK, you're BOTH hot! You're BOTH going in!" the bouncer opened the door for them and Neko pulled Rose inside. As Kenzaki went to follow them, the bouncer closed the door.

"Hey!" Kenzaki exclaimed.

"Sorry, you're not going in," denied the bouncer.

"Hey, I'm with them," Kenzaki said.

"Those two girls?" the bouncer asked in disbelief, "A pair of fine honeys like those and you're with them?" He snorted. "Yeah right. No way, bub."

"And why not?" asked Kenzaki, trying to keep his cool.

"Cause you ain't cool. Now beat it!" threatened the bouncer.

"Not cool huh?" growled Kenzaki. He lifted the bouncer up by the collar of his shirt. "My friends are in there. I suggest, for your own sake, that you let me in."

The bouncer's eyes took on a look of fear. He saw something in Kenzaki's eyes and it wasn't natural. Gulping he said, "OK, you're in!" Kenzaki put him down as the bouncer opened the door and let him in.

Kenzaki smirked. "I knew we'd understand each other." He entered through the door to join the girls in the rave.

Neko shouted as she threw her arms up, dancing with Rose. Both girls were dancing close and attracted a lot of male attention, even those who brought dates. Kenzaki was there only to watch her since she was his lead to Copycat; at least, that's what he claimed.

After half an hour of dancing, both Neko and Rose went towards one of the many couches to relax. Neko smiled, "Oh, Kami! What a rush!" She just loved the loud music and the lights and Rose had to agree.

Kenzaki sat down with them, much to Rose's chagrin. If she wanted to talk to Kenzaki, then Neko had to be gone.

Neko was about to say something when her ears picked up a ringing sound. She stood up and told them, "I gotta go."

"Want me to come along?" Rose offered. Neko shook her head.

"Nah, I can handle it," Neko said, pointing to her medallion, Gekiryuken. "I got Geki-chan here."

"Ojou-sama, could you not call me that?" Gekiryuken asked. "Please?"

"Sorry, Geki-chan!" Neko giggled. "Well, I'm off!" She ran off to find the closest bathroom.

Now Rose and Kenzaki were left alone.

Rose started, "Alright, you've been spending way too much time with Neko and I wanna know why." She crossed her arms and leered at him.

"I have no idea what you mean," Kenzaki attempted to deny.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Tsukuba," Rose added. "You're up to something. Neko told me that when you first saw her you tried to kill her." Kenzaki wondered if girlfriends told each other EVERYTHING. Then again, maybe he didn't want to know. "Cut the crap, Kenzaki. You have feelings got Neko. Admit it," ordered Rose.

Kenzaki finally decided to confess. "Fine! I have feelings for her! At first it was nothing! I just thought she was cute and I tried to crush down those feelings so my job wouldn't get complicated! But those feelings just got bigger and bigger and I can't crush them down anymore!" Kenzaki nearly yelled, but he was keeping his voice down as to not make a scene.

"I know the feeling. She's something special, isn't she?" asked Rose.

"Yeah, she really is," Kenzaki answered in agreement.

* * *

Neko waited until the bathroom was empty. Aside from the graffiti on the walls it looked clean to her. She stood in front of the mirror and reached into her pocket for her Zodiac Deck and removed Gekiryuken from her neck. "Yosh! Ikuyo." She was about to transform when all of a sudden an even louder ringing sound invaded her ears. It was hurting her ears and giving her a headache. "Na-nani?"

"Ojou-sama, are you alright?" Gekiryuken asked.

As Neko looked up at the mirror, all of a sudden, two pair of arms shot out of and grabbed her. She struggled but whatever was on the other side was stronger. She was being pulled inside. She kicked and screamed but eventually she was pulled in completely.

Gekiryuken and the Zodiac Deck dropped to the floor and Gekiryuken shouted, "OJOU-SAMA!" He had to tell Rose and Kenzaki.

* * *

As Kenzaki and Rose continued their glaring contest, Gekiryuken flew straight towards them. He had tied the chain he was linked to around the Zodiac Deck, carrying it with him.

"Gekiryuken?" Rose questioned. "What's going on?" Gekiryuken was alone. "Where's Neko?"

"She got captured by something in a mirror!" Gekiryuken replied, panicking. Rose gasped, "Rose-sama! Ojou-sama is in danger!"

Kenzaki stood up. "Ikuzo," said Kenzaki, gaining Rose and Gekiryuken's attention. "I have a feeling on who took Neko."

"Who?" asked Rose.

"Who else…?" The answer was pretty much obvious.

* * *

Neko woke up groggily and looked around. "What…happened?" She tried to move her arms and realized that she'd been shackled to the wall by her wrists and ankles. "Huh?" Her eyes scanned the place she was in. She saw steel bars in front of her. She was in a cell. The only sources of light were torches on the wall. Neko struggled against her bonds, even trying to use her powers, but with no such luck.

The door to the room opened, letting some more light in. "Don't bother trying to use your powers. Those shackles have been mystically enchanted to nullify superpowers," the person entering purred.

Neko recognized that voice. It was hers, but with an edge. She narrowed her eyes and hissed, "Katherine…"

"Bingo, my weaker half," Katherine said. "I'd shake your hand but since that's impossible…" she bowed before standing back up straight, "Well, now I hope you're feeling welcomed."

"Not really, no."

"Well, get used to it. You're going to be staying as a guest for a long, long time."

"I'm not going to be reabsorbed into you. It has to be done by my own free will," Neko reminded regarding the Tiger Power.

"I know that," Katherine walked over to the bars and gripped them, "But breaking you is going to be so much fun."

"My friends will find me," Neko warned. "They will come to my rescue."

"We shall see, if they can find you," Katherine turned towards the door. "If they even care."

Before Neko could ask what Katherine had meant, she was gone. Neko bowed her head.

'_Taskette…_'

* * *

_For as long as I can remember I've been lost. I wasn't sure who I was. All I knew was that I was the first born and yet the honor of Draco went to my otouto-chan. I remember being so angry and jealous of him as we grew up. We were trained together but he got most of the attention for being the heir, the NEW Draco._

_I remember my mother telling me to never let my emotions control me but I still grew to resent him. I love my brother, true, but I couldn't help feel a little envious of what he had and what he was going to have._

_I was the first born, and yet, he was the SON! It's not fair!_

_Years went by, we grew up. I started to stir up trouble without anyone knowing. _

_I've done a lot of things that I regret now. I remember the blood on my hands and the lives I've ruined._

_When we were split, I started to have the nightmares. Thank Kami-sama I have Cathy-chan, Rosey-chan, Otouto-chan and Geki-chan helping me._

_My other half, my evil half, my Yin side knows I am her weakness. If I die, she dies too, and she doesn't want to die. I can sense her fear even if she denies it. She can't lie to me for we are connected._

_Now, I am her prisoner. I hope someone out there cares enough to save me._

Neko/Mimic/Zodiac Knight Ryukendo

To Be Continued…

Thanks to Tanyeera for editing and Shadow Element 13 for letting me use his OC Damien.


	95. PT095: Rescue Mission

**OP Sequence**

_Ryuki is facing the camera as a silhouette of his Orphenoch form appears behind him, roaring. Lightning flashes and he lunges at the camera in Orphenoch form, slashing with his claws and tearing up the screen to reveal the title card:_

_**ZKD: LOST PARADISE**_

_Ryuki is walking alone in the city, hands in his pockets. He walks past a window and the reflection shows the friends he's made, the enemies he's faced and finally he looks back and sees himself changing into the Ifrit Orphenoch._

_His half smiling and half frowning mask flies into his hand. He gazes at it for a second before he throws it into the reflection, shattering it. He sees a dark void then he sees Jinx standing in the middle of a spotlight. He runs towards her and she fades away before he reaches her. He shouts and cries._

_Zodiac Knight Draco is surrounded by Orphenochs and he battles them. He destroys them and cries for them._

_Next, Zodiac Knight Draco and Zodiac Knight Mortuary are battling against each other. Scene changes to Craig holding a gun to Ryuki's head and pulling the trigger._

_Scene changes to show Blackfire, Jinx and Terra, activating their Inzecters and transforming into Masked Riders. They Cast Off their Strong Mode armor and assume their Speed Modes before zipping away at Clock Up speed._

_Scene changes to Shadowcobra with Raven and Starfire flanking him. He holds two cards between his right index and middle finger before throwing them in the air. The cards freeze, face up, in midair, showing a picture of Starfire the Warrior Queen wielding her Starblade and a picture of Raven the White Priestess with her Scythe of Light. The two images burst to life and fly out of the cards, swinging their weapons._

_Scene changes to Robin facing a giant Joker. He transforms using the Titan Gear and leaps up, throwing a fist which shatters the giant Joker._

_Scene changes to show Copycat being split into Neko and Katherine. They face each other like they were facing a mirror before charging at one another. _

_Scene changes to Changeling standing on a platform resembling the symbol on his DNA Morpher and his alien forms standing in a circle around him. Cyborg and Pluto stand by his side, giving him encouragement._

_Katherine sits at a circular table with Rosalinda in her lap. The Lords of Sin sit at the table too, all of them shrouded in shadows. Katherine gives the camera an arrogant smirk._

_Scene changes to Neko standing on a cliff in her uniform, holding Gekiryuken in her left hand. Rose is leaning her head on her left shoulder as Cathy stand by her right, holding Neko's hand and beaming as they watch the sunset. They then turn to see the Titans have joined them._

_Two trains, the ChronoLiner and GaroLiner, fly out of portals opposite one another and then Ant and Kenzaki both jump out of their respective trains to join the Titans._

_They then face the camera and smile. The picture is developed and shows all the characters in a group shot._

* * *

Part 95: Rescue Mission

"We need to go and save her, NOW!" Kenzaki shouted as he smashed his fist on the coffee table. All the Titans were in the Common Room. After hearing about Neko's kidnapping, an urgent meeting had been called to decide on the next course of action.

"I know that but we can't find her. Her communicator's signal has been blocked," Robin frowned.

"Then we should go out there and sweep the city!" Kenzaki roared.

"Kenzaki-san is right," Draco agreed. "My sister is out there."

"We have to go and try to find her," Cathy added. She feared the worst.

"I'm with Kenzaki on this one," Rose said. It wasn't like her to normally agree with Kenzaki but then this was Neko they were talking about. The longer she was kept in captivity under Copycat, the more danger she would be in.

"We need a plan. We can't go in blindly," Robin tried to reason.

"You just don't want to save her!" Rose accused.

"Are you implying that I don't care!?" Robin shot back.

"That's right! I know you hate my father but to extend that to Neko is just immature!" Rose snapped. "You don't even like me!"

"I don't even trust you!"

"ENOUGH!" Shadow roared, shocking everyone to silence. "We won't get anywhere just arguing about this. Raven, Jinx, Renia and I will try to find Neko using Scrying. Cyborg, Changeling, Terra and Starfire should split up to sweep the city, checking every one of Slade's past hideouts."

"I doubt they're home, though," Rose muttered.

"At least someone is doing something," Kenzaki mumbled. Robin glared.

"Shadow, I'm leader here," Robin reminded.

Shadow replied, "I know that, but you have to admit that arguing about this is just a waste of time. You're a better man than this, so please don't disappoint me."

Robin sighed. He was getting far too emotional. He associated Copycat with Slade and at times Rose too. He would accuse Rose of being a double-agent despite Neko's argument that Rose was no longer on Tartarus' side. Robin was just being careful, or paranoid in most cases, but he just didn't want the Titans to be compromised.

"OK, we'll follow Shadow's plan," Robin said and he saw Kenzaki headed for the door. "Where are you going?"

"I need to set up for this," Kenzaki said as he held up his Rider Pass. The door slid open to reveal the entrance to the Sands of Time as the GarohLiner stopped there.

"I'm coming with you," Draco said, walking towards Kenzaki.

"Us too," Rose and Cathy said in unison. Cathy already had the ALPHA Gear on her but she hadn't activated it yet. Rose also had her Smartrooper Riot belt on too.

"Fine," Kenzaki nodded. "Let's go."

"I'm coming too," Robin said, earning strange looks from the others, especially Kenzaki and Rose. "I'm sorry that I was acting like a jerk."

Kenzaki smiled. "Good to know. Ikuzo!"

The 5 of them ran through the door and into the Sands of Time before it slid close. They quickly boarded the GaroLiner.

* * *

"Hello, Tazuka," Saeji greeted Tazuka who was standing outside of a 24 hour convenience store sipping a frozen beverage called a 'Slushie'.

"Greetings, Saeji," Tazuka greeted back. "So, what brings you here?"

"You can sense spiritual pressure, right?"

"I'm an Arrancar. It's what I do," Tazuka said, referring to his 'Pesquisa' ability. He took a long sip through the straw. It was blue berry flavor.

"Good, because I need to find someone."

"Who?"

"Neko."

* * *

Kenzaki stood in front of a wall that was decorated with various firearms and explosives. "This is gonna be the big one," Kenzaki said to no one. He heard the door slide open. "Hey, Kumiko."

"Kenzaki…why do you have to do this now, can't you wait for Robin and the others to create a plan?" she asked, nearly crying.

"I can't," was all Kenzaki said.

"Why not?!" cried Kumiko. She looked up and saw the look of pure determination in Kenzaki's eyes. "You…you love her, don't you?" asked Kumiko.

"Yes…No…I don't know," answered Kenzaki. "All I know right now is that if anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself." He looked directly at her. "You know about my past, right?"

"You know I do…" said Kumiko.

"For the longest time, I was numb. I couldn't feel a thing, no matter how much anyone wanted me to…I was numb…I wanted to be numb. But something's different whenever I'm around her." He held out his hands and all the weapons turned to a liquid metal before joining being absorbed into Kenzaki's body. "For everyone's sake, for her sake, I needed to be…indestructible."

He walked up to Kumiko and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Please…I don't want you to die…"

"Daisuki, Kumiko-imouto," said Kenzaki as he gently kissed her forehead. He walked behind her to a box that was sitting on a table. He opened the box and took something out, quickly pocketing it. "This all ends today."He left the room, leaving a crying Kumiko in his wake.

* * *

Draco was in the dining car with Gekiryuken hanging from his neck. He was biting his thumb with his right leg over the left one and the right elbow on the table. His right foot kept fidgeting every so often. It was obvious to see that he was worried. Sitting across from him was Robin, who was wearing a stoic expression on his face with his eyes on the T-Com in his hands in front of him. He kept flipping the cover open and closed.

The Imagin were watching the two passengers as Shiori walked over and placed down a cup of coffee for Robin and a glass of milk for Draco on the table. She knew they were in deep thought over what was about to occur.

Rose and Cathy were seated at another booth. Rose loved Neko with all her heart and the thoughts she was having were frightening her. What could Katherine be doing to her sweet and gentle Knight? Cathy's thoughts were also filled with trouble. Shiori served the two some ice tea to calm their nerves but it as doubtful that simple beverages would help with their troubled feelings.

"Gekiryuken," Draco began, "Can you sense Neko-chan?"

"It's difficult to get a lock on her," Gekiryuken answered, regretfully.

"Keep trying, please," Draco pled. Katherine was pure evil. She was the part of his sister that didn't possess the same restraint the original Copycat had when she had been whole once. It was his fault this was happening.

"Hai," Gekiryuken replied. He wasn't going to fail his mistress.

Draco took hold of his glass of milk and took a sip when all of a sudden his eyes snapped wide open and glowed. The symbol for Pisces appeared on his forehead as the glass dropped to the floor with a crash, sending shards flying and milk splashing everywhere, shocking everyone.

* * *

_Neko gritted her teeth from the pain, not willing to scream for their satisfaction. She was being cruelly tortured by Damien who was using a whip to cut more wounds into her skin. She was shackled to a wall and helpless. Katherine watched, amused, as Rosalinda stood next to her, hugging the evil Knight who had her arm around her waist. Slade was there too, watching…merely watching._

_Blood dripped to the floor as Neko went limp._

* * *

Draco gasped and then started to pant as he stood up and gripped the edges of the table. Shiori was cleaning up the milk and broken glass on the floor. The door to the dining car opened and both Kenzaki & Kumiko walked in.

"I heard a glass break. What happened?" Kenzaki asked.

"Your buddy just freaked out!" Raion informed. "It was like he was having a heart attack!"

"It was a vision!" Draco snapped.

"What kind of vision?" Robin asked. Everyone interested listened to Draco.

"I know where Neko-chan is."

* * *

Damien smirked as he stepped back from Neko who'd fallen unconscious from the pain.

Katherine grumbled, "She's still so stubborn, unwilling to become one with me."

"Why would you want her back anyway?" Damien questioned. "She's just the part of you that has all the goodness so why bother? She'll only hold you back."

Katherine narrowed her red eyes at her Lord of Wrath, "Because I need her to fully unlock my powers. Without her, the Key, the Gate, which is me, cannot unleash its full power." Katherine was linked to all the Horror Gates on Earth. If she was able to unlock her true power, than the Horrors would all be unleashed and under her power.

Also, without the Key, she was bound to one world and unable to travel the Multiverse freely like she'd been able to do before. She was only able to find Damien through the use of an alien object known as a Stargate which she'd 'acquired' from a top secret facility and it only had been through luck that she'd been able to find him by using the thing. Of course, now the Stargate was useless due to its long recharge time. Chang was working on getting it operational once more.

Slade suggested, "Maybe we should use psychological warfare?"

"I agree, but I can't enter her mind for some reason," Katherine grimaced. "Her mental shields are as strong as mine. I can't break through them." She loathed to admit it but she had to admit agree that her weaker half wasn't as pathetic as she'd originally thought.

Damien eyed Neko's unconscious form. He wanted to break the girl in bed but Katherine was against it for various reasons, namely because she didn't want any memory of Damien raping her once she reabsorbed Neko. It just sickened her to feel a man's body against her own instead of Rosalinda's.

Katherine picked up a bucket of cold water and tossed its contents at Neko. The ice cold water shocked Neko awake and drenched her. She spat out water and opened her eyes at her captors.

Katherine could feel Neko's anger, hatred, and also fear. Those negative emotions fed her through their connection. Their minds were connected too, but Neko could sever that connection if she wanted to. Neko had discovered the connection between Katherine and herself and had practiced with Gekiryuken's help to block the evil half out of her mind.

"I'm not…going…to join you," Neko spat weakly, blood dripping from her cut lip. "So…just forget it!"

"We have a lot of time," Katherine responded. "We have all eternity really until you agree to be one with me."

"As…if, you psycho!"

Katherine snarled and strode forward before slapping Neko across the face. Though Neko's death would result in her own, they didn't share pain or any wounds, which meant she could hurt Neko as much as she wanted without any repercussions.

"Nobody is coming to save you!" Katherine roared. That scared Rosalinda.

"You're lying! Ryu-chan and the others will find me!" Neko shot back.

"The others? You mean that Wolf Rider?" Katherine scoffed. She was aware of Kenzaki's feelings for Neko but it would appear that the girl was completely clueless. "Why would he?"

"Because he's my friend!"

"Friend?" Katherine repeated, mockingly, "Friend!? Don't you remember what we did to him and his family?" Katherine laughed. "How can you ever be friends? He wanted to kill you if you haven't forgotten. You're just his ticket to getting me! As far as he's concerned, you're just another bounty on his list."

"I'm not!" Neko objected.

"Aren't you?" Katherine purred. "He doesn't care about you, Neko-chan. Nobody does. You and I are the same and they all see you as such. They don't trust you. You're just my shadow and you remind them of all the terrible things we've done."

Neko fell silent from Katherine's words and a grin formed on the evil girl's face. "Nobody cares…"

Neko stood there, hanging by her restraints. The others did care, right? Katherine was lying, right?

...

_Right?_

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Rose asked Draco. "That's where Neko is?"

"Yes," Draco nodded. The vision had been very vivid. "Neko-chan is there," he confirmed.

"Alright, let's go then," Kenzaki said as he walked into the teleporter. It took him to the cockpit. He walked over to his bike and mounted it before entering the coordinates. With the coordinates set, their destination was clear. They were headed towards Paris, France.

Neko was in a dungeon located in Paris' catacombs.

* * *

"Alright, that should be enough for now," Slade said to his apprentice.

"I'm not through yet," Katherine snarled. She was holding her whip and lashing it at Neko, who was still bound to the wall. "I won't stop till she screams!"

"Fat…chance!" Neko gasped. She didn't look like she was in good condition. Her top had been torn up, she had scratches, cuts and bruises all over her body over hours of torture, and a bruise was starting to form around her eye where Katherine had punched her.

"She seems to have retained your stubbornness," Slade observed.

"Great, that's the only thing the Power of the Tiger split equally," Katherine spat. She walked towards Neko and lifted her chin up. The only thing keeping Neko standing were her restraints.

Damien strode forward. "Perhaps some time alone with me will rob her of that stubbornness," spoke Damien. He cupped Neko's chin and forced her to look at him. "I'm sure it would be…enjoyable. For one of us at least." He perversely licked the side of her face and shivered. "Oh…yes. It would be truly enjoyable." Katherine felt disgusted at Damien's perverse behavior.

"We'll continue later," commanded Katherine. Damien released Neko's face and stepped back.

"Some other time then." Damien then turned and left. Despite being one of Copycat's Lords of Sin, he was by no means her servant. He was only here as a means to his own ends.

Katherine leaned forward and licked the blood off the corner of Neko's lips. Neko spat in her face in response. Katherine frowned and wiped the substance off her face before slapping Neko across her own face. She scowled as Neko smirked at her. She turned around and said to Slade. "Slade-sama, ikuzo." Slade nodded and led Katherine out of the cell before locking it behind her.

Katherine had to respect her 'weaker' half. She had a pretty strong will and it had been fun earlier to attempt to break it. However, now it was becoming an annoyance and Katherine was growing desperate. She could only reabsorb Neko if the girl would agree on her own free will.

'_Maybe I should've captured Rose and Cathy instead_,' Katherine thought. '_No, Slade-sama would be angry._' As effective at that plan would be, Katherine had to reject it. Despite being pure evil, she still considered the emotions of her father figure. '_But, if I captured Draco and Kenzaki…_' Torturing them might still get a response out of Neko. She just needed a way to draw them here…maybe a message?

"Hm, maybe I should send them a message," Katherine mused out loud.

"You said something, Katherine?" Slade asked.

"Oh, just thinking out loud," Katherine replied.

"Good, because the plan is almost coming to fruition."

'_I agree…_' Katherine's mind purred. She took out her phone and flipped it open. A message would lead the group to her and then…

She smirked malevolently as her shadow grew eyes and grins.

* * *

Paris, also known as the city of love, was going to play host to some very special guests as a multicolored portal form on an empty street. Many of the city's citizens witnessed the beautiful light show before train tracks 'grew' out from the portal and onto the road. Suddenly, a strange tune was heard right before a futuristic bullet train came flying out of the portal, running along the tracks.

The roadside performers watched in awe as did many civilians. A painter even switched canvasses to paint the amazing sight as tourists took photos.

A door opened before Kenzaki jumped off, followed by Rose, Cathy, Robin and Draco. "OK, we're here," Kenzaki said.

"I remember when I was here with Kat," Rose spoke referring to when Katherine and Neko had been whole in the past. "It was romantic."

"The last time we were here was to stop the Brotherhood of Evil," Draco remembered.

"And I was about to be frozen," Robin muttered.

Kumiko peaked out the door and sighed, "Ah, I've always wanted to visit Paris. It's so romantic."

"Kumiko, stay in the GaroLiner," Kenzaki ordered.

"But, Kenzaki," she complained.

"This isn't a vacation," he interrupted. "Maybe later, OK?"

"Fine," Kumiko sighed. "Just, get back here safely, OK?"

"I promise," Kenzaki smiled. Kumiko returned the smile before getting back in the train. The door slid close and the GaroLiner went into reverse before disappearing into the portal, along with its tracks.

"Let's get to the catacombs, quickly," Robin ordered briskly. "We're getting too much attention here."

"Right," Kenzaki agreed. "Let's move."

As the team ran off to find the entrance to the catacombs, someone was watching them.

* * *

Neko looked up as she heard her cell door open. She was absolutely terrified to see Damien standing there. Damien had been kept under a bit of control as long as Katherine was in the room, but with her gone… "Do not worry, girl," spoke Damien, though saying not to worry didn't help the situation. "I'm merely here to read your thoughts."

"You can't!" denied Neko. "You can try, but my mental shields are too strong!" She had said that last part with a hint of pride.

"Oh, I know. They may be too strong for Katherine whom you share a connection with, but not me. You see, I am much more powerful than your shields. Allow me to demonstrate." He placed a finger on Neko's forehead.

"Get out of my head!" Neko screamed.

"Oh, yes, this is very interesting," Damien mused. He saw many things in Neko's mind. Her memories were like a movie and he could see them all. He could see all her secrets, like her first crush, when she'd discovered that she was bisexual, and so many other delicious tidbits that she hadn't revealed to anyone. He removed his fingers. "Very nice."

Neko had felt the intrusion looked at Damien in shock. "How? How did you break through my shields?"

"Oh, I didn't break them. I merely bypassed them." He placed his hands on her head. "Now…let's dig a little deeper." The thoughts he was reading were of Neko's feelings. Her feelings for her family, Rose, Cathy and the Titans were boring but then he found something quite interesting. In the deepest depth of Neko's mind he discovered something that even she wasn't totally aware of. The information would make good entertainment at a gossip party and he knew Katherine would love to hear about them. These thoughts concerned Kenzaki and Neko's feelings for him…

"Oh yes, now that is a delicious piece of information. I'm sure Katherine would love to hear about that."

* * *

Katherine lay in bed with Rosalinda. They were in a beautiful hotel suite and had ordered room service. Both girls had shared an unhealthy amount of chocolate together, the rich kind. Unlike her weaker half, Katherine did not suffer from chocolate induced insanity.

Katherine popped another piece of chocolate into her lover's mouth and watched as the silver haired girl chewed it with satisfaction. Both girls were in their underwear and nothing else. "Now this is the life," Katherine purred, running a hand along Rosalinda's belly.

"Oui, Mistress," Rosalinda giggled. One of the shadows began to move and a figure walked out from them. At the sight of the demon, Rosalinda cringed and quickly embraced her mistress. Katherine held the girl protectively, eyeing the figure.

"What is it?" Katherine asked.

"_They_ are here," the figure responded.

"I see." Katherine's eyes narrowed. "So, they're here. Report to Slade-sama and Damien-dono. Tell them I'm on my way." Katherine crawled out of bed and felt a hand on her arm. She looked towards Rosalinda who stared at her pleadingly. "Stay here where it's safe." Rosalinda reluctantly let go of Katherine but was given a kiss. "Be good."

Rosalinda bowed her head, "Yes, Mistress."

Katherine grabbed her Zodiac Deck and entered a dark portal with the figure following.

* * *

Draco shivered, "This is the entrance?" He might not be afraid of ghosts, but the sight before him gave him the chills. Cathy shivered too. It looked dark and from what she'd heard about the catacombs, it was filled with old bones. Human bones. Draco was getting some psychic feedback from the entrance. He was receiving visions of the dead and he didn't like it. That was what he hated about the Power of Pisces. He had little control over it and when it turned on he had trouble turning it off despite it showing him horrifying visions like now.

"Yep," Robin nodded. "According to this map I've got."

"I wish we'd picked up Shinji," Draco muttered. The urban explorer and Stag Inzecter user would've been useful for this sort of thing.

"Didn't you say Neko was here?" Rose asked.

"The visions didn't exactly pinpoint a location," Draco responded. "All I saw was her getting…" He hesitated, "Getting tortured and I felt her pain. It led us to here."

"Quit shaking and let's get going," Kenzaki said, producing a flashlight. "You wanna save your sister, right?" Kenzaki questioned as he went ahead. Draco fell silent and put on a brave face. "OK, if there are no more complaints, let's go."

Robin spoke to Draco, "Kenzaki seems more overprotective than you. I mean I know he wants to collect the bounty on Copycat, but still…"

"I know," Draco agreed. "Let's go in." Now was not the time to be afraid. His sister needed him.

They entered the dark tunnel and instantly Kenzaki, Rose and Robin turned on flashlights, Cathy used her ALPHA-Phone as a makeshift flashlight, and Draco picked up a piece of wood near the entrance and lit it up, making a torch.

Cathy felt nervous as she walked through the tunnel. "This place, I heard it was haunted," she said nervously.

"That's just a rumor people use to try and scare people," Rose assured her daughter.

"Actually…" Draco began, earning the two girls' attention. "Shadow told me that if a place has been used as a mass grave, it can contain a lot of paranormal activity."

The two girls paled.

"Oh, brother," Kenzaki rolled his eyes. "You guys fight monsters and even faced a big freaking demon and you're afraid of ghosts?"

Draco, Rose and Cathy nodded.

"Some heroes," Kenzaki muttered. Robin was walking alongside him. Kenzaki caught the look the boy wonder was giving him and asked. "What?"

"You seem pretty protective of Mimic," Robin stated.

"Well, she's a good friend of mine," Kenzaki replied, knowing and not liking where this questioning was going. Earlier, Rose had gotten the answers from him and Kenzaki wasn't interested in sharing anymore.

"Is that all?" Robin asked suspiciously.

"Look, can we talk about this later?" Kenzaki grumbled. "I mean we need to-"

Cathy shrieked.

"What's wrong!?" Kenzaki yelled as he turned his head to the back of the group to see Cathy had fallen to her knees, shaking. Her ALPHA-Phone was on the ground. Her tail was stiff and shaking as she raised a shuddering hand up, pointing in front of them.

"T-T-That…" Cathy stuttered, pointing up ahead. Everyone turned to look and Draco's eyes widened.

Kenzaki and Robin shined their flashlights in the direction and nearly shouted in shock.

"Dear God…" Robin said.

It wasn't the sign that had shocked them, or the bones which were piled up and arranged to make up a wall. It wasn't even the graffiti…it was the two male bodies (the guards) that had been pinned to the wall of bones, spread eagle. Large nails had been driven into their palms and ankles, sticking them there. The look of terror had was frozen on their faces. Signs also hung from their necks, in Japanese.

"Draco…" Robin began. "What do those signs say?"

Draco read the first sign, "Enter at you own peril, fools," before reading the second, "Or face a really short life. Signed: Copycat." At the bottom of each sign was a small cartoony caricature of Copycat's helmet. "Oh, Kami."

Kenzaki sniffed the air. "Those bodies are fresh."

"OK, I know we're here to save mama, but this is really frightening me!" Cathy cried.

"Calm down, Cathy," Rose hugged the younger girl. "Just close your eyes and hold my hand." Cathy did as told. Despite her training, Cathy had never actually killed anyone or even seen a dead body like this before.

There were several tunnel entrances. "OK, which one do we use?" Robin asked.

Draco steeled himself and said, "Allow me." He removed one of his gloves and placed his hand on the surface of the bones.

"What are you doing?" Kenzaki asked.

"Trying to get a vision. If one led us here, then another will tell us the right way to go," Draco answered. So far, he had nothing.

"Can't you sniff her out?" Rose asked, referring to Draco's enhanced senses as he was an Orphenoch.

"There's too much interference," Draco replied. "There are too many scents that I can't focus on hers."

"If you're planning of looking for your friend, you won't find her that way," a familiar voice came out of one of the tunnels. They all turned towards it and saw someone standing there. Someone respected, feared, and all around hated by a large group of people.

"Slade," Robin growled.

"Papa Slade!" Cathy spoke up.

"Daddy!" Rose shouted.

To Draco, he was known as Slade-sensei, but he wasn't about to greet the man.

"I don't have to ask why you're even here, Slade," Robin spoke with venom in his voice. "Now, where's Mimic?"

"Mimic? Oh, you mean my apprentice's weaker half?" Slade replied. "She's our guest and is receiving some proper attention and treatment."

"Tell me where my sister is, teme!" Draco roared. Slade's eye narrowed.

"You could try asking nicely, you know?" Slade sighed and then he struck. He charged forward and sent Draco into the wall with a powerful punch. "Hm, still an amateur."

"Not me!" snapped Robin, his bo staff out. "Come on, Slade!"

"Daddy" Rose shouted, stopping the two eternal enemies from fighting, "Daddy, please."

"Ah, Rose," Slade spoke smoothly. "You've disappointed me. You joined the Titans."

"I joined them because I don't want the world destroyed," Rose replied. Her hand was on the hilt of her machete. "Please, tell us where Neko is."

Slade remained silent. He studied his daughter and then his adopted granddaughter. Maybe, just maybe, they could appeal to whatever conscience he had.

Slade sighed, "Very well." He pointed behind him. "The tunnel behind me leads to the dungeon. But I warn you, the network is complex and you may find yourself lost."

"We'll take our chances," Kenzaki replied.

Slade took out a cell phone and continued, "But, you all need to go though me first." He flipped the black and gold phone opened and dialed in 5 numbers. Draco recognized it. Slade pressed 'OK'.

"_Standby._"

"Henshin," Slade said coldly before snapping the phone to the belt, the OMEGA Driver.

"_Activate._"

Golden streams spread from the belt and then released a bright flash. Taking Slade's place was OMEGA.

"Now, come at me," OMEGA Slade challenged.

That did it for them.

Cathy dialed the henshin code into her ALPHA-Phone and pressed "OK".

"_Standby._"

"Henshin," Cathy called before snapping the phone to the belt.

"_Activate._"

"Henshin!" Robin spoke into his communicator.

"_Standby._"

He snapped it to his belt buckle.

"_Activation._"

"Henshin!" Kenzaki called, swiping the Pass over his belt.

"**HUNTER FORM!**"

"Henshin!" Rose called, snapping her SB belt open, revealing a black and silver SR emblem inside.

"Henshin!" Draco called out, sliding his Zodiac Deck into the Masked Rider Sword. "Liner Drive Form!"

In flashes of light, the teenagers had transformed into their familiar armored forms, becoming Masked Riders. Ravager (Rose) now wore a black bodysuit with bronze gauntlets and boots. She also had on a bronze breast piece connected to back armor by twin straps on her shoulders and twin straps under her arms. She had no shoulder pads. Her helmet was bronze with a black visor and silver mouthpiece. On her forehead was a pair of antennae. In her right hand was rifle that had a bayonet equipped to the barrel.

"If it's a fight you want, Slade, then bring it on!" Robin shouted.

"Very well," OMEGA Slade nodded. He got into a fighting stance.

"Titans! Go!" Robin ordered and they all charged at Slade who stood at the entrance.

* * *

Katherine watched the entire battle through the eyes of one of her hidden minions. She could see as Draco used the Masked Rider Sword and Gekiryuken simultaneously to fight Slade but the master criminal proved much more formidable, even with Rose joining in and using her machete to fight against her father. OMEGA Slade used the flat of his blade to bat the two Riders away.

ALPHA (Cathy/Nekokage) tried to fight from above, shooting her wrist lasers at Slade who deflected the shots using the sword. He swung his sword, batting the shots away like one would swat flies before one of those shots bounced back and struck ALPHA in the chest.

Robin and Garoh were next, armed with their swords and slashing at OMEGA Slade like crazy. He was able to fight the two young warriors without any trouble, proving his power and superiority as he only used one hand which was gripping the OMEGA Sword. Swiftly and smoothly, Slade opened up the OMEGA Phone and pressed the button to activate the Excel Charge option.

Katherine watched as the golden energy blade extended from the OMEGA Sword and heard Slade call out his attack before striking. She smirked, licking her lips. She was proud to call Slade her master and father, which was why she'd chosen him to be her Lord of Pride.

* * *

In her cell, Neko watched as the door was sliced apart. Two figures entered and one of them spoke, "It's time to finish this. I'm sorry."

Neko sighed. She resigned her life to fate. "Just, get it over with and make it quick."

* * *

OMEGA Slade was too strong and experienced. All, but Robin, were on the ground after Slade had executed his 'Omega Blade' attack that had struck them down. Robin had been able to dodge it and knock the sword away before grappling with OMEGA Slade.

"Guys!" Robin shouted. "Get going! I'll handle Slade!"

"But, Robin!" Draco protested. Garoh got up and headed towards the tunnel. "Garoh!"

"**He's giving us a chance to get to Neko! Let's go!**" Garoh shouted.

Draco was reluctant to leave Robin alone but ALPHA had already flown into the tunnel with Ravager running by her side.

"GO!" Robin shouted.

Draco gave a nod to his fellow Titan and Rider before following after the others.

"Now it's just you and me, Slade," Robin smirked under his helmet.

"As it has always meant to be," OMEGA Slade replied before sending Robin crashing into the wall, sending bones flying at impact. He reached down to his belt and opened the phone, entering a new code before pressing "OK".

"_Excel Charge!"_

Slade's right fist was glowing with energy as the excel streams pumped the energy from the belt to it.

Robin responded by opening his communicator and pressing a button too.

"_Excel Charge!_"

Instead of his fist, the energy flowed down his leg into his right boot.

The two eternal enemies eyes one another before letting out a battle cry and charging at one another. Slade threw a fist as Robin raised up his left leg and swung it at the fist.

The boot and fist connected.

* * *

An explosion was heard by the team and Draco turned his head around. He shouted, "We need to go back!"

Garoh placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, "**No! Kid, he gave us a chance to save your sister!**"

"But!"

"**He'll be fine! Now come on!**"

They ran down the tunnel, which too had skulls and bones, when they reached a dead end.

"**I knew it was too good to be true**," snarled Garoh.

"Or is it?" Ravager asked as she touched the dead end. One of the bones was sticking out. "What's this?"

"Wait, it might be a booby trap," said Draco.

Ravager ignored him. She took hold of it and pulled it down. There was rumbling and then a section of the dead end swung open like a door.

"Mommy, sugoi!" ALPHA shouted with glee.

"**Let's go then**," Garoh said as he walked towards the door.

"That's far enough, _heroes_," taunted a female figure. She walked into the limited light and placed her hands to her hips. "This is the end of the line for you." It was Copycat.

Draco held the Masked Rider Sword and Gekiryuken tightly as he, Ravager, ALPHA and Garoh faced Copycat. "Where's Neko-chan?" Draco demanded.

"Oh, she's around," Copycat purred. "Too bad you won't be around long enough to find out." She summoned her two battle axes and prepared for battle.

"**Draco, go and find your sister**," Garoh insisted.

"But…" Draco began.

"**I'll handle her, don't worry**," Garoh assured. Garoh undid his transformation, Okami and the other Imagin stood around him, though Raion, Byakko, and Buraki were still without a true form. "OK, guys…this is my wish…" The Imagin stared at Kenzaki. "Save Neko, no matter what, save Neko…" As a result of his wish, Raion, Buraki and Byakko's sandy upper bodies rose up as their lower bodies, which floated above them, vanished upwards into the air. The Imagin stood at full height before their respective colors filled in. "Now, get going!" Kenzaki ordered.

Draco nodded and activated the energy tracks. He, Ravager, ALPHA, and the Imagin rode on them, racing past Copycat who had to dodge a shotgun blast from Kenzaki. They all entered through the door which closed upon entry.

"This ends here," Kenzaki growled.

"So be it," Copycat hissed.

* * *

Neko was still bound to the wall by her shackles as she watched helplessly as Saeji placed the tip of his blade to her heart. He said to her, "I told you that once the Living Gate became a threat I'd come back to finish the job." Neko wasn't going to beg for her life. Her evil half had been close to breaking her. If this was what it took to save the world and protect everyone, so be it.

"Can you tell everyone goodbye for me at least," Neko said in surrender.

"I'll tell them you gave your life for the greater good," Saeji said somberly. "Goodbye, Neko." He was about to thrust his sword into her chest when Gekiryuken flew out of nowhere and knocked it out of his hand. "What?"

"Saeji-niisan, don't do it!" Draco shouted, running towards them with Ravager, the Imagin and ALPHA behind him. ALPHA blasted at the chains, using her lasers at full strength but with narrow beams to cut the manacles holding Neko to the wall. The wounded girl fell forward but Ravager caught her before she hit the ground.

"Neko, what did they do to you?" Ravager asked gingerly. Neko's top had been torn she had bleeding cuts and ugly bruises all over her body. She had a black eye, a broken nose and a split lip. She was probably missing some teeth too. Buraki couldn't help but stare at Neko's exposed body but got smacked up the head by Byakko.

"They…" Neko began, coughing, "They tried to break me. Tried to make me surrender myself to her…" Neko chuckled weakly, "But I wouldn't let them, no matter what they did." She was in agony and too weak to move after hours of torture. ALPHA held the Aquarius Deck out to Neko.

"Mama, here," ALPHA started. "The Power of the Horse. You can use it to heal you."

Neko looked at the deck and nodded as ALPHA pressed it against her belt. The Zodiac Belt formed and the deck got locked in the centre. The crystal glowed and a shimmering light washed over Neko, healing the wounds and reenergizing her.

Draco and Saeji were glaring at one another. "You tried to…" Draco began, not able to find the words. "She still has more time!"

"Neko and I had a deal. If the Living Gate became a threat at any time then I'd come back to finish the job," Saeji replied, repeating the promise.

"But how did you get here?" Draco asked.

"I helped him," Tazuka said as he walked out of the shadows. He wore his Arrancar clothes along with the helmet-like remains of his Hollow mask. "I just used a Garganta to bring us here once I found Neko's spiritual energy signature."

Draco was silent. He didn't know what to say. His own cousin and brother were conspiring together to kill Neko. He just felt so disgusted by their actions that he couldn't look at them.

"Look, Ryuki-kun," Saeji began. "We have a responsibility to save the world! Sacrifices need to be made."

"Chigau!" Draco objected. "The ends don't justify the means no matter what! I won't let you kill Neko-chan."

Tazuka had to smile. Draco was still as idealistic as he had been 3 years ago since he met him.

Ravager and ALPHA were up in the Makai Knight and Arrancar's faces, a look of anger hidden by their helmets. The two men shifted uncomfortably from the angry glares targetted at them by the two girls who looked ready to shoot and slice them to pieces.

"It's OK," Neko stated after she'd been healed, shocking Ravager and ALPHA. "If I fell into Copycat's hands, this world and others would be in danger. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

Draco nodded, "Hai, but I'd sooner die fighting than allow an innocent life to be sacrificed for 'the greater good'."

Gekiryuken flew into Neko's hand. "Ojou-sama! I'm glad you are safe."

"I'm glad you all came to save me," Neko nodded.

"Well, we need to go. Robin is fighting Slade."

"And Shonen-kun is fighting Copycat," growled Okami.

"We need to help him! Hayaku!" Neko shouted as she ran out the cell.

"Neko-chan, chotto!" Draco shouted before chasing after his sister. The rest followed, except for two.

* * *

Kenzaki and Copycat faced each other. The ground around them was littered with spent shells. Copycat's breathing was heavy, while Kenzaki didn't even look winded. '_Gotta love invulnerability,_' mused Kenzaki. His shirt had been torn to ribbons, revealing his metallic skin, which was unscathed. Kenzaki took stock of the weaponry he had left. '_Only have a hedgehog left. Good thing I set up a few more Air-fuel grenades around here during the fighting._' Kenzaki ripped off his shirt, revealing his metallic skin. A circular grenade formed in Kenzaki's hand. "Catch!" he called as he threw the grenade at Copycat. She jumped out of the way only to scream in pain. She looked behind her and saw quills sticking out of her.

"Bastard!" hissed Copycat. A detonator formed in Kenzaki's hand.

"Better than being a roasted cat!" he taunted as he pushed the button. Copycat heard beeping all around her, and suddenly she was engulfed in flames.

"It's over," Kenzaki grinned in satisfaction.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" Copycat mocked as she walked out of the flames, unharmed. She didn't even have a scorch mark on her armor, much to his surprise. She repeated what he'd been thinking minutes ago, "Gotta love invulnerability…"

Kenzaki frowned and prepared to use another attack when Copycat began, "It's funny, y'know? I mean I killed your family and then you come along to kill me, all grown up, but end up falling in love with my weaker half." Kenzaki fell silent. She must've read his mind. "Yes, I did read your mind, so there's no point denying it."

"Shut up," Kenzaki growled.

"Nope, I'm on a roll here," Copycat snickered, "Do you really think you two can ever have a future together as long as I exist? How can you love someone that looks like the person you want to kill? The person that killed your family? I seem to recall you wanting to kill her when you thought I destroyed your little time train." Copycat laughed. "And do you _really_ think she has ANY feelings for you whatsoever? Trust me, she doesn't. We're both connected and let me tell you that she'll never love you. First impressions can last a lifetime and you tried to put a bullet to her head. You know what, that's not a bad idea really…" Liquid metal formed in Copycat's hands, but it stopped when she fell to her knees in pain. "H--how?"

"You may be able to copy my powers, but not my disease. The metal that coats my skin may give me great power, but to everyone else, it's a curse. Creating weapons out of one's own body is quite painful. Lucky for me, I can't feel pain…" He charged forward and planted a powerful punch into Copycat's face, cracking her helmet. "That's for my mother!" He kneed her in the gut. "My father!" He leapt up and delivered a powerful spin kick, giving it another crack, "My sister!" He grabbed her by her helmet. "And this is for me!" He pulled her head forward and slammed it into his own head. This caused her helmet to shatter. She staggered backwards; blood began to leak from the corner of her mouth. "12 years of anger…12 years of hatred…all leading up to this one moment…"

'_How…? How is he able to hurt me? I'm invulnerable just like him so he shouldn't be able to…I'm like him! That metal on his body that gives him invulnerability…it can only be affected by the same metal! I've got him now._'

* * *

Saeji and Tazuka were left in the cell after the others had gone. "I really blew it, didn't I?" Saeji asked the Arrancar.

Tazuka's only reply to the Makai Knight was, "We both did."

"Ryuki-kun is going to hate me for this," Saeji groaned worriedly.

"He'll forgive you, eventually," Tazuka assured. "I'm not so sure about those two girls, though."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"I know, but maybe we should help them."

"Good idea."

Before they could leave, a dark blast of energy smashed into them and slammed them against the wall with a violent thud.

"Leaving so soon?" Damien asked. "How rude." He began to step towards the two, his hands laced behind his back. "And I don't tolerate rudeness." He held out his left hand, and the two warriors were lifted up by an invisible force. "An Arrancar and a Makai Knight, this may be fun." The two were thrown backwards.

Saeji and Tazuka stood up and prepared to fight. Both swordsmen drew out their weapons and activated their transformations.

"Defend! Tiburon!" Tazuka called out before his Zanpakuto shattered and then formed into armor which encased his body. At the same time, Saeji slashes a circle of light above his head and from it his crimson wolf armored fell and encased his body.

Damien looked at the two in mild surprise. He then smiled and began to chuckle. "Yes! Finally some entertainment!" he laughed. His laughter slowly became manic and insane, like a cackle from the depths of Hell. He held out his right arm. "Yes! Come at me! Don't hold back! Try your damnedest to kill me!"

REDDO, having a strict time limit was the first to attack. He charged at Damien and began swinging his blade. But each time Damien dodged it by a hair. He swung at Damien's neck, only to see it hit his throat and do no damage. "Nice try," taunted Damien. He then thrust his palm into REDDO's chest and sent the Makai Knight sliding backward. "70 seconds and counting…" REDDO looked at Damien in shock. "Oh, I know all about your little time limit. So you might want to hurry up."

While Damien was being kept busy by REDDO, Tazuka had gotten behind Damien and was preparing a Cero blast. Damien turned only to see the energy as it finished gathering. "How bout this!?" shouted Tazuka as he fired at point blank range. He heard a scream, which he assumed was Damien's. When the smoke cleared he was shocked to see REDDO, implanted into a wall by the blast. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"An excellent shot, had you been aiming at him," taunted the Lord of Wrath. He grasped Tazuka's arm, still outstretched. "But you were aiming at me." Tazuka felt himself get lifted off the ground. Damien's other hand lifted up and dark energy gathered in his hand. "I think it should be something like this…" A powerful blast of dark energy shot from Damien's hand and slammed into REDDO. The force of the blast was so great that REDDO reverted into Saeji. Damien moved himself so he was face to face with Tazuka. "Or maybe something like this." Damien placed his hand against Tazuka' chest and fired another burst of dark energy right through Tazuka. Tazuka screamed as his release was shattered and he was forced back to his normal form. His Zanpakuto reformed clattered to the ground. "Pity. You didn't even give me much sport," Damien frowned before discarding Tazuka like garbage. He held out his arm and pointed at the two. "Time to die" he said with a laugh. A blast of dark energy exploded from his hand. He watched as the orb of dark energy stopped short of its targets. "So, you finally came…" The dark energy dissipated to reveal a rather pissed off looking… "Warren Smith."

Warren was glaring at Damien behind his sunglasses. "Like I'd miss a chance to punch you in the face" said Warren.

"Unfortunately these two bored me so much I'm not really in the mood for fighting. Though I hear Paris has some truly beautiful women…" Warren was about to stop him when Damien vanished, though his voice still rang in the air. "Prepare yourself Warren, for our true battle is coming…"

Warren cursed, "Damn it." His eyes then looked towards Saeji and Tazuka who were slowly coming to. "Come on, you guys. I think the others might need our help."

* * *

Kenzaki was breathing heavily now. Copycat had discovered his weakness and was easily using it to her advantage. She swiped at him with her claws, but Kenzaki ducked down and did a sweep kick, knocking Copycat to her back. Kenzaki followed up with an axe kick, but Copycat rolled out of the way. Kenzaki heard some rattling behind him and swung around. He found himself face to face with the Bone Imagin.

"Remember me?" the Bone Imagin sneered before he punched the stunned Kenzaki across the face and put him to the ground. The Bone Imagin now wore a hood and a cloak, resembling the Grim Reaper. He strode over to his mistress and stood next to her.

Kenzaki picked himself up and questioned, "But, how? I killed you!"

"Mistress Copycat was kind enough to save my soul and gave me a new body," the Bone Imagin replied. "She even gave me a new name. Now, I am known as Grimm."

"Grimm-kun, let's take him out," Copycat ordered.

"As you command, Copycat-sama," the Bone Imagin grinned, summoning a scythe that had a shaft made of bone.

The Knight and Imagin swung their weapons at Kenzaki who was trying to dodge but the narrow space didn't give him much room to move. He ducked before the scythe hit his head and the blade got stuck to the wall. In an instant, Copycat kicked him in the head and sent him rolling to the ground.

"Hah, pathetic," snorted Copycat. "Without those Imagin or your Rider powers, you're completely useless. Just like when you were a little boy, you're helpless now, just like when I killed your family."

Kenzaki growled. Copycat was trying to get a rise out of him and it was working. He had to find a way to beat her but then recalled the device attached to his right wrist that resembled a purple wolf's head. It had been given to him by his adopted father, the original Garoh.

"Never thought I'd need to use this again…" He flipped open the top of the Morpher, giving it a gong-like appearance. "Hibike! Beast Howl! _**Beast On!**_" He pushed a button on his Morpher, causing the gong to sound. The gong released a wave of energy that put his enemies at bay, giving him time to transform.

A purple and black bodysuit with white trimmings and silver arm and legs bands appeared on his body. There was the sound of a wolf howling and a full moon shone behind Kenzaki. Instantly, a purple helmet based on a wolf formed over his head and the visor slid over his eyes.

"Excitement! My style, to the limit of my will! Iron Will! GekiViolet!" Kenzaki posed, now transformed.

Copycat rolled her eyes, "A spandex-clad hero with a corny speech." She let out a scoff.

"Hah, you're still 100 years too early to beat us!" Grimm roared before charging at the violet clad Kenzaki.

"Gekiwaza! Ro Ro Dan (Wolf-Wolf Bullet)!" Kenzaki projected his ki into the form of a violet wolf. It lunged at Grimm and spun around and around, slashing at the Imagin with its bladed tail. Copycat was surprised by this and watched as her servant staggered from the attack as the ki-wolf faded.

"GekiJyuKen?" Copycat questioned. She'd seem Mortuary use the same type of martial arts. This was interesting. Her eyes scanned Kenzaki. With her power she could copy him, blow-for-blow.

"That's right and it's the fist of justice so don't be trying to copy it!" Kenzaki shot back.

Copycat's lips curled into a grin as she challenged, "We'll see about that." With a roar she charged straight at the violet clad bounty hunter.

The two combatants traded ferocious blows with one another. Kenzaki was able to counter all of Copycat's strikes but at the same time Copycat was able to counter his own attacks as well. They fought violently with one another, neither one letting up as they sought to finish the other off.

"This is it!" Kenzaki growled. He concentrated his ki into his fist and went for the final blow that would finish this. However, the hit never connected as Copycat's faceplate and eyepieces slid into the helmet, exposing her face, the same face shared between herself and Neko.

Kenzaki froze in hesitation for only a second but that was all the time Copycat needed to launch her attack. "Big mistake!" snarled Copycat. One of her claws extended and impaled Kenzaki. She could hear Kenzaki chuckle beneath the helmet.

"Gonna take more than a poke in the ribs to put this wolf down…" He felt four more piercings which were coming from the other four claws that were extended. "Yeah…that'll do it…"

"I'll tell Neko goodbye for you," Copycat purred as she readied her other clawed gauntlet to finish him off. "Sayonara, Kenzaki Tsukuba. Tell your family I said hi!" She swung down at him.

"GEKIRYU HENSHIN!"

"NANI!?" Copycat shouted before a blue dragon made of energy smashed into her and sent her crashing into the wall. The blue dragon roared before flying back to its mistress, fusing with Neko, and changing her into…

"Ryukendo! Raijin!" Ryukendo announced as she, Draco, Ravager, ALPHA and Kenzaki's Imagin arrived.

"Kenzaki-san?" Draco questioned, looking at the violet clad fighter. The visor was broken exposing both of Kenzaki's eyes. "It is you."

"Are you okay?" Ryukendo asked as she helped Kenzaki up.

"I've been better," Kenzaki replied.

"So, the gang's all here," Copycat eyed them. "Oh, wait. The Boy Blunder isn't here. I guess Slade-sama is still dealing with him." She stood up straight, Grimm by her side. "And I'm going to deal with you lot once and for all."

"Fat chance!" Ryukendo shouted.

"Ojou-sama! Use the card!" Gekiryuken instructed and Ryukendo obeyed. She drew the card as the dragonhead ornament of Gekiryuken slid up to reveal a chamber for her cards.

"Add Vent!" Ryukendo announced as she placed the card into the chamber and slid the dragonhead ornament down.

"Brave Leon!" Gekiryuken announced. A portal appeared next to Ryukendo and a robotic lion with white, blue and gold armor, along with a golden mane, jumped out and stood in front of its mistress. The lion, Brave Leon, let out a loud roar as its red eyes were focused on Copycat.

"Nice cat," Copycat scoffed.

"It's about to get better. Brave Leon: Vehicle Mode!" Ryukendo shouted as she leapt on top of her Zodiac Beast. The lion roared as its hind legs folded in and a pair of wheels took their place and a third wheel folded out in the front with the front paws hugging it. She revved up the engine and it roared before racing towards Copycat. "Take this!" She swung Gekiryuken and slashed Copycat across the chest, sending her to the ground. Brave Leon did a 180 turn and then sped straight towards Copycat who was just getting back up. Unprepared, Copycat was run over by the three-wheeled lion/vehicle and was flat on her face once more. Ryukendo grinned as she'd given Copycat her just desserts.

Kenzaki stared down Grimm. He chuckled under his helmet. "You know, when I was a kid, in all the mangas I read and movies and cartoons I watched, the hero of the story always had a one-hit, right hand, straight killer KO punch…"

"Yeah? And what's that got to do with this?"

"You'll see…" Kenzaki's right hand glowed with purple flames.

"Let's finish this," Ryukendo said as she turned Brave Leon back around again. She drew a card and quickly fed it to Gekiryuken.

"Final Vent!" both she and her Keyblade called out.

Draco got his own attack ready, the purple mask aligning itself with the blade as the energy tracks formed under his feet. "Full Throttle Break!" He then rushed towards Copycat. "DENSHA SHOTTO!!" Draco thrust his weapon forward and fired a purple blade of energy at Copycat.

"LION DRIVE STRIKE! RYUOU GIRI!!" Ryukendo drove right past Copycat and slashed her with Gekiryuken. At the same time Draco's energy blade pierced through her body.

"GEKIWAZA! GON GON KEN (Rigid-Rigid Fist)!" Kenzaki's fist exploded with violet flames as he charged at Grimm. He pulled his right arm back and threw it, colliding with the Imagin's face. Grimm screamed as he was thrown backwards and then exploded.

Copycat's armor was cracked and damaged as she was down on her hands and knees, breathing hard. She looked up at all of them, glaring hatefully. "This…isn't over!" she snarled.

Kenzaki stared and questioned, "Why won't you just give up? You've lost."

"Because…IT'S NEVER OVER!!" Copycat roared as she reared her head back and smashed her fists to the floor. She shouted out, "POWER OF THE ZODIAC RAT!" and sent a wave of energy all around her. The energy passed over her opponents harmlessly.

"What was that supposed to do?" Kenzaki asked but then realized everyone was frozen. "What?" He then looked around and saw that the bones were moving. "This is bad, isn't it?"

"I believe so," Gekiryuken replied as the bones in the wall all combined together to create skeletons, living skeletons that were crawling out of their resting places before filling up the tunnel.

"The Power of the Rat: Motion to the Motionless," Ryukendo stated. "Now I know why she chose this place."

Copycat's grinned at them wildly and malevolently before she commanded her skeletal army, "GET THEM!!"

Ravager and used her machete and the bayonet to slash at the skeletons as ALPHA blasted at them with her wrist blasters. Draco and Neko stood back to back, fighting together and using their respective Keyblades to cut down the living skeletons. Kenzaki was using his fists, elbows, feet and knees to smash the skeletal army. Despite being more powerful, the Titans had little moving space to fight the army of skeletons and no matter how many were beaten, more of the skeletons kept coming due to the fact that the catacombs were filled with bones.

"There're too many of them!" ALPHA cried.

"Just keep fighting!" Ravager advised, shooting at a several skeletons with her rifles.

"It's easy to take them down," Draco said, swiping his Keyblade at the skeletons, "But getting them to stay down is the real trick!"

"How the hell are we supposed to kill something that's already dead?" Ryukendo added, slashing like crazy.

"Damn, we need help," Kenzaki panted. His Imagin were fighting as well, backing their host up with their own fighting skills. Byakko used martial arts, Raion slashed and clawed at the skeletons like crazy, Buraki was blasting them with fire as Okami used his sword to slash at them.

Copycat watched from afar as the skeletons walked past her and towards her enemies. The attacks used on her had weakened her and she was not interested in losing another life. She took a step backwards, formed a dark portal, and fell backwards, diving into it.

Help finally came as Warren, Saeji and Tazuka showed up to even the odds. Tazuka and Saeji drew their blades and began slicing down the skeletons. Warren drew his gun and began blasting the skulls of the skeletons. He commented, idly, "You know, this isn't as much fun as Bruce Campbell made it look. Oh well…" He swung around and decapitated a skeleton before shooting another one. But unfortunately, even with the extra help, they were too overwhelmed. They decide that it was time to make an escape.

* * *

OMEGA Slade and Robin stood opposite each other, panting. Their fight had gone on for a long time without a clear winner.

"Give up, Robin," Slade suggested. "You won't be able to last any longer."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Robin shot back. "If you think I'm just going to give up, then you don't know me that well enough as you thought."

OMEGA Slade glared back at the arrogant Boy Wonder. "So, you'd rather die fighting me than help your friends? They're in danger."

Robin took in Slade's words. He was here alone and his teammates were deep in the catacombs facing Copycat. Judging from experience, Copycat had gotten a lot more powerful than before. Still, this could be a ruse set up by Slade in order for him to let his guard down.

Suddenly, Robin heard screaming and turned towards the entrance of the tunnel to see the others running out. He blinked as he saw them running in absolute terror from something…a lot of something.

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!!" Kenzaki screamed as he ran in between Slade and Robin. Draco, Ravager, ALPHA, the Imagin, Warren, Saeji, Tazuka and Ryukendo were following close behind. Robin looked at the entrance and saw an army of living skeletons chasing after them.

"Robin! Let's go!" Draco shouted.

Robin nodded and turned to where Slade stood to see that he'd gone. Seeing the skeletons coming closer, Robin ran after his friends.

"Kumiko, get the GaroLiner here, NOW!" Kenzaki called into a special communicator built into his Pass.

The team exited the catacombs and the GaroLiner stopped in front of them. The door opened and they scrambled into the time train before it sped away.

Copycat walked out of the dark portal, holding her wounded self. She hissed, "Don't think it will be THAT easy…" The skeleton warriors came running out of the catacombs. Following after them was a dark Imagin orb and Copycat grinned. "Time for you to let loose, Grimm-kun."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Jump City, Cyborg, Changeling and Terra were in trouble.

"Oh, shit!!" Cyborg screamed as he saw ARMS preparing to fire with his Giga Launcher. "Gar, Tara!" Cyborg yelled as he raised a nearby delivery truck and placed it in front of them. "Take cover behind me!"

"Vic!" Changeling shouted to his best friend.

"So long, Titans!" ARMS laughed as he fired the shell. It connected with the truck and exploded, sending the three Titans flying.

Terra slammed against a car but her armor protected her from harm. Changeling got knocked into a lamppost. As for Cyborg…he was crawling from under the wreckage of the truck he'd used to shield them.

"Cyborg!" Changeling shouted as he ran towards his friend. Terra followed after him.

"Oh my God!" Terra gasped.

"I'm fine," Cyborg insisted, but he was obviously lying. His legs had been completely torn off by the explosion, exposing sparking wires and ruined circuitry.

"God, Cy! You're not fine! Your legs!" Changeling shouted.

"Gar, get Cy out of here," Terra said, her eyes on ARMS. Her shoulders cannons were at the ready. "I'll handle ARMS."

"But, Terra!" Changeling tried to protest.

"Just go! Get out of here!" Terra shouted. She ran ahead to face ARMS.

Changeling nodded. He looked down at the DNA Morpher and muttered, "Vic, hope you don't mind." He twisted the silver ring, selecting his alien forms. He found the one he wanted; the Galvanic Mechomorph. "Terra, we're not leaving you behind again." He slammed his palm down on the watch.

Terra opened fire on ARMS but the shots just bounced off the green Zodiac Knight of Taurus. ARMS laughed, "Is that all you got?" Green energy flowed around his hand. "Try this!" He raised a nearby car with his magnetic powers and tossed it at the Inzecter armored Titan. Before it could reach her, it was blasted back towards arms by a green beam of energy and exploded when it hit ARMS. Terra turned her head to see and gasped. There stood Cyborg with his legs repaired but his entire body, save for his face, was pitch black with green circuitry patterns and the DNA Morpher's emblem on his chest.

"Terra, we're going to back you up," said Changeling whose voice was coming from the emblem.

"Gar, this is way too close for comfort for the both of us," grimaced Cyborg.

"I fixed you, didn't I?" Changeling replied. "Now, come on! Let's get this guy!"

ARMS dug himself out of the wreck and glared hatefully at the Titans. He laughed, "You think this is gonna stop me!?" He drew a card and slid it into his gun's magazine. "Fat chance, Titans! Final Vent!"

"Holy crap!" Terra cursed. "Guys, move!"

"Not without you!" Changeling countered. "Not again." Cyborg involuntarily grabbed Terra by the waist. With a quick and creative mind, Changeling gave Cyborg a rocket pack and converted his feet into wheels.

Cyborg's eyes widened, "Gar, wait!"

"Just trust me!" Changeling shouted back as he activated the rockets and Cyborg shot away from the scene, carrying a squirming Terra.

"You can't escape from me!" ARMS roared, standing behind Gigataurus. He placed his gun into a port behind his monster and all of Gigatarus' ammo was exposed, ready to be fired. "See you in Hell! End of-"

"DARK TORPEDO!"

"WHAT!?" ARMS roared when something raced towards them from their right side and smashed right into Gigataurus and himself, knocking them to the side.

Cyborg, Terra and Changeling recognized that voice and ceased their escape. "Is that?"

The bike came to a stop and the rider turned his head to face the trio of Titans. The rider was a familiar sapphire clad Knight in a cape. The rider's visor swung up and his faceplate slid open to reveal…

"Yo!" Pluto greeted.

Terra and Cyborg's jaws dropped.

ARMS pushed Gigatarus off him and growled. "Damn…you…" He got up to his feet and gripped his gun. He aimed it to the back of Pluto's head. "You, god damn bastard…"

"Blast Vent!"

Pluto dismounted from his bike and it transformed back into Darkraider's Zodiac Beast form. It screeched before turning quickly around and activating the turbines in its wings. Debris was being blown towards ARMS as the green Knight found it difficult to stabilize his footing.

"Heh," Pluto chuckled as his faceplate and visor fell back into place. He raised his hand to his face and produced a blue orb of crackling energy. "So long and hope to not see you soon." He then threw his arm towards ARMS and sent the orb flying across the street straight at ARMS. The energy orb electrocuted ARMS and caused him to scream before he collapsed to the ground, his armor shattered. "Oh, yeah." Pluto's faceplate slid open before he blew at his finger like he was blowing smoke off the barrel of a gun. "Bull's Eye."

Pluto made his way towards the Titans who were still stunned at his return. His armor reverted to normal form, the Survivor Mode armor shattering off like glass. He reached up and removed his helmet before tucking it under his arm. Takada looked older and more mature than the last they'd seen him. The tight bodysuit under his armor also did nothing to hide the muscles developing on his body. He'd been away for nearly 3 months and now he was back.

"So, what did I miss?"

* * *

In the dining car of the GaroLiner, everyone sat around to celebrate Neko's rescue. The girl in question was being fussed over by her brother, girlfriend and daughter. Though such attention was not unwelcome, she was slowly getting a little irritated. Then again, she'd been tortured and they wanted to see if she was okay.

Shiori served them all drinks and Kenzaki, who'd changed out of his GekiViolet suit, decided to say a few words, "If it wasn't for this ragtag group of misfits, put together into a team, then we wouldn't be able to successfully complete this mission."

"Nice words, Shonen," Okami snickered.

"They are wise words!" Byakko spoke up.

Raion was writing something up. Possibly a new rock song about what'd happened in the catacombs from the looks of it.

Buraki looked out the window and alerted everyone, "Oh, shit!"

"What?" Kenzaki questioned and he looked out the window. "Oh shit!" he repeated.

"Everyone ran towards the window to see and saw that Paris was being attacked by a massive skeletal monster with long demonic horns and large claws. It walked on all fours as it rampaged through the city.

"What is that thing?" Rose asked.

"A damn Gigandeath!" Kenzaki growled. "Okami, ikuzo!" Kenzaki called as he fastened his belt and pulled out his Rider Pass.

"Hai, shonen!" Okami agreed before he leapt into Kenzaki's body, possessing him, symbolized by the black streak in his hair.

"Henshin!" Kenzaki shouted as he waved the pass over the belt after pressing the black button.

"**HUNTER FORM**!"

Kamen Rider Garoh ran towards the teleporter and was instantly transported into the cockpit. He took hold of the controls and shouted, "**Time to break some bones!**" He turned the time train around to face the Gigandeath, activating the GaroLiners Tsumes's weapon systems. The top of the train's first car flipped over and transformed it into a wolf's head and a pair of mechanical arms equipped with sharp claws folded out at the sides. The wolfish train howled before rushing at the Gigandeath with its teeth bared. It took a bite out of the Gigandeath who roared in pain. The Gigandeath swiped at the time train but it was able to evade it. The train then began to slash at the Gigandeath using its sharp claws.

"**Take this!**" Garoh shouted. He pushed another button and the GaroLiner Tsume unleashed a howl. It released a high powered laser from its open mouth, striking the Gigandeath in the face. It roared and was about to take another swipe at the GaroLiner but then a black dragon wearing a castle for armor intervened. The black dragon smashed into the Gigandeath. "**Nani?**" Garoh let out.

In the dining car, everyone could see the large black dragon. Robin and Draco knew what it was. "Topper-san!" Draco gasped.

"Wait, if that dragon's here, then that means…" Robin narrowed his eyes on the dragon's back and he could see a familiar red, silver and black clad figure waving at them. "Devlin!?" Robin's communicator beeped. He took it out and flipped it open. On the screen was Masked Rider Fang.

"_Bonjour, Robin_," Fang greeted.

"Devlin, what are you doing in Paris?" Robin asked.

"_Oh, I just decided to take a weekend trip with my darling Danielle_," Fang explained. "_When I saw this train fly by our hotel room I knew something was up so I decided to check things out._"

Garoh's face appeared in Fang's place as the GaroLiner's Rider asked, "_**Hey, Bird Boy, who the fuck is the guy on the dragon!?**_"

"He's another Rider," explained Draco speaking into his own communicator. "Kamen Rider Kiba (In Japanese, Masked Rider Fang translated to Kamen Rider Kiba)."

"_**Oh, well, if he's gonna back me up then he's gotta show some power!**_"

"Power?" Fang laughed from his place on the Great Dragoon's clock tower. "I'll show you power! Great Dragoon, let's take that thing down!"

The Great Dragoon roared and started spewing fireballs on the Gigandeath as Mini-Dragoon launched its own barrage. Fang watched as the GaroLiner continued to fire but this time fired several missiles out of its mouth which smashed into the massive skeletal monster, blowing up chunks of its body.

Draco's face came up on Fang's communicator and the viewing screen of the GaroLiner, "_Minna, we need to use a Rider Kick to finish this!_"

"A Rider Kick?" Fang mused. "Hm, a capital idea!"

"**Let's do it!**" Garoh agreed. The hatch of the GaroLine's cockpit opened and Garoh jumped up. He stood on the roof, looking down at the Gigandeath. He looked behind him to see ALPHA, Ravager (wearing the Smartrooper Riot Gear armor), Robin (wearing the Titan Gear armor), Draco (Survivor Mode), Wraith and Ryukendo standing on the roof.

"MINNA!" Draco shouted, "IKUZO! TEAM RIDER KICK!" He jumped off the rood and the others followed. Fang jumped off the Great Dragoon's head and launched by his dragon's fireball. He was engulfed in flames as he flew at the Gigandeath, along with the others flying by his side, legs outstretched to execute the most powerful attack any known Rider had in their arsenal of techniques. The chains shattered from his right armored boot and the wings spread out.

Robin's and ALPHA's Excel Stream glowed as their energy was focused into their outstretched legs. Ravager had connected her rifle to her boot, the bayonet pointing forwards, Draco was covered in flames, Ryukendo was covered by a blue aura, Wraith had a dark aura around him and finally there was Garoh who was howling.

The TEAM RIDER KICK as Draco dubbed it smashed straight through the Gigandeath. The Gigandeath roared as its body exploded. The Riders/Titans touched down on the ground and watched as the skeletal monster exploded and bones rained down on Paris.

Copycat, from afar, bit her lip as her Horror-Gigandeath was destroyed, eyes burning with rage and humiliation. Fists clenched, and posture rigid, she bowed her head and walked away. One day… one day _soon_… she was going to get _even_.

* * *

"Kanpai!" Draco announced as the entire team stood in the dining cat, sharing drinks.

"That was totally awesome!" Cathy shouted out. "I mean we did that Rider Kick and then…"

"We know, Cathy-chan," Neko chuckled. "We were there."

"Oh, but it was still awesome!" Cathy yelled out excitedly.

As soon as Kenzaki put the glass back down on the table, he suddenly passed out on the floor, causing everyone to panic.

"Kenzaki!!" Neko and Kumiko shouted. Then everything went black for the bounty hunter/Rider.

* * *

Katherine was back in her hotel room with Rosalinda treating her wounds. She had bandages all over her body. The wounds would heal, eventually, but she was angry. She'd been defeated by Draco and Neko and such a defeat did not settle well with her.

"I will beat them one day," Katherine swore with a snarl. Rosalinda cringed at hearing this. Katherine looked at Rosalinda and smirked. "Might as well blow off some steam." She tackled Rosalinda to the bed and her slave girl gasped.

"Mistress, but your wounds-" Rosalinda tried to protest but moaned as Katherine licked her neck and cupped her breast.

"Let's worry about that later," Katherine purred before she licked her lips and started nibbling on Rosalinda's ear.

* * *

Kenzaki regained consciousness and looked around. "Where am I?" he asked.

"The infirmary in Titans Tower," Neko answered from her place in her seat. Gekiryuken hung from her neck, fast asleep. She was sitting in a char next to the bed and asked, "So, how are you feeling?"

"What happened?" Kenzaki asked.

"Well, the problem is that because you can't feel pain, you didn't realize that you were suffering from internal injuries and bleeding," Neko explained. "You took more damage than you thought and you passed out."

"Oh."

Neko read Kenzaki's expression and decided to get straight to the point. "Ken-kun, how do you really feel about me?"

Kenzaki's response was to freeze. That was a pretty blunt question.

Neko sighed, "OK, if you're not going to say anything, than I will." She continued, "You make me feel the same way I feel about Rose."

"You mean…?"

Neko grumbled. She never thought she'd be attracted to another boy since Takada and look how that'd ended. Initially, she's been confused about her feelings for Kenzaki. Earlier, Damien had dug up her thoughts and conflicting feelings regarding Kenzaki, forcing them out to find information Katherine could use. At first she was in denial, but after confiding with Gekiryuken, she managed to admit to herself. "Yes, Kenzaki, I'm saying I _might_ be falling for you."

"Oh." Kenzaki blinked and asked, "What brought that up?"

"Damien got in my head and brought up some thoughts and feelings I was hiding away in my head. I was actually pretty confused." Of course, she wasn't sure if the feelings were real or because of something Damien did. He might've done a little tweaking when he'd been reading her thoughts. But how would such a thing benefit him? She knew he was as evil as Copycat but he always had a reason for doing things and the things he did always benefited him in some way. "At first I thought of you as a friend and then I thought I loved you like a friend and later a brother. I had a talk with Geki-chan to clear things up." She paused, gauging his reaction before continuing, "What I want to know is how you feel about me?"

Kenzaki gulped and blushed. He feared this day but he had it coming. It was bound to happen. The things Copycat had said to him were true. "To be honest, at first I only thought of you as my ticket to getting a really huge reward." Neko frowned at hearing that. The bounty put on Copycat was due to the damage she'd done to the Multiverse. "And well whenever I saw you, I saw the person that killed my family." She still had nightmares about that and felt the guilt and grief. "But, lately, I've been developing _other_ feelings for you."

Neko blushed at the implication of his words. "Ken-kun, are you saying that…?"

Kenzaki sat up on the bed, despite her protests, and grabbed her arm. "I'm thinking that actions speak louder than words at times like this." He then pulled her into an embrace. Her heart was beating fast and he could feel it thumping against his chest.

"K-K-Ken-kun!" Neko stuttered but she didn't try to push him away.

'_It takes me a second to realize…for the first time in a long time…I feel __**something,**__' _thought Kenzaki.

From the door Rose watched with an unreadable expression before turning around and walking away. She didn't need to see anymore.

To Be Continued…

ZK Chromedragozoid: I'd like to give thanks to Shadow Element 13 and Tanyeera for editing and giving me ideas for this chap.

I can't believe after over 2 years of working on Volume 3 it's finally going to be over!

Also, this Fang is not the spider-headed villain but a Rider from my other fic called "MASKED RIDER FANG." If you want to know more about him, please check it out, OK?

As for the OP and ED, please suggest some songs, OK?

* * *

**ED Sequence**

_Ryuki, Neko, Ichijyo and Takada are sitting in a train as it moves along the track. What they see out of the windows is different._

_Ryuki sees himself as Draco in his Liner Drive Form, but holding his helmet with his left hand, hanging from his fingers, and resting the Masked Rider Sword on his shoulder. The scene around him is of devastation._

_Ichijyo sees himself as Shadowcobra in Death Form fighting. The background is showing Misha's image being covered by darkness._

_Takada sees himself as Pluto running from the guards with Blackfire leading them as an explosion causes a fire in his lab in the Palace of Tamaran._

_Neko sees herself as Ryukendo sitting at a cliff, Gekiryuken in his Keyblade form lying by her side. She watches as the sun sets in the horizon._

_The train stops and the doors open, letting in light. As they step off, they see their friends and family welcoming them home._


	96. PT096: The Call

**_OP Sequence_**

_Ryuki is walking forwards with his hands in his pockets. He walks past a window which shows his reflection which then shifts into his armored form known as Draco. A red dragon flies out of the window and flies around him, releasing a roar._

_Takada is standing in a subway train, leaning against his seat. The window next to him shows his reflection before showing his armored form known as Pluto. A three headed dog jumps out and howls._

_Ichijyo is sitting at table in a café. He idly removes his glasses and gazes at the reflection which soon shifts into his armored form known as Shadowcobra. Genosnaker leaps out of the reflection in the glasses before coiling itself at its master's feet and then towering over Ichijyo._

_A split screen shows the three boys looked ahead and then it switches to reveal the title card._

**_ZKD: LOST PARADISE_**

_Ryuki is standing in front of Titans Tower with Jinx clinging to his arm. The scene shifts to him in his armor as Draco fighting various monsters before locking weapons with Copycat, his rival. Copycat turns into his sister for a brief second before they resume fighting. The background turns blood red and shows silhouette of several individuals with symbols on their chests, either an animal or a zodiac sign._

_Takada is fixing his car with Cyborg and Beast Boy watching. Suddenly, the engine blows in his face and he coughs smokes. He laughs with Beast Boy and Cyborg. Scene shifts to him in armor as Pluto fighting monsters. The background shows his sister who transforms and fights alongside him before it shows them both standing in a hospital room where their mother is lying in a coma in a bed. They remove their helmets and reach for her._

_Ichijyo is reading a book with Raven sitting next to him. He scoots closer and leans his face down to steal a kiss. She turns away from him and he frowns before cupping her chin and pulling her to face him, his eyes gazing deeply into hers. The scene shifts to Shadowcobra fighting monsters as Misha, an angel, watches over him and cries._

_The scene shifts to Ryuki kneeling in front of a gravestone and crying._

_The scene shifts to show Takada punching a wall repeatedly until it cracks._

_The scene shifts to show Ichijyo sitting in an alley as it rains._

_There is a split screen as they look up ahead._

_The final scene is all three Knights in their civilian forms surrounded by their friends and allies before they transform and are joined by their Zodiac Beasts._

* * *

Part 96: The Call

2 weeks ago, Kenzaki and Neko had confessed their feelings to each other. Usually, this would mean smooth sailings. However, Neko was still confused since she still felt love for Rose and she couldn't betray the silver-haired girl. To be fair, Kenzaki would wait for her to make her own choice.

Of course, a day after the confession, he found himself confronted by Ravager, a.k.a Rose Wilson.

* * *

"Tsukuba," Rose said coldly as she stopped in front of Kenzaki in the hallway.

"Wilson," Kenzaki replied, not as coldly, but with a firm plastered frown on his face. He knew that this would happen. After all, they were in love with the same girl.

"Training room, 10 minutes," Rose challenged before walking past him.

* * *

There was no audience as the two stood across from each other on the sparing mat. No powers, no weapons, and no armor. This was hand-to-hand combat with only their skills as their weapons.

"Can I ask what this is about?" Kenzaki asked, but he knew the answer already from the cold gaze Rose was using on him.

"It's about Neko," Rose replied. "I'm not giving her up to you."

"I'm not trying to steal her away," he denied.

"LIAR!" Rose roared before she struck at him as quick as lightning.

Rose was the first to attack, targeting Kenzaki with a flying kick.

"I saw you in the infirmary with her!" Rose shouted in an accusing tone.

"She was the one that came to me!" Kenzaki countered by grabbing Rose's foot and throwing her across the room.

Rose landed on her feet and charged Kenzaki. She threw a punch at Kenzaki, who easily dodged. "I'm not going to give her up!"

Rose followed up with a kick aimed at Kenzaki's neck. Kenzaki ducked the kick and swipe kicked Rose, who fell to the floor.

"And I'm telling you I'm not trying to steal her away!" Kenzaki argued.

This went on for several minutes with Rose attacking Kenzaki and Kenzaki easily dodging, and then countering the attacks. Knowing that the white-haired girl wasn't going to listen to reason, Kenzaki finally decided to go on the offensive. He charged at Rose, who prepared to defend. Unknown to Rose, Kenzaki had planned on this. Seeing where Rose was about to block, Kenzaki lightly attacked the blocked area then swung in, with full power at the weakest point. The hit connected with such a force that it sent Rose flying across the room. She slammed hard into the wall.

"YAMETTE!" Neko shouted as she rushed into the training room with Cathy tailing her. She ran towards Rose to check up on her. "Rosey-chan? Are you okay?"

Rose looked up to see Neko's eyes looking at her with concern. Ashamed, she looked away and pushed the girl aside before standing up and storming out of the room. Neko was worried and said to Cathy, "Follow her," and the catgirl obeyed before running after Rose. Neko then walked over to Kenzaki, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kenzaki nodded. "Don't feel pain, remember?"

"Good."

SLAP!

"What was that for!?" Kenzaki snapped.

"Listen!" Neko shouted, "I love both of you so much that it hurts! I'm just…just really, really confused and I don't need this! So, I'm asking you two to not fight over me! Let me choose, alright?" She stormed out of the room before receiving an answer. She needed to talk to Rose, leaving Kenzaki with his thoughts.

"She started it…" he mumbled. '_Man, I really messed up this time._'

* * *

Kenzaki and Rose had decided on a temporary truce since then so that Neko wouldn't be mad at either of them. It was the best course of action and it was for the good of the team. There was an exchange of cold stares during meals from time to time but other than that they tolerated each other's presence.

For the next few weeks, Kenzaki had witnessed Neko's other transformations…Ryukendo's additional forms.

* * *

Ryukendo's eyes were focused on her enemy, a Mirror Monster known as Polar Grizzly. It resembled a humanoid polar bear wearing a mask over its face, wore gauntlets, boots and a chestpiece. Equipped to its forearms were guns that shot beams that froze anything that they shot at. She had narrowly dodged an ice beam which would've frozen her solid and leave her at its mercy…or lack there of.

"Ojou-sama!" Gekiryuken shouted. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Ryukendo told her sword. "I'm just fine." With a war cry she charged at the Polar Grizzly which began to fire its beams at her. She jumped up and over the beams to avoid them and shouted out, "KAZE RYUOU GIRI!" She swung Gekiryuken and sent a vacuum blade at the monster which made a cut in its chest. It roared in pain and stopped blasting. She landed in front of it and gave the Polar Grizzly a vicious swipe across the chest that sent it staggering backwards before throwing a fist that connected with its masked face, sending it flying into a car. She reached down to her deck and drew a card which depicted a flame on its face.

"Geki-chan, open chamber!" she ordered and Gekiryuken did as told, sliding his head (the dragonhead ornament) up to reveal the card chamber. "Fire Vent!" Ryukendo called as she placed the card in the chamber and Gekiryuken slid his head back down.

"Change Fire Ryukendo!" Gekiryuken called.

The Polar Grizzly got back to its feet and growled before throwing its arms out to fire its ice beams at her. The beams flew across the ground towards its opponent, the Zodiac Knight of Aquarius known as Ryukendo.

"Flaming Gekiryu Henshin!" Ryukendo shouted as she thrust her sword out and sent a fire dragon flying. The flaming dragon blocked the ice beams and roared at the Polar Grizzly before flying back to its mistress. It flew around her before fusing with her. Flames engulfed her armor and when they died down, the white parts of her armor had turned a fiery red. Her shoulder pad, the crest on her helmet and with her horns became shaped like flames. Flames engulfed the blade of Gekiryuken as Ryukendo shouted, "Fire Ryukendo! Raijin!"

Fire Ryukendo gripped her sword and charged at the Polar Grizzly, shouting, "RYUOU KAEN GIRI!!" before slashing the monster with her flaming sword. The monster let out a roar as flames engulfed it before it exploded and released an orb of energy into the air.

* * *

And also he'd witnessed her summons. He recalled seeing Brave Leon but he didn't know she had others in her arsenal.

* * *

"Add Vent!" Fire Ryukendo announced as she placed the monster summoning card into Gekiryuken.

"Fire Kong!" Gekiryuken announced before a portal form and a large robotic gorilla in red and yellow armor came jumping out. It let out a roar and pounded its fists against its chest. In front of Fire Ryukendo and Fire Kong was another species of bear-like monster known as Blizzard Grizzly. Unlike its cousin, the monster was completely made of living ice that could be transmuted to form weapons. Even her Ryuou Kaen Giri barely made a cut in its icy hide. Gekiryuken suggested going for the big guns, which was why Fire Kong was here. Initially, Fire Kong was like Brave Leon and it took awhile for Neko to learn to tame it but now it had become a loyal partner to her.

Fire Ryukendo drew a second card and fed it to Gekiryuken. "Final Vent!" she and Gekiryuken announced. Fire Kong beat its chest again and leapt into the air before converting into a cannon pack by turning upside down and then falling to combine with Fire Ryukendo on her back. The toes of its feet formed the barrels of her shoulder mounted cannons as its arms became cannons attached to her hips. She turned the cannons of her Kong Cannon towards the monster and shouted out, "KONG CANNON CALAMITY!!" the cannons fired simultaneously, shooting flaming cannonballs that flew across the ground towards the monster. The fireballs smashed into its body, causing it to howl in pain from the intense heat.

Fire Kong changed back to its beast form and grabbed Fire Ryukendo by her free arm before spinning around and around. It built up momentum before throwing its mistress at the monster. Ryukendo flew across the ground with her flaming Keyblade and shouted, "RYUOU KAEN GIRI!" She swung her sword in a horizontal swipe which caught the monster at its waist. That blow was able to deal enough damage to finally finish it off, sending an orb of energy out from its remains.

* * *

Thus, this resulted in him asking his Imagin for their opinions and this is what he got:

"I don't care," said Okami as he went back to sleep.

"It increases her abilities in long range fighting greatly," responded Byakko.

"It rocks!" chimed in Raion.

"I wish it showed more skin," whined Buraki, gaining him a whack to the head from Byakko.

Next was her Aqua Mode.

* * *

"Aqua Vent!"

"Change Aqua Ryukendo!"

"Splashing Gekiryu Henshin!"

A dragon of water splashed out from Gekiryuken and flew around Ryukendo before fusing with her. Her armor became covered in water which splashed off to reveal that her armor had turned from white to aqua blue. The crest became shaped like a fish's fin and her shoulder pads became broad, shaped like fins too. "Aqua Ryukendo! Raijin!"

The monster she was facing was a Flash Cheetah and upon seeing the change decided to flee. Aqua Ryukendo decided to give chase. She drew a card and fed it to Gekiryuken.

"Add Vent!" she called out.

"Aqua Shark!" Gekiryuken called and a portal formed allowing an aqua blue robotic shark to fly out. It faced Aqua Ryukendo and bore its teeth at her.

"Aqua Shark, ikuzo!" she ordered and the shark-like monster converted itself into a hover board by spinning the upper half of its head 180 degrees to reveal a platform for her to stand down, a sharp spike replacing its head and opening its fins to reveal rockets. She jumped on and the rockets activated, taking her into the forest where the Flash Cheetah had fled to.

She was able to give chase on her Aqua Shark Board which flew through the trees with effortless ease. When she got the monster in her sights, she drew a card and fed it to Gekiryuken, both calling out, "Final Vent!"

"RYUOU HYOKETSU GIRI!" Aqua Ryukendo shouted before swinging her sword which sent a blast of frost flying at the Flash Cheetah. It was frozen in its tracks before she called out her second attack, "SURGING SHARK STRIKE!" She smashed into the frozen monster at full speed, shattering its flaming body.

* * *

"Still don't care," grumbled Okami as he turned around, falling back asleep. "Wake me up again and I'll kill you all."

"Her speed and ferocity are much better, especially with the board," said Byakko.

"This one rocks too!" added Raion.

"This one doesn't show any skin either," groaned Buraki, earning him a whack on the head from Raion and Byakko.

Finally, her Thunder Mode…

* * *

"Thunder Vent!"

"Change Thunder Ryukendo!"

"Shocking Gekiryu Henshin!"

The dragon of electricity combined with her and turned her armor from white to yellow. Her horns and crests became shaped like lightning bolts and Gekiryuken crackled with electricity, "Thunder Ryukendo! Raijin!"

Her opponent was a flying monster known as a Hydragoonfly, which was an insectoid monster that was large and flying in the air. It let out a buzz before sending vacuum blades at her which struck the ground but she was able to send them back at it by hitting then with Gekiryuken ala baseball.

"Ojou-sama, time to take flight!" Gekiryuken commanded.

"Hai!" Thunder Ryukendo obeyed before drawing a card and feeding it to her sword. "Add Vent!" she called.

"Thunder Eagle!" Gekiryuken called and a portal formed in the sky. A yellow armored robotic eagle with large wings flew out and it let out a screech.

"Ikuzo!" Thunder Ryukendo shouted before jumping up. Thunder Eagle's head got tucked into its body as its wings produced a second layer under them which folded outwards to create wide glider-like wings. A magnetic force bonded the wings to Thunder Ryukendo's back, changing her into…"Thunder Wing Ryukendo! Raijin!" Her eyes were focused on the monster before she flew at it. She drew a card and fed it into Gekiryuken.

"Final Vent!" both cried out.

"RYUOU RAIMEI GIRI! EAGLE STORM CRASH!" Thunder Wing Ryukendo called both her attacks simultaneously as electricity crackled all over her body. With a swing of her sword she slashed at the monster and it was electrocuted before it exploded.

"Yatta!" Thunder Ryukendo cheered.

* * *

"It increases her overall power and gives her the advantage of flight," said Byakko.

"This rocks just as much as the other two!" shouted Raion.

"Why do none of them show skin!?" cried Buraki, this time getting hit from Byakko, Raion, and Kenzaki.

"I warned you!" roared Okami as he stood up and summoned his sword. "Now I'm gonna kill you!"

The resulting fight had been intense but with no lasting damage…except for Buraki. He was still in the infirmary up until now. Of course, Kenzaki suspected that he was only his 'injuries' as an excuse for Shiori to tend to him.

* * *

Venus and Moon were in the Titans East Tower's own training room and sparing with Ekelo watching. Standing next to him was Joey, who was wearing a special Gigai to assume a physical form and to stop his Chain of Fate from corroding thus turning him into a Hollow. He was an earthbound spirit now and could only possess people by discarding his Gigai and entering their bodies. Despite Venus' happiness of seeing him again, she wanted him to have a true life again and was fighting her hardest so she could make that wish…NOW she WANTED to win the Zodiac War. NOW she had the proper motivation to fight the other Knights and claim the Power in order to make such a wish.

Originally, she and her brother had made a deal. They had wanted to use the Wish to revive their comatose mother but now that their mother was awake, that purpose had been left moot. However, now Venus had a new wish, to make Joey human again while giving him back his voice. As a spirit, he was no longer mute and this extended to his Gigai, fortunately. It took him some getting used to, but eventually he was able to speak again. It did freak a few people out when they saw him again. Mas and Menos ran around screaming and crying about ghosts in their native tongue while Speedy and Bumblebee had looked at him wide-eyed. Aqualad had fainted. Only Moon, the Pink Painter, Enchantress, and Ekelo hadn't fainted or reacted quite negatively due to their own reasons. Venus had been ecstatic and hugged him.

She had to thank a man named Warren and another man known as Mr. 'Hat and Clogs' for giving Joey a new chance at life…but this wasn't a TRUE life. He was just a spirit in a full bodied human suit and Venus was determined to give him his life back to the point of obsession. She wanted revenge on Copycat for killing him.

After his death, when she first saw Neko, she'd wanted to kill her. Luckily, the others were able to stop her. Venus did not know killing Neko would kill Copycat as well and it was better left that she didn't. If she did, she wouldn't care about the consequences, and just kill Neko in order to finish off Copycat. She was THAT obsesses and determined to get revenge for Joey.

NOW that determination was showing in her training. She and Moon were in their armor and trading blows. Moon may be fast, but right now Venus seemed to have the advantage since she could anticipate all of Moon's moves after working with her for so long. She was able to counter the speedster without hesitation. Ekelo watched impassively as Joey looked on with worry.

"Do you think they might hurt each other?" Jericho (Joey) asked Ekelo.

"Maybe," Ekelo shrugged. "But that's why we're here; to stop them if it goes too far."

"Oh. OK."

"Eri was crying a lot when you died. Don't mess up this second chance," Ekelo warned.

Jericho looked worried. He may be a spirit in a faux body, but he still feared death a second time.

The two boys continued to watch as the two female Zodiac Knights continued to spar. As the ONLY Knights who hadn't collected powers from other Knights, they were the weakest and needed to compensate for it via intense training. If they ever got careless and let their guard down, other Knights may claim their powers upon their defeat and they could not afford it.

Moon still wanted to revive Misha despite her brother's claim of moving on. She was happy that her brother was married but she couldn't believe that he would forget Misha like that. All Moon wanted was to make her little brother happy, which was why she'd become a Zodiac Knight in the first place. Nothing would stop her from completing her goal, not even her brother. Her brother had warned her of the dangers of the Zodiac War and had tried to defeat her in order to eliminate her from the tournament, but she fought back and was able to gain his respect and acceptance. However, he did warn her that they would continue where they left off and only one of them would win. Would it be him or would it be her? Or…would it be neither.

A lot of things had happened in the Titans East. Speedy had been sneaking out at night a lot. Curious, Moon had followed and was surprised to see Speedy meeting with the green clad and cat masked villain known as Cheshire. Moon's first instinct was to attack but then she watched as Speedy and Cheshire were making out against a tree and so she left. If Speedy was going to endanger himself, that was his business, but she did talk to him about it and he'd assured her that he could take care of himself. He was her friend so she was allowed to be worried. Speedy ended up giving her a roguish grin before he went back to bed that night he'd followed him.

The meetings still continued and one night Speedy didn't return until the following morning with a grin plastered on his face. It didn't take a genius to know where he'd been and what/who he'd been doing.

Moon couldn't blame Speedy for being attracted to Cheshire. The green clad assassin was sexy and had a unique allure. Maybe he was aroused by the danger…who knows? Of course, if things ever got too far, Moon would tell the others for Speedy's sake.

* * *

Blackfire and Pluto, the couple that had been away on Tamaran for nearly 3 months had finally returned and they had been welcomed with (mostly) open arms. Shadowcobra had actually enjoyed their absence since he longed had to endure the constant explosions coming from his lab or the loud lovemaking the couple performed. It had been peaceful, even with Cyborg and Changeling playing Stankball.

Like the others, Pluto had freaked out when he saw Neko and had to be calmed down before he started throwing lightning at her. At first he'd been skeptical but after several hours he finally accepted the fact that Neko was the good half of Copycat. Of course, like Changeling had before, he did make a joke concerning Neko's size since he believed that Copycat didn't have that much good in her to begin with. Rose and Kenzaki had been close to murdering him that time.

Pluto had been briefed over what was going on and he'd gone back to his lab to continue his work. On Tamaran, he'd been working on restoring Tamaran's tropical environment. When asked, Blackfire's reply was that, "Oh, he's getting there. One forest already started growing again but there's a lot more open space to fill." She also added, "And there were a lot of incidents in the palace when his experiments went awry. It took a long time to calm the guards down."

The Titans then found out that both she and Pluto were officially betrothed to one another, just like Robin was to Starfire, but they had to earn the right via a sacred tournament known as the X'Handal. Both Robin and Pluto had fought against many Tamaranean men who felt they were more worthy. Despite the odds, they had triumphed and had become stronger too.

After Starfire and Robin left, there had been another incident. Apparently, a lot of people did not except Blackfire to be the new empress and had plotted a coup to overthrow her. They had (incorrectly) suspected her of plotting Galfore's assassination and influenced Starfire into handing her the thrown. The traitors had been found out by Pluto, however, and were locked up.

Aside from his experiments, Pluto had also been sent to Okaara to be trained by the warlords there. The training had been intense but he had to do it for Blackfire. He'd passed all the trials and returned a warrior. Still, a fair number of Tamaraneans couldn't accept a mere human to be their empress's betrothed so Pluto had to work on earning their faith, which he did when he started to restore the tropical environment of Tamaran. The plants that had been thought to have died out had returned to their full glory and much to Blackfire's surprise the experiment hadn't backfired. Indeed, it was a good day for all Tamaraneans.

Upon Pluto's return, he'd also been surprised to see Changeling's new watch and alien forms. Since then, Changeling had been helping him in the lab. The two had managed to fix up Cyborg's legs and the half-mech was happy to see his other best friend again.

Be warned: the 3 Stooges were back together again.

* * *

A dark portal formed and three figures walked out. The first was Katherine and behind her were two of her Lords of Sin. The ever familiar Damien was with her as was another man. This was Sylar, another 'friend' Katherine had made while traveling dimensions. Sylar had the ability to detect superpowers in others and could steal their powers by eating their brains. He was the Lord of Gluttony

"Why are we on this mountain?" Damien asked, interested, "And why have you brought us here?"

"I'm a little curious too," added Sylar.

"My old boss called me here," Katherine replied, her lips in a firm frown. "He says he wants to talk."

"Do you want to talk?" Damien asked. Katherine didn't answer.

After a few seconds, Sylar spoke, "Someone's coming."

"He's here," Katherine spoke.

Yoshido walked towards the trio. The God of Warriors was an impressive sight and Sylar found himself reeling from the power he was feeling. He couldn't believe he was seeing an actual god. Damien's expression was neutral and he didn't seem all that affected by the god's appearance. He had slain many gods before in his own world. If need be, this one would be no different.

Yoshido looked at Damien. "Why does your power feel so familiar?" questioned the god.

Damien looked at Yoshido and smiled widely and evilly. "That's for me to know and you to never find out."

Yoshido glared at Damien, before turning to Katherine and putting on a smile. "My dear Copycat," Yoshido greeted, "How have you been?"

"I've been fine," she glared. She remembered how Yoshido had banished her from the Guild, mostly because she interfered when many of the members had tried to kill her brother and she'd stopped them. Draco was her prey alone and no one else's. Also, it was because Yoshido couldn't control her and decided that letting her go (kicking her out) was the best option. "So, why did you call me?"

"You do realize that there are only 8 active Zodiac Knights now, not including Libra, don't you?"

"I do," Katherine answered. She did off a few of them herself. "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"There's more," Yoshido continued, "You see I know the identity of the Avatar."

Katherine quirked an eyebrow. "What Avatar?" Damien and Sylar grew interested as well.

"The Avatar of the Power. The vessel that contains the power that all the Knights seek by entering this War," Yoshido elaborated.

"The wish…" Katherine concluded. "So, you know who it is?"

"I do, and I am prepared to give you the answer under ONE condition," Yoshido said.

"What is it?" Katherine demanded.

"That you pledge your undying loyalty to me and fight as MY Knight," Yoshido answered. Damien and Sylar were a little surprised.

Katherine chuckled, "So, you want to take me back? Is that all?"

"Yes," Yoshido answered. Actually, she was his last resort. Originally, he'd planned to use Shadowcobra to gain the power since gods were forbidden from killing the Avatar and would be punished severely for interfering. Right now, that Power could make Yoshido the ruler of the Celestial Realm. All he needed was suitable pawn and he saw Katherine as the most logical choice since she was close and had gained many Zodiac Powers. "So, what do you say?"

Katherine's expression was unreadable as she approached Yoshido. The God of Warriors smiled as she stood before him and bowed. She then said, "I say…" She summoned her bladed tonfa out of darkness…

STAB!

Yoshido's eyes widened in shock as the weapon pierced his stomach.

STAB!

The second tonfa pierced his heart.

"Fat chance!" Katherine snarled as she withdrew the bladed tonfa from his stomach and held it against his neck. Yoshido could've defeated her or destroyed her without a thought, but for some reason he felt weak and powerless.

"W-What have y-y-you done!?" Yoshido demanded, vomiting blood. Katherine looked him straight in the eye, a grin on her face. Yoshido looked at her with shock and horror in his eyes. How could a mere mortal kill him like this? How could he have let his guard down so carelessly?

"Hind's Blood," she spoke before saying, "It's been nice knowing you, Yoshido-sama," Katherine grinned maliciously as she twisted her bladed tonfa which had pierced his heart. She then slit his throat swiftly.

She removed the tonfa from his heart and watched as he collapsed on the ground. His blood was dripping off the blade and she licked it off. "Yummy…" she purred. "The blood of a Golden Hind. Rare, believed to have the power to kill a god, priceless, and effective."

"So, what will you do with him now?" asked Damien.

Katherine grabbed Yoshido's limp arm and her teeth were revealed in an almost maniacal grin. "Hey, Sylar-kun, do you mind if I take a page out of your 'play book'?"

Sylar quirked an eyebrow, confused by her meaning for a second, before smiling himself. "Be my guest."

"Arigatou," she grinned before saying, "Itadakimasu," and opening her mouth WIDE. And this is not the normal wide. It was more like a snake detaching its lower jaw so that it could stretch its mouth wide to take in its meal whole. She started with Yoshido's head and then started to swallow, using her throat muscles to move his body down. She took him all in, clothes and all, as her powerful stomach acids began to dissolve his godly flesh and bones. Slowly, there was nothing left of the God of Warriors as he had been completely devoured. Katherine massaged her jaw before it snapped back into place. "That hurts, but it's satisfying." She belched.

Damien grimaced at her lack of manners as Sylar watched; amazed that Katherine could eat so much like that.

"Looks like I get to skip breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next month," Katherine commented, picking her teeth. She patted her stomach, "I'm gonna need to burn all these calories off. I feel bloated."

"You still look fine," Damien complimented.

"So, feel anything new?" Sylar asked. Every time he ate the brains of his victims, he gained a new ability.

"Let's find out," Katherine looked at her hands. She locked her eyes upon Damien and thrust her arm out at him, "_Kurogane!_" Instantly, her arm morphed into a large black iron cannon. Her new weapon shot a cannonball directly at Damien, surprising him, and smashed directly into him. Her arm morphed back to normal and she purred, "The 10 Celestial Treasures, weapons only the gods can access, and they are all mine."

The cannonball vanished and Damien was revealed to have formed a shield of energy around himself. Damien glared at her, asking, "What was that for?"

"I just wanted to test my new powers out and your reflexes," Katherine replied without regret. "And this Zodiac War will end, in _my_ favor."

Damien glared at her. '_Believe me, Katherine, you may be powerful here. But when my plans come to fruition, you will see true power._'

"Don't be mad, Damien-dono," Katherine chuckled. "I was just playing."

Damien silently stared at her with a firm frown on his face before turning away, saying, "Are we done here?"

"Yes, we are," Katherine grinned. She formed a portal and walked in, "Let's go. There are preparations that we need to make." Damien stayed behind momentarily. "Are you coming Damien-dono?"

"I'll teleport momentarily. It's been some time since I was able to see a view like this," said Damien. Katherine shrugged her shoulders as she and Sylar vanished. He smiled wickedly. Unbeknownst to Katherine, in his final moments of weakness, Damien had entered Yoshido's mind and found the identity of the Avatar. "Yes, with that kind of power the Multiverse itself will bow before me…" He held out his arms and a miniature version of Jump City appeared before him, before erupting in flames. "Yes…I will finally be able to unlock all of the secrets! I will be the greatest being in existence!" He began to laugh insanely as his body turned to shadows and he vanished from sight.

* * *

By chance, the 8 Knights were in the same location in the Mirror World battling a horde of insectoid monsters known as Whitesleepers.

The monsters had appeared in a mall and started snatching up people for food. Luckily, Draco, Neko, Rose and Jinx had been able to save them before the former two decided to enter the Mirror World to fight them at the source as Jinx and Rose took care of the wounded.

At first, it'd only been Draco and Ryukendo but then the twins ended up being joined by Venus and Moon. Minutes later, Shadowcobra and Pluto had arrived and finally, ARMS and Copycat made their appearance.

As soon as Venus saw Copycat, in her rage, she ran past the monsters and attacked the REAL monster in her eyes, the evil Cat Knight. The Cat Knight, armed with her clawed gauntlets, obliged and soon the two females were in a fight.

"Aw, are you upset that I killed your boyfriend?" Copycat taunted.

"Yes!" Venus shot back. "Now, go to Hell!"

ARMS was using his Giga Launcher to blow the Whitesleepers up and away. When he got overwhelmed, he switched to close ranged gun combat, shooting at the monsters to stun them before smashing them aside with his fists.

Shadowcobra was in his normal mode and not his Death Form (dubbed Deathcobra) and was using his powers alongside his martial arts skills. He escaped a few Whitesleepers by phasing into the ground before flying back out to send them falling backwards with a tornado kick. Though he was hoping to battle with ARMS, he had to prioritize and these monsters were a priority.

Pluto was using his Wing Lancer and sword, both charged with electricity, and started attacking with a ferocity only possessed by native Tamaraneans. He was letting out a loud howl every now and then and shouting curses in the Tamaranean tongue as he fried the beasts. Moon was zipping around, smashing in their heads with super fast punches and kicks, watching as her own brother, the Snake Knight, used shadow blades to decapitate them. He was still as brutal as ever but that was his style and it produced satisfactory results.

In the midst of the Knights VS Whitesleepers battle, Venus and Copycat were still fighting and eventually their fight had taken them to the parking lot where there was more privacy. Copycat changed her weapons, switching to her twin battle axe and began swinging at the Swan Knight of Virgo.

"You're supposed to be the Knight of Virgo? Are you sure you're still a virgin?" Copycat mocked as she made a horizontal swing for her neck. Venus ducked and sent Copycat flying into a support pillar with a blast of white light energy. Copycat stood against the pillar, cracking her neck, "Ooh, feisty. I know someone who would have fun breaking you."

"Shut up!" Venus shouted. "You're going down!" She slid her sword into its holsters before drawing a card and sliding it into the chamber. "Sword Vent!"

Her golden Swan Glaive appeared in her hand and at that instant Copycat dropped her axes and drew her own card, sliding it into her whip's handle where the card chamber/reader was located. "Copy Vent!" A copy of Venus' weapon appeared in her hand. "Let's dance!"

The two female Knights rushed at each other, swinging their weapons. Venus found all her strikes being countered with ease and Copycat was growing bored with her opponent's half-assed fighting. Copycat brutally swung her copied weapon into Venus' chest, sending sparks flying and continued to attack violently and ferociously, listening to the girl's screams. They were delicious and she wanted to hear more.

"Add Vent!"

Copycat heard a roar and a howl before she was slammed by a three headed dog that bashed her into a car. She hated dogs and tried to push it away but the three-headed hound had her pinned down and trying to bite her. She kept it at bay with the shaft of her glaive, pushing it against their open jaws.

"Eri!" Pluto called as he rushed to his sister and helped her up. "Are you okay?" He grabbed her arm but she pulled herself away. "Eri?" Pluto asked, confused.

"You should've have interfered," she threatened. "Copycat was mine."

"Hey, you were in danger!" Pluto reasoned. "I was trying to help you!"

Venus huffed and looked to see that Copycat had vanished. "Kuso…" she swore. Her cape spread into wings that carried her away. Cerberus returned to Pluto, apologetically, and the Dog Knight gave each head a petting while watching his sister worriedly.

Back up on the main fighting floor, the Whitesleepers had evolved into Dragoonflies.

"HIRYUU SHOTEN HA!!" Draco roared as she performed and upward punch and created a tornado that caught a few Dragoonflies in it and started to tear them apart. He charged at a few Whitesleepers that were in mid-evolution and used another technique, engulfing his fists in fire, "KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!!" The barrage of flaming fists destroyed them before they could completely turned into Dragoonflies.

"Strike Vent!" Ryukendo called as she fed Gekiryuken a card. A new weapon appeared in her had. It was known as the Ryuou Knuckle. It was shaped like a dragon's head and equipped to her right fist. The 'jaws' opened and she threw her equipped fist at the Hydragoons, firing a beam of intense energy that obliterated them. She then followed up with, "RYUOU KAZE GIRI!" spinning around and around and sending vacuum blades flying.

ARMS had switched back to the heavy artillery and was using the Power of the Pig, Heat Beam Eyes, to fire at the flying Dragoonflies. There were some misses but mostly hits as he laughed while blasting, watching as the insectoid beasts fell one by one.

"Fusion Vent!"

Shadowcobra's trio of monsters combined into Genocide and roared, firing blasts of darkness from its mouth at the flying monsters.

"Add Vent!"

Thunder Eagle, Brainstorm, Dragonzer and Dragblacker were summoned to deal with the flying Dragoonflies. Brainstorm sliced at them with its wings, Thunder Eagle was using electrical attacks, frying them with its lightning bolts, Dragonzer was incinerating them and Dragblacker was freezing them.

The Whitesleepers and Dragoonflies were slowly but surely falling in numbers. ARMS decided to leave the others to their own devices and exited the Mirror World when he felt his armor was vaporizing. The others soon followed suit as they felt their time was also running out.

* * *

Libra was in his room within the Celestial Realm, watching the remaining Knights battling the monsters of the Mirror World. However, his attention was entirely on Neko, the good half of her daughter and Ryuki, his son. He was also focusing on Copycat, his daughter's evil half and the Living Gate. She was dangerous but unfortunately he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't interfere aside from testing their mettle. He reached into his cape and pulled out a set of 4 cards. These were the Legend Cards, incredibly powerful cards which would give their users powers equal to those of gods. Their power should only be used as a last resort.

"Is it time?" Fuji asked behind Libra who sighed.

"It is," Libra nodded, "It began with 26 but now aside from myself only 8 remain. It is time for The Call."

He put the cards back into his cape and tapped the lower end of his staff on the floor. "Time to give the Knights the message." He then teleported away.

The Call…for the End…of the Zodiac War…

The Finals have begun.

* * *

**Takada's Room/Lab:**

Takada was just coming out of his shower, a towel wrapped around his waist and using another one to dry his hair. He then went to his closet to pick out some civilian clothing.

The Knight of Dogs had changed over the years. Once, he had been a notorious playboy, flirt, & skirt-chaser and also known as an infamous mad scientist. Sure, he considered himself eccentric by default, but never insane. It was just that he lacked a bit of common sense. His friends had periodically beaten the sense into him every time one of his experiments or inventions failed/blew up but he never gave up on his dreams.

Takada had originally entered the War to revive his mother. His sister had the same idea too. Now that their mother was revived and living with Emiko (Ryuki and Neko's mother) he wasn't sure why he was in this Zodiac War anymore. His dream had been to revive their mother from her coma but now that she was awake and everything he didn't really have a purpose anymore…

Or did he?

Tamaran was still far from being the tropical paradise it's been in the past. Sure he was making progress but it was slow. Maybe the wish could…

No, that would mean having to destroy his friends' dreams and could he do that? His sister now had a different motivation in fighting and well the ferocity she'd shown frightened and worried him a little. She had even attacked him instead of being grateful for saving her from Copycat. Where had all the gentleness gone?

There weren't many Knights left and now only 8 of them, aside from Libra, remained. Things were about to become more and more difficult in the future and…

The ringing sound invaded his ears and he looked towards his mirror. There was Libra, standing and looking back at him.

"So, it's time, huh?" Takada asked. He picked up his Zodiac Deck and stood in front of the mirror. "About time too."

* * *

**Grant's Room:**

Grant was throwing darts at a target and on it was Copycat's picture. Though they were teammates, he didn't particularly like her. From the very beginning she had belittled him and shown him very little respect. Heck, even his own father admired her more than him. That was so unfair!

Sure, Copycat had given him the Power of Taurus and with it he'd become a great threat, but even so he was still nothing compared to Copycat. He only had two Powers: The Zodiac Power of Taurus and the Zodiac Power of the Pig. Copycat had more than he and was using them to overshadow him.

Now, Copycat was the leader of Tartarus, with Slade as her advisor. HE should've been leader, not that Cat! So what if she was her father's favorite apprentice? He was the one meant to inherit that power, not some outsider!

It just pissed Grant off so much that he wanted to take a gun and stick it to her head before pulling the trigger. Heck, maybe he could just kill Neko and take out Katherine at the same time? Oh, that was tempting…really tempting…

He was in this War for himself now. And his desire was to become the most powerful criminal in the world…

The ringing sound came into his ear and he turned his head towards the mirror, thinking he would see a monster but he saw Libra instead.

He knew that he was being summoned. He didn't know how, but he did. He picked up his Zodiac Deck and walked towards the mirror.

* * *

**Eri's Room:**

She had been close to defeating Copycat and getting her revenge but then her brother had gotten in the way. She loved her Yoshi-oniichan, she really did, but he had to learn to butt out of her business once in a while. She would've been able to get out the predicament earlier on her own without any help…

Jericho was now just a ghost in a shell. He wasn't even truly alive. It was all Copycat's fault that he was like this! Even his powers were gone and even if he wanted to possess somebody he had to leave the Gigai and the one he was using was one of a kind.

She was thankful that Warren had decided to help her get her boyfriend Joey back, but even so she still wanted to give him a real life and a real body. It didn't feel right to her since she's always known him to be Joey the human, not Jericho the earthbound spirit in a Gigai…

Originally, she and her brother had made a deal to revive their mother at the end of the Zodiac War but now that she was awake and well, that deal was off. Now, Eri was going to pursue her own goals and her only goal was to bring Joey truly back to life…even if meant risking her own life.

The ringing came to her ears and she turned towards her mirror. Libra stood in the reflection.

It was time.

* * *

**Megami's Room:**

She couldn't believe that her brother had given up on reviving Misha. Granted, he was now happy with Raven. So, what was the point of her joining the Zodiac War in the first place? Hadn't she joined it for his happiness? She too wanted Misha back and for him, but yet he'd found his own happiness.

She, as his sister, should be happy that he'd moved on but it was just so unsatisfying. All that hard work and it was all for nothing? No, she couldn't believe it. She knew there was a reason why she was in this War up until now. She had a purpose right? She just needed to find it again because she had been forced to admit to herself that bringing back Misha now would just complicate things.

She remembered when she'd fought her brother. He'd been trying to eliminate her to protect her but she'd fought hard to defend herself and her powers. She was not going to give them up without a fight. She was using the powers for good, for justice, for the protection of…

Then she realized what it was…She was in this Zodiac War to protect people, just like her brother's friend Ryuki. If she was only after bringing back Misha, she should've given up after he'd found love with Raven…because Misha had been the source of his happiness in the past…

She had been trying to protect her brother's happiness.

Well, now she was going to fight so he could keep that happiness. It was her job as a sister!

The ringing came into her ears…and when she turned she saw Libra. Picking up her deck, she then walked towards the mirror.

* * *

**Katherine's Room:**

Out of all the Lords, Slade was the only one she could really trust. The other Lords had only been chosen for their skills and powers. She may have respected Damien and considered Sylar to be a friend, but when it came down to it, she didn't trust either of them.

Damien was planning something, she knew and Sylar was planning on taking her brain due to her powers. No way was she going to let her guard down when around those two. She was going to keep her eye on Damien the most. The guy was just too sneaky for her taste and like every other villain of his caliber had his own personal agenda.

Damien was always planning something. When Katherine thought she had the upper hand, Damien was in fact five or six steps ahead. She knew that even if his current plan failed, he had at least 10 other plans he could use based off of the point of failure.

Rosalinda was lying on her side in bed with Katherine behind her. The Cat Knight was spooning with the girl, holding her against her own body as she sniffed her hair. Rosalinda was just a substitute for Rose, true, but it was enough for Katherine. She wanted a lover and someone she could confide in. She could trust Rosalinda who was loyal to her and loved her, worshipping the very ground she walked on. It made Katherine feel tall.

Her plans were coming close to fruition, and all she needed was the Key. The Key was her weaker half and without her, she would not be able to reach her full power…

Well, that had been before her recent discovery. She'd found out the identity of the Avatar of Power and she'd been right under her nose the whole time.

By killing Terra, she would get the Power by default. By killing Terra, she would have the wish. She had gained the knowledge by eating Yoshido along with his powers and NOW she was a goddess! Maybe when she got the Wish she could wish to be ruler of the entire Multiverse and have monuments and temples built in her honor. She could make herself the most powerful entity in all of existence, so powerful that even Damien had to grovel at her feet.

Not even the gods themselves could stop her.

She grinned and then began to nuzzle Rosalinda. She licked the girl's neck and nibbled on her ear, sending shivers running up and down her spine as she rubbed her hand up and down Rosalinda's side and her belly, tickling her a little. She felt Rosalinda stir. Maybe one for the road wouldn't hurt and…

Then she heard the ringing…"This better be important," she grumbled.

Her eyes turned scornfully towards the mirror to see Libra. He was summoning her…

With a snort she got out of bed, and went over towards the mirror, taking her Zodiac Deck out of her pocket.

* * *

**Ryuki's Room (actually Jinx's room but then he decided to move all his stuff in so now it is their room):**

Jinx was in bed with him, the pink haired girl lying on him with her hair unbound. Both were nude under the covers and she had fallen asleep after an intense round of lovemaking. It had taken her a lot of work and preparation to finally get him to relax enough so they could be intimate like they had been before.

He had been afraid to touch her since the battle with the Orphenoch King. He had been forced to kill his friend and didn't feel like he deserved to even look at her…His visions had frightened him and most of them portrayed…

The girl had convinced him otherwise and even so it had taken a lot of effort so they could be together like this again. So that they could be together once more as lovers…

It was his fault their relationship had suffered and he was willing to pay any price to make it work again. She was able to comfort him and he felt ashamed for pushing her away. She loved him and he too loved her.

So much had changed since the day he'd picked up that Zodiac Deck and became a Zodiac Knight and now, 19, was engaged to a beautiful woman.

Yes, he and Jinx were finally engaged. He'd proposed to her when they'd gone to visit his mother. As soon as he'd proposed, she'd glomped him and kissed him on the floor and now she wore the ring proudly.

He would use all the power he had to protect her, his family, and his friends, all of them. They were his precious people. He would not turn his back on them…no, he would not. He swore…

He had been terrified when he heard that Damien had come to his universe. When they first met, he had shown Ryuki Damien's version of Jinx, broken. Ryuki had attacked him in a blind rage, but was easily put down. Ryuki knew Damien's power was beyond even Ichijyo's scope of imagination. That was why he was glad for Warren to be on his team. He knew that if there was anyone who could fight Damien, it was Warren.

He heard the ringing sound and turned his head towards the mirror.

"So, it's time?" he asked Libra who was standing in the reflection. "Should've known that this day would come."

* * *

**Ichijyo's Room:**

For Ichijyo, it was the same as always. He was alone in his room while Raven was in her own room. They'd opted to keep their own rooms but slept together in either his or her room. They were married, truth be told, but they were still getting used to the idea since they hadn't expected to be married so soon. Their relationship had only started a little over a year ago and well…Ichijyo didn't feel that he deserved someone like Raven, and vie versa.

Yes, he'd moved on and let Misha rest in peace (at her request) but some feelings would always linger and he often found himself feeling that he was betraying his first love. Misha had assured him in that dream that she wanted him to be happy and being with Raven…he was more than happy that he couldn't find the words.

He felt both the darkness and light inside of him, swirling. He'd grown in power in the past several years and even more so in the past year. He felt that he could turn into his true form and without any negative repercussions…

But that was only wishful thinking. Despite his heritage, his body was still mortal and the intense power could destroy his body if he wasn't careful.

In an alternate universe he'd died when Yoshido had tried to force him to murder Raven. He decided to take his own life. If the same events ever played out in this universe…he was willing to do the same.

He took his eyes away from the report he was typing up and turned his attention towards his mirror once the ringing invaded his ears. There stood Libra.

"It's time," Shadow whispered. "So, it's finally here."

* * *

**Neko's Room (originally Ryuki's room but he'd given it to her and was now sharing it with Cathy and Rose):**

The past two weeks have been nothing but frustrating for the current generation's 2nd Knight of Aquarius. Neko's heart was conflicted. On one hand she knew she loved Rose and on the other hand she found that she was developing feelings for Kenzaki, who on their first meeting had tried to kill her. Her love life was what would be considered strange by normal standards just like her life which had been anything but normal to begin with.

She was actually just half a person. She felt incomplete. She felt…like a Nobody and it stressed her out and when the time came she would take out her stress and frustration on a random monster in the Mirror World.

Her heart and mind were both in turmoil. At least she had her partner, Gekiryuken, and her brother to talk to about this stuff with. It made things…well not easier, but at least more manageable than if she was alone.

Well, her problems concerned her emotions, specifically love, which was focused on two people. She heard that writing about things helped so maybe she should write about Kenzaki and Rose's good and bad points.

She moved from her bed and went to her desk. She rummaged through the drawer to pull out a notebook and pen before she sat down and flipped through the notebook pages, which were littered with doodles, before stopping at a clean page.

First, Rose…and she began writing.

Rose's good points:

-Best friend.

-First (and only) girlfriend.

-Honest

-Faithful

-A good listener

-Beautiful

-Trustworthy

-Great kisser

-Cares about the people she loves

And then she moved onto Kenzaki…

Kenzaki's good points:

-A great friend

-Trustworthy

-Reliable

-Brave

-Persistent

-Determined

-And doesn't look too bad without a shirt on

Neko blinked at the last part and then crossed it out…replacing it with:

-Good looking (and that's all he's got going for him)

She was about to write up their bad points when a ringing sound invaded her ears. She looked towards her mirror to see Libra looking back. This wasn't a normal visit…it was a call.

* * *

They had been called…

They had been summoned…

It was time…

They were the only ones left…

And in the End…

There can be ONLY ONE!

To Be Continued…

* * *

Remaining Zodiac Knights (NOT counting Libra):

**Zodiac Knight (Kamen Rider Draco) Draco **

Real Name: Ryuki "Leo" Leonard Hasuma

Zodiac Animal: The Dragon

**Zodiac Powers: **

Combustion/Pyrokinesis/Firebending (Dragon): Draco is capable of generating and manipulating fire. His 'bending' ability allows him to shape the flames anyway he wishes. The flames can also be released from his feet for propulsion.

Strength (Ox): Draco is capable of amazing strength.

Earth Manipulation/Geokinesis/Earthbending (Capricorn): Draco is capable of controlling and manipulating the earth (dirt, rocks, sand etc). He can also 'hear' the earth.

Sand Morphing (Scorpio): Draco is capable of turning his body into sand for escape purposes. This power is both offensive and defensive as he can use his sand morphed form to blind opponents.

Clairvoyance (Pisces): Draco is capable of seeing into the future however he is unable to control this ability. This usually happens when he is dreaming or when he uses it in battle to foresee his opponent's next move.

**Other Powers:**

Telekinesis: A rarely used power. He is able to use it to levitate things over to himself or repel them. He can also use it as a blast of telekinetic energy.

Teleportation: He usually does this by disappearing and reappearing in a vortex of fire.

Flight: He combines his combustion powers and telekinesis to take flight. The flames come out of his feet.

Able to generate and manipulate ice/Icebending: After a contract made with Dragblacker, Draco is able to generate and shape ice. He can also use water.

Able to generate intense heat from his body, which is the fuel source for his Combustion Zodiac power.

Cat-like reflexes, senses, agility and strength

Martial arts: Studied under his grandfather. His style is his family's own unique style.

Energy solidification: He learnt how to solidify fire, probably while training with Slade. Possibly able to solidify any form of energy.

Orphenoch powers: Transformation, siring, regeneration, and energy blasts.

Zodiac Beasts: Dragonzer/Dragonrizer (a red Chinese Dragon), Razorclaw (a black lion with a silver mane), Overbite (a red shark), Hardhead (a buffalo), Brainstorm (a blue condor), Wildcat (a tiger), and Dragblacker (a black Chinese dragon).

Card reader: A dragonhead armguard mounted on his left gauntlet.

Draco's Vent Cards:

Add Vent Dragonzer (5,000 AP): Summons Dragonzer.

Sword Vent (2,000 AP): Dragon Flame Saber. A Chinese Saber.

Guard Vent (2,000 DP): Double Dragon Shield. A pair of red and silver shields with dragon claws.

Shoot Vent (2,000 AP): Dragon Flame Cannon. A flamethrower in the shape of Dragonzer's head.

Strike Vent (2,000 AP): Dragon Flame Knuckle: Designed similarly to the Dragon Flame Cannon, albeit smaller. This weapon is used like a gauntlet and enhances the power of punches. Also used for the "Dragon Break" attack on which Draco uses the Knuckle to direct Dragonzer to his target.

Trick Vent: Multiply. Creates Duplicates of Draco.

Trap Vent: Spider Web. Traps target in webbing.

Mighty Vent: Increase Power.

Speed Vent: Increase Speed.

Defense Vent: Increase Defense.

Sight Vent: Lights of Revelation. Allows Draco to reveal the target's true form.

Armor Vent: Dragon Armor Up! Allows Draco to summon all of his chosen weapons.

Rising Vent: Flight of the Dragons. A pair of dragon wings form on his back.

Final Vent (6,000 AP): Combustion Dragon Kick. A flaming flying kick that is executed by Dragonzer launching Draco at the target.

Add Vent Wildcat (4,000 AP): Summons Wildcat

Strike Vent (2,000 AP): Wild Tiger Claws. A pair of clawed gauntlets.

Final Vent (5,000 AP): Tiger Motor Smash. Draco smashes into the target while riding upon Wildcat that has transformed into motorbike mode.

Add Vent Razorclaw (4,000 AP): Summons Razorclaw

Strike Vent (2,000 AP): Black Lion Claws. A pair of clawed gauntlets.

Final Vent (5,000 AP): Lion Claw Rush. Razorclaw leaps into the air as Draco is riding it and it transforms into its ATV mode before rushing at the target and crushing it.

Add Vent Brainstorm (4,000 AP): Summons Brainstorm

Sword Vent (2,000 AP): Condor Glaive. A glaive.

Guard Vent (2,000 DP): Condor Shield. A shield that looks like Brainstorm's wings.

Final Vent (5,000 AP): Condor Storm Slash. Brainstorm attaches itself to Draco's back and creates a whirlwind that traps the target inside. Draco then enters the whirlwind and slashes the target to ribbons with the Condor Glaive.

Add Vent Hardhead (4,000 AP): Summons Hardhead

Guard Vent (2,000 DP): Buffalo Shield. A powerful shield.

Strike Vent (2,000 AP): Buffalo Hammer. A gauntlet shaped like Hardhead's head.

Final Vent (5,000 AP): Hammerhead Crush. Draco rides horizontally on Hardhead's head and rams into the target, head first.

Add Vent Overbite (4,000 AP): Summons Overbite

Sword Vent (2,000 AP): Red Shark Sword. A thin double edged blade with a shark-like hilt.

Final Vent (5,000 AP): Drilling Shark Strike. Draco rides Overbite and then dives upon the target whilst spinning and stabbing with the sword.

Add Vent Dragblacker (6,000 AP): Summons Dragblacker

Sword Vent (3,000 AP): Frost Dragon Sabre. A Chinese Saber.

Guard Vent (3,000 DP): Frost Dragon Shields. A pair of black and silver shields with dragon claws.

Shoot Vent (3,000 AP): Frost Dragon Cannon. A cannon in the shape of Dragblacker's head that shoots ice blasts

Final Vent (7,000 AP): Dragon Freezing Kick. Dragblacker launches Draco at the target that had been frozen by Dragblacker's ice breath and Draco smashes the target with a powerful flying kick.

Survivor Rekka (Left Wing of the Phoenix): Transforms Draco to Survivor Mode. Rekka means "Wild Fire" or "Raging Flame".

Add Vent Dragonrizer (8,000 AP): Summons Dragonrizer.

Sword Vent (4,000 AP): Golden Dragon Blade. A golden blade extends from the Dragblaster.

Shoot Vent (4,000 AP): Meteor Bullet. Enables the Dragblaster to shoot powerful fireballs

Guard Vent (4,000 DP): Dragon Barricade. Dragonrizer flies around Draco, acting like a barricade and protects Draco from attacks.

Random Vent: Allows Draco to access any and all Vent cards from the other Knights in a random order

Survivor Final Vent (10,000 AP): Dragon Meteor Firestorm. All of Draco's monsters, except Dragonrizer, become meteors and strike at the target while Draco rides Dragonrizer, motorbike mode, and rams into the target.

Evolution Emperor: This card allows Draco to transform to Emperor Mode.

* * *

**Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra (Deathcobra)**

Real Name: Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa-Akuma

Zodiac Animal: The Snake

Zodiac Powers: Invisibility (Snake), Astral Projection (Sheep) and 6th Sense (Sagittarius).

Other Powers: Can change self into a shadow form that allows him to stretch his body, shape shift and change his size, Intangibility (can pass through solid objects in shadow form), shadow/darkness manipulation, telekinesis, flight, teleportation, telepathy, healing, regeneration, light manipulation (rarely used) and can create Shadow agents that can be used as spies or erase people's memories by entering their minds

Note: Shadowcobra's shadow manipulation powers are a manifestation of his vampire side. They are at 1/7 of their full strength. His healing powers are a manifestation of his angel side. The psychic abilities he has are tied to these two parts of him.

Shadow Agents: These are Shadowcobra's familiars taking on the form of bats, snakes and anything he can imagine. They are an extension of his own soul so whatever they see or hear, he will as well. He can also absorb the memories of any Shadow Agent that he reabsorbs into himself. Shadow Clones also fall under this category.

Shadow Clones: Duplicates created by Shadowcobra from his own shadow. They can maintain physical form as long as Shadow wills it. He can also create duplicates from other people's shadows.

Shadow Solidification: Shadowcobra can solidify shadows to form any weapon he wishes. Examples of weapons are chains, swords, scythes and etc…He can also create walls and clothing from shadows. Of course, these things would disappear under intense light but Shadowcobra's dark powers allow them to exist under such conditions.

Shadow Energy: By concentrating and collecting shadows into a ball, he can send powerful ad devastating blasts of energy. Some of his blasts are in the form of discs that can cut through anything. He can also create extra limbs out of the shadows.

Shadow Portals: Shadowcobra can use shadows as portals.

Shadow Morphing: By use of Shadow Morphing, Shadowcobra can turn himself intangible, stretch his body or shape shift into animals like Beast Boy.

Shadow Puppet: Shadowcobra can stretch his own shadow to connect to another's and control them like a puppet.

Shadow Nightmare: Shadowcobra morphs into a dome and engulfs his target. What happens inside the dome can vary but can be best describe as giving the target an INTENSE fear of the dark.

Shadow Realm: Shadowcobra can send a person to the Shadow Realm, a dark void of nothingness where they will suffer for all eternity.

Zodiac Beasts: Genosnaker/Venosnaker (a giant purple cobra), Metalceros (a humanoid rhino), Stingdiver (a stingray) and Genocide/Genocide-X (a combination of the three)

Card reader: A staff/scepter with a cobra motif.

Shadowcobra's Vent Cards:

Add Vent Genosnaker (5,000 AP): Summons Genosnaker.

Sword Vent (3,000 AP): Snake Coil Saber. A yellow spiral sword with a jagged edge and purple basket hilt.

Guard Vent (3,000 DP): Cobra Shield. A shield that looks like the back of Genosnaker's hood.

Final Vent (6,000 AP): Genocide Crash. Shadowcobra jumps, does a back flip and Genosnaker launches him with a stream of acid and venom while Shadowcobra performs a bicycle kick (several rapid front kicks in a row).

Add Vet Metalceros (4,000 AP): Summons Metalceros.

Strike Vent (2,000 AP): Metal Strike Horn. A gauntlet in the shape of Metalceros' forehead.

Confine Vent: Cancels out the affect of other Vent Cards.

Trap Vent: Chains of Darkness. Traps target in mass of black chains.

Final Vent (5,000 AP): Rhinoceros Smasher. Shadowcobra rides upon Metalceros shoulders, horizontally, acting as a sort of lance and both charge towards the target, the Metal Strike Horn acting as a spearhead.

Add Vent Stingdiver (4,000 AP): Summons Stingdiver.

Swing Vent (2,000 AP): Sting Whip. A barbed whip.

Sword Vent (2,000 AP) Ray Blades. A pair of broad blades attach themselves to Shadowcobra's forearms.

Copy Vent: Copies the weapon of another Knight.

Vampire Vent: Sucks out energy from the target. Used with the Sting Whip.

Medusa Vent: Paralyses target.

Final Vent (5,000 AP): Stingray Surf. Shadowcobra rides Stingdiver like a flying surfboard and rams into the target.

Trick Vent: Shadow Clones. Create shadow duplicates of Shadowcobra

Nasty Vent: Acid Spray. Genosnaker/Venosnaker sprays acid at the target.

Steal Vent: Steals a target's weapon.

Fusion Vent: Combines two or more monsters together.

Final Vent (7,000 AP): Darkhole Crusher. Shadowcobra drill kicks his target into a whirling vortex formed in the centre of Genocide's body.

Mighty Vent: Increases Attack.

Survivor Kokoro (Heart of the Phoenix): Transforms Shadowcobra to Survivor Mode. Kokoro means "Heart."

Add Vent Venosnaker (7,000 AP): Summons Venosnaker.

Add Vent Genocide-X (9,000 AP): Summons Genocide-X

Survivor Final Vent (10, 000 AP): Shadow Spiral Shaver. Shadow leaps up and allows his cape to wrap around him. Genocide-X provides the power as he launches himself at his target.

Evolution Vampangel: Transforms Shadowcobra to Vampangel Mode.

* * *

**Zodiac Knight Pluto **

Real Name: Yoshiyuki Takada

Zodiac Animal: The Dog

Zodiac Power: Immortality (Dog) and Levitation (Rooster)

Other Powers: A Super Genius, invulnerability, dog-like senses, electrical powers and nanotech enhancements.

Zodiac Beasts: Cerberus/Cerberion (a three headed dog) and Darkwing/Darkraider (a bat).

Card reader: A sword.

Pluto's Vent Cards:

Add Vent Cerberus (5,000 AP):

Sword Vent (3,000 AP): K-9 Lance. A lance.

Shoot Vent (2,000 AP): K-9 Crossbow. A crossbow.

Portal Vent: Creates a portal to anywhere in the world. Possibly the universe. Also used as a portal to and out of the Mirror Dimension.

Final Vent (6,000 AP): Frozen Hunter. Pluto rides upon Cerberus who freezes the opponent before smashing it to bits.

Add Vent Darkwing (4,000 AP): Summons Darkwing.

Sword Vent: Wing Lancer (2,000 AP). A lance

Guard Vent (2,000 DP): Wing Wall. Darkwing becomes a protective cape.

Nasty Vent: Supersonic Screech. Darkwing/Darkraider releases a deafening screech.

Trick Vent: Duplication. Creates duplicates.

Trap Vent: Vine Storm. Traps target in unbreakable vines.

Blast Vent: Darkwing/Darkraider blows the target away with a blast of wind from flapping its wings/the turbine in its wings.

Final Vent (6,000 AP): Deadly Immortal's Drill. Pluto jumps up and Darkwing, as his cape, wraps around Pluto and spins like a drill/corkscrew before dropping on the target, using the Wing Lancer/K-9 Lance as the tip.

Survivor Shippu (Right Wing of the Phoenix): Transforms Pluto to Survivor Mode. Contains the power of wind. Shippu means "Violent Wind" or "Gale".

Add Vent Darkaider (6,000 AP): Summons Darkraider.

Add Vent Cerberion (7,000 AP): Summons Cerberion

Sword Vent (4,000 AP): Hell Sword: A sword that could vary in length.

Shoot Vent (3,000 AP): Hell Crossbow. His card reader becomes a crossbow.

Guard Vent (3,000 DP): Hell Shield. His card reader becomes a shield.

Focus Vent: This card increases Pluto's speed and power by slowing down the rest of the world. Only Pluto has this card.

Survivor Final Vent (10,000 AP): Dark Torpedo. Pluto jumps upon Darkraider, who then changes to motorbike mode before Cyberion becomes energy and fuses with it. A laser paralyses the target before Pluto's cape spreads out into wings and wraps around him and Darkraider, forming a torpedo that rams into the target.

Evolution Cyber: Transforms Pluto to Cyber Mode.

* * *

**Zodiac Knight Copycat **

Real Name: Katherine Hasuma

Zodiac Animal: The Cat

Zodiac Powers: Mimicry (Cat), Motion to the motionless (Rat), Yin-Yang Opposites (Tiger), Illusion (Gemini), Duplication (Aries), Shape-shifting (Monkey), Liquid Metal Transmutation (Cancer) and Control & communicate with wild animals (Leo)

Other Powers: Telepathy, teleportation, 9-Lives, Cat-like senses, agility and reflexes. Also possesses the ability to summon Horrors since she is the Living Gate.

Zodiac Beasts: Techno Panther (a robotic humanoid panther), Psychorogue (an android-like monster that looks like a humanoid cricket and wearing a metal hockey mask. Could be considered a psychotic humanoid cricket), Destwilder (a humanoid white tiger) and Savageleon (a humanoid black lion).

Card reader: A whip.

Copycat's Vent Cards:

Add Vent Techno Panther (5,000 AP): Summons Techno Panther.

Strike Vent (3,000 AP): Feline Claws. A pair of lethal clawed gauntlets.

Copy Vent: Copies the affect of another Knights' Vent Cards.

Final Vent (6,000 AP): Dark Nova Crash. Techno Panther stabs the target and drags it on the ground before Copycat stabs her claws into the target to destroy it.

Add Vent Psychorogue (6,000 AP): Summons Psychorogue.

Strike Vent (3,000 AP): Psycho Gloves. A pair of spiked gauntlets.

Sword Vent (3,000 AP): Psycho Slasher. A spiked lance.

Guard Vent (3,000 DP): Psycho Shield. A shield that looks like a metal hockey mask.

Final Vent (7,000 AP): Psycho Spiral. Psychorogue transforms into its motorbike mode before Copycat jumps on. Psychorogue spins around with Copycat riding and crashes into the target.

* * *

**Zodiac Knight Moon **

Real Name: Megami Angelina Amakusa-Akuma

Zodiac Animal: The Rabbit

Zodiac Power: Speed

Other Powers: Moonbeams and Empathy

Zodiac Beast: Hopstar (Humanoid Rabbit.)

Card reader: Right boot.

Moon's Vent Cards:

Add Vent Hopstar (4,000 AP): Summons Hopstar.

Strike Vent (2,000 AP): Rabbit Gloves. A pair of gauntlets.

Final Vent (5,000 AP): Rapid Rabid Rabbit. Moon and Hopstar run around the target at super speed, creating a vortex that sucks the target in. When the vortex dissipates, the target will drop back down, allowing Moon and Hopstar rapidly attacks the target with their super fast punches and kicks.

* * *

**Zodiac Knight A.R.M.S. (Artillery Robotic Mercenary Soldier) **

Real Name: Grant Wilson

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Zodiac Power: Magnetism (Taurus) and Heat Beam Eyes (Pig).

Other powers: An expert marksman.

Zodiac Beast: Gigataurus (a robotic Minotaur)

Card reader: A submachine gun.

ARMS' Vent Cards:

Add Vent Gigataurus (6,000 AP): Summons Gigataurus.

Shoot Vent (3,000 AP): Giga Launcher. A rocket launcher/cannon/bazooka.

Shoot Vent (3,000 AP): Giga Cannons. A pair of shoulder mounted cannons.

Fly Vent: Giga Pack. A jetpack that allows ARMS to fly.

Guard Vent (3,000 DP): Giga Guard. A shield that looks like Gigataurus' chestplate.

Final Vent (7,000 AP): End of the World. ARMS places the barrel of his submachine gun into the back of Gigataurus and the monster lets loose ALL of its ammo.

* * *

**Zodiac Knight Venus **

Real Name: Erika Takada

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Zodiac Power: Healing and can read people's auras through physical contact while healing. Can also shoot energy blasts

Zodiac Beast: Whitewing (A swan)

Card reader: A rapier.

Venus' Vent Cards:

Add Vent Whitewing (4,000 AP): Summons Whitewing

Sword Vent (2,000 AP): Swan Glaive. A golden glaive.

Guard Vent (2,000 DP): Swan Shield. A shield that looks like Whitewing's Wings.

Final Vent (5,000 AP): Misty Slash. Whitewing flies behind the target and flaps its wings, blowing them towards Venus who slashes them to pieces with her Swan Glaive.

* * *

**Zodiac Knight Ryukendo**

Real Name: Neko Hasuma

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Zodiac Powers: Manipulation of Wind and Water (Aquarius) and Healing (Horse).

Other Powers: Telepathy, telportation, cat-like senses, agility & reflexes, and able to absorb the physical properties of any solid matter through touch.

Zodiac Beast: Brave Leon, Fire Kong, Aqua Shark and Thunder Eagle

Card reader: Keyblade (Gekiryuken)

Ryukendo's Vent Cards:

Fire Vent: Changes Ryukendo to Fire Mode (Fire Ryukendo)

Aqua Vent: Changes Ryukendo to Aqua Mode (Aqua Ryukendo)

Thunder Vent: Changes Ryukendo to Thunder Mode (Thunder Ryukendo)

Sword Vent (3,000 AP): Ryuou Dagger. A dagger.

Strike Vent (3,000 AP): Ryuou Knuckle. A gauntlet shaped like a dragon's head.

Guard Vent (3,500 DP): Ryuou Shield. A shield shaped like dragon's wings.

Add Vent Brave Leon (5,000 AP): Summons Brave Leon

Add Vent Fire Kong (6,000 AP): Summons Fire Kong

Add Vent Aqua Shark (4,500 AP): Summons Aqua Shark

Add Vent Thunder Eagle (4,500 AP): Summons Thunder Eagle

Final Vents:

Lion Drive Strike (6,000 AP): Used in conjunction with Ryuou Giri, Brave Leon rams into the target.

Kong Cannon Calamity (7,000 AP): Fire Kong becomes a cannon pack and fires fireballs before throwing Fire Ryukendo who finishes it off it Ryuou Kaen Giri

Surging Shark Strike (6,000 AP): Used in conjunction with Ryuou Hyoketsu Giri. Aqua Shark becomes its 'Aqua Board' mode and Aqua Ryukendo rides it before ramming into the frozen target.

Eagle Storm Crash (6,000 AP): Used in conjunction with Ryuou Raimei Giri. Thunder Eagle carries Thunder Ryukendo at the target, covering them in electricity.

* * *

**ED Sequence**

_Ryuki is walking in the rain carrying an umbrella as he walked through the crowd. He walked past a window and Dragonzer was flying in it, in the same direction. He gazed up at the sky and noticed the clouds rolling away to reveal sunshine. He smiled and then looked behind him to see the Titans, Ichijyo and Takada waving at him. Jinx ran towards him and then jumped towards him. He dropped the umbrella to catch her._

_Shift scene to a series of photos of the Titans in training with the Knights; Robin and Ryuki are performing martial arts with Jinx and Starfire watching who are cheering for them, Raven and Shadowcobra are sparing with energy and Beast, Cyborg, Terra and Takada are in a pile, wrestling._

_Shift scene to a series of photos of the Titans and Knight hanging out in the Tower, doing a myriad of things; Jinx and Ryuki are making out in his room with the red haired boy blushing, Ichijyo and Raven are reading a book together, sitting close to one another in her room. Starfire and Robin are talking on the roof and Beast Boy, Cyborg, Terra and Takada are playing videogames_

_Shift scene to a set of photos of the Titans and Knight enjoying a day in the park; Cyborg is cooking at the grill, Robin, Ryuki, Jinx and Starfire are playing touch football with the girls seemingly winning, Ichijyo and Raven are both relaxing under the shade of a tree, and Terra is tossing a Frisbee with Beast Boy (as a dog) and Takada jumping up to catch it with their mouths._

_The final scene is a group photograph with all the Titans and the three Knights standing in front of the Tower._

* * *

QUESTION: (PLS INCLUDE THE ANSWER IN THE REVIEW)

What are your TOP 10 Favorite Moments of this entire Saga, from Vol 1 through Vol 3?


	97. PT097: Ceasefire

**OP Sequence**

_Draco can be seen in his Survivor Mode armor speeding along the empty streets on his bike. Seconds later, both Pluto and Shadowcobra appear, also in their Survivor Mode armor and riding their bikes. The images in the windows they past are of the Titans and their enemies. Reflecting in Draco's rearview side mirrors is Jinx, Raven's image is reflected on Shadowcobra's and Blackfire's image is reflected on Pluto's._

_The three Knights launch themselves into the air on their bikes as the title card appears being pulled by three Knightriders that are trailing blue, purple and red streaks._

**_ZKD: LOST PARADISE_**

_Ryuki is standing in front of a red background wearing his SB uniform and flanking him are Zodiac Knight Draco and Yaminekoryu, his inner demon. Flames surround him as his eyes gleam. Libra appears and stands behind him._

_Ichijyo is standing in front of a purple background wearing his SB uniform and flanking him are Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra and his Arch Vampangel form. Yoshido appears and stands behind him._

_Takada is standing in front of a blue background wearing his SB uniform and standing next to him is Zodiac Knight Pluto. Fuji appears and stands behind him._

_Kat is standing in front of a black background and wearing her Slade uniform. Standing next to her is Zodiac Knight Copycat. Slade appears and stands behind her._

_Various rival Zodiac Knights appear battling with Shadowcobra, Draco and Pluto. Moon and Venus appear briefly to assist them. Soon, the Titans and Titans East stand with them against all the enemies._

_Asakura is shown grinning sadistically in front of him as he turns into sand. He then reforms and he is Zodiac Knight Scorpios._

_Masaru is shown scowling and crushing a picture of Ichijyo in his hand before turning into Zodiac Knight Hunter. He gazes at a picture of his sister, Misha._

_Kat shares a kiss with Rose before they both transform into Zodiac Knight Copycat and Zodiac Knight Aqua, respectively. Grant and Joey appear briefly and transform into Zodiac Knight ARMS and Zodiac Knight Scizzors, respectively too._

_Emiko, Prof. Murata, Raven, Blackfire and Jinx are shown standing side by side. Emiko then pulls a curtain in front of the three teen girls and then draws it to reveal the girls in her designs. She takes a camera and begins filming them, much to their chagrin._

_Draco, Shadowcobra and Pluto's helmets shatter as the world is engulfed in darkness and flames. A dark and gigantic shape rises up and its silhouette has two antlers and 4 glowing red eyes._

_The word 'EVOLUTION' in gold letters in front of a black background appears and then it changes to show the three Knights in their EVOLUTION MODES._

_Finally, we see the Titans and 3 Knights together standing in front of the Tower._

* * *

Part 97: Ceasefire

"The identity of the Avatar has been compromised," Fuji informed.

"I know and Yoshido is dead," Libra replied.

Fuji frowned. Though they had been enemies, Yoshido had still been his brother but now he was gone. "Yes, devoured by your daughter's darkness."

"We gave the Knights a month to prepare, right? Until then they are not to fight each other."

"It still doesn't mean they can't find other ways to do so. The Avatar must be protected."

Libra nodded in agreement and took out the four Legend Cards. "It is time for these to act." He flung them into the air and shouted out, "CARDS TAKE FORM! TAKE ON MY STRENGTH! TAKE ON A LIFE! BECOME ENFORCERS AND DEFENDERS!" He finished by shouting, "RELEASE!"

He released a blast of power all around him and the cards became stiff in the air. They soon began to grow and take shape and instantly four humanoid figures stood in their place.

The four figures revealed themselves Knights all clad in similarly built armour but with different color schemes. The first one was blue, followed by another that was white, the next one was red and the final one was black.

"We live to serve, Libra-sama!" the four Knights shouted, head bowed in respect.

"Go and protect the Avatar, my Four Symbols!" Libra commanded.

"YES!" they shouted in unison before turning into orbs of their respective colours and flying away, towards Earth.

"You think that will be enough?" Fuji asked.

"I've infused each of them with a quarter of my own power," Libra answered. "I hope so."

* * *

"A ceasefire?" Kenzaki asked as he and Neko were on the roof playing some one-on-one basketball.

"Hai," Neko nodded as she took the ball and dribbled it, "Libra called us for a meeting and told us that the Knights won't be allowed to use their powers against one another for one month. Even the Mirror World has been sealed."

"Well, isn't that great?" he questioned. "That means no monster attacks."

"But that also means we can't use our powers against one another for a month or else we'll be disqualified and have our powers stripped along with our memories," Neko replied. Libra had been strict about it and Eri had seemed upset since she couldn't fight with Katherine until the month was up. "We can only train ourselves in this month and try not to use our powers on one another. I guess it's a test to see if we're worthy."

"Wait, you mean you CAN'T use your powers against one another but you can STILL use them?" Kenzaki asked. "How's that fair?" He was trying to block her from scoring a basket.

"Hey, I don't make the rules here," Neko shrugged as she tried to get past Kenzaki's defence. "We can still use them but never offensively against another Knight. That's the rule. Luckily, most of us have our own powers." She then ran around him and jumped up, tossing the ball. It fell into the basket and she grinned, "Now that's 2 points, I think."

Kenzaki smiled. So far his relationship with Neko had improved, but not into a romantic one. He and Rose currently had a truce and both agreed to NEVER force Neko into anything…but the truce never specified that he couldn't ask Neko out on a date.

"Say, Neko," Kenzaki began as Neko tossed him the ball. "Are you free tonight?"

"Well, I don't think I have any plans or assignments," Neko shrugged. "Why?" She was trying to steal the ball from him and he was making sure it was out of reach. She jumped up and smacked it out of his hand before running after it. He chased after her as she caught the ball and was trying to steal the ball away, with little success on his part.

"Well, I was hoping you and I could go out on a date," Kenzaki clarified as Neko was about to score a basket but then she stumbled and dropped the ball. She turned her eyes on him, looking at him wide-eyed.

"NANI!?" she yelled.

"Well, to get to know each other and-" He stopped when he realised she had vanished. "Maybe I came on too strong."

* * *

"GALIPER!" Katherine cried out, stomping her foot, and a grid of light appeared on the floor. Several Slade-bots were trapped as walls rose up around them and combined to form a box before a lid closed the box in. Satisfied, Katherine cried out, "KUROGANE!" shooting at the boxes with her arm that had morphed to become a large cannon. The cannon balls were coated in flames and smashed into the boxes, blowing them up and obliterating the contents.

Several Slade-bots began shooting at her from behind so she shouted, "FUUDOU!" and a giant black arm grew out of the ground to block the lasers with its armor plated surface. Acting quickly, Katherine called out, "RAIKA!" summoning a pair of rollerblades on her feet. She dashed towards the Sladebots and shouted out, "KUROGANE!" destroying them with flaming cannonballs.

As soon as Katherine had swallowed Yoshido, she'd gained access to the 10 Star Treasures, weapons only accessible by celestial beings. Thus, with one in her stomach, she had access to Yoshido's weapons. How fun.

She banished the Raika skates and was surrounded from all sides by Slade-bots ready to dog-pile her. With a sadistic grin, she called out, "RANMA!" and her right hand morphed into a sword handled connected to an immense serrated sword blade. She spun around and around and sliced the Slade-bots in half, watching with glee as their dismembered bodies twitched on the floor.

"PICK! NAMIHANA!" Katherine called out in unison. From her left arm, a column tipped with a spinning drill shot out from her hand and shot towards several charging Slade-bots while her right arm had a whip connected to her wrist that she swung and crushed the Slade-bots with.

There was nearly nothing left except for a small collection of Slade-bots. Tapping her chin, she grinned and unleashed another weapon, "MASSHU!"

A large cube-like big mouth came out from under the Slade-bots and opened wide, swallowing them before snapping shut to crush them. It then vanished along with the other weapons upon usage.

She had gone through the first 8 weapons. The last two would be left for later. Seiku was useful only for flight and Maoh was limited to only six usages so she shouldn't be wasting it for these small training sessions.

But, Maoh would be useful during the finals. It would be the final blow against her most hated enemies. She couldn't wait to unleash it along with her holy weapons. It was ironic that such a demonic being would have access to celestial weapons.

Katherine walked out of the training room to see Rosalinda, waiting for her. "Your towel, Mistress," the girl offered and Katherine grabbed it before she dried the sweat from her face. Grinning, she then slung the towel around Rosalinda's waist, pulling the girl towards her and then kissing her thoroughly.

"Thanks," Katherine said.

"You are…welcome," Rosalinda managed to breathe before her lips were claimed once more.

* * *

Neko ran into her room, which was currently occupied by Rose and Cathy. Cathy was playing with the cats as Rose was polishing her machete. They watched as the door closed behind Neko and she pressed her back against it, holding her chest, breathing hard, eyes wide, and heart beating fast.

"Mama, what's wrong?" Cathy asked innocently.

Neko, without thinking, answered, "Ken-kun…just asked me out…on a date…"

Rose's eyes widened as she stood up and yelled, "WHAT!?" In her mind she was thinking, '_Damn him! I knew he was just biding his time. I better teach that wolf a lesson and…_' "You said 'no', right?" Rose asked hopefully.

"Actually, she ran off before she could answer," Gekiryuken answered for his wielder, "or before Kenzaki-san could say any more."

"Urusai," Neko grumbled as she slid down to the floor.

"You're not seriously thinking about this, are you?" asked Rose.

"Well, I like him just like I like you," Neko confessed. "And it's a bit confusing."

"Just say no," Rose said firmly. She couldn't risk losing Neko to Kenzaki.

"It's just a date," Neko reasoned. "It doesn't have to mean anything, right?"

Rose got up from her seat and approached the door. Neko stood up. "Rosey-chan, what are you doing?"

"Kenzaki and I are going to have a nice and long talk about this," Rose said briskly.

"I don't want you two fighting," Neko narrowed her eyes. She cared for both of them.

Rose sighed. "Fine…I won't fight him…" '_I'll just scream into his ear until he goes deaf._'

* * *

Up on the roof, Kenzaki was sitting in a lotus position with his arms crossed, conversing with his Imagin.

"So, what are your opinions, guys?" asked Kenzaki, trying to get ideas.

'_Why do you always come to me with these kinds of problems?_' asked Okami. '_It just pisses me off_.'

"Okami you're always so helpful," said Kenzaki.

'_Look, you asked her out. That's all you can do. She says no, oh well_,' answered Okami. '_Now leave me out of you freakin' problems!_'

'_Kenzaki-sama should let Neko-san make her decision alone_,' said Byakko. '_If you force her, you risk pushing her away, as well as going against yours and Rose-san's agreement, which would be dishonourable._'

"Well, that was more helpful the Okami…"

'_I heard that!_' snapped Okami.

"What do you think Raion?"

'_Bring her to a rock concert!_' shouted the youngest of his Imagin partners.

Kenzaki shook his head. He forgot that despite Raion being the largest of his partners, he was also considered the youngest and a teenager by human standards. '_Don't you want my opinion?_' asked Buraki.

"Not really, but let's hear it."

'_Okay, you've got something we can't give her permanently, but I can guarantee she'll enjoy it while she has her hands on-_'

Kenzaki interrupted before he could finish, "No! Pre-emptive strike on the sex joke. Take a timeout." He ordered, "Byakko, make sure Kumiko knows about this and have her beat the crap out of Buraki."

'_Gladly, Kenzaki-sama._'

Kenzaki opened his eyes and looked up as he saw Rose, approaching him, looking rather pissed off. She then ran at him and kicked him hard in the face, sending him sprawling before pinning him down with her foot on his chest and the tip of her machete pointed at his throat. She looked almost vengeful as she said, "You and I had a deal, Tsukuba."

'_And now I've got a pissed off girl_,' Kenzaki thought. "Hey, we promised not to fight over her. I just asked her out."

"She was mine first," Rose shot back, the tip close to his Adam's apple. "Give me a really good reason not to slit your throat right here and now."

"Try it," challenged Kenzaki. Rose yelled as she brought the blade down on Kenzaki's throat. She looked down and saw that her blade wasn't doing any damage to Kenzaki. He grabbed the machete. "That's what I thought." He grabbed the blade in his hand and crushed it in his hand like tinfoil. He then stood up, causing Rose to fall off of him. "Invulnerable skin and super strength. Your blade is about as harmful as a fly without wings." He threw the crumpled machete at Rose's feet. He walked toward the entrance to the Tower. "And now I'm going to find out Neko's answer." The door slid shut behind him, leaving a stunned Rose in his wake.

Rose then slammed her fist on the floor, growling. "Damn that wolf…"

* * *

Damien was hungry so he decided to enter the cafeteria to see if anything was worthy to eat. Many of the villains in Tartarus' cafeteria stayed clear of him out of fear. He vanished and appeared before Angel, and yelled out "Boo!" causing the girl to scream and fall backwards. He smirked as he took a seat at a table where Madame Rouge and Psimon were sitting and talking. This was the exclusive table for only the Lords. Katherine had her own private table.

"So, why are you all here instead of the executive dining room?" asked Madame Rouge as she looked at Damien. Out of all the Lords, he unnerved her the most.

"I should be asking you that myself, Envy," retorted Damien, using Rouge's Lord designation.

"You seem awfully cheerful for someone known as the Lord of Wrath," retorted Rouge. "I would've expected you to deserve the role of Pride but Slade has that taken."

"True," Damien nodded as he took a bite out of a sandwich. "But my tastes are those of pain and suffering…specifically the pain and suffering I cause. So, what were you two talking about before I sat down?"

Psimon spoke, "Well, we are a little concerned since Katherine, our leader, hasn't told us much about what she's planning." Psimon was the Lord of Greed due to his thirst for knowledge at any cost.

'_I know_,' thought Damien. '_She seeks to use that Wish to takeover the entire Multiverse. All this, this Tartarus and her Lords of Sin are merely a formality._' "Well, I'm being kept in the dark too."

"I seriously doubt that," spoke Madame Rouge. "You, Sylar and Slade are always with her. She seems to have a lot of respect in you. Trust, on the other hand…"

"So, she knows what I can do. Trust isn't an issue," Damien shrugged.

Madame Rouge scrutinized him, and said, "It doesn't take a genius to know you're planning something. We all have our own agendas so don't try denying it."

"Fine then, I'll tell you my plan…" Rouge and Psimon leaned in closer. "I want to bring something to this world."

"And what's that?" asked Psimon.

"Disorder, chaos, anarchy!" shouted Damien. He leapt up onto the table. "Oh, yes! Fill the churches with dirty thoughts! Introduce honesty to the white house! Write letters in dead languages to people you've never met! Paint filthy words on the foreheads of children! Burn your credit cards and wear high heels! Asylum doors stand open! Fill the suburbs with murder and rape! Divine madness! Let there be ecstasy in the schools and the ecstasy in the streets! Laugh and the world laughs with you!" called out Damien as he laughed madly. Everyone was looking at Damien as if he were a madman.

"You're insane!" accused Rouge.

"If I weren't insane, I'd be crazy," answered Damien as he jumped off the table. "I wish to bring madness to sanity, or sanity to madness. It all depends on your perspective. That's what it all comes down to isn't it? Good or Evil. Right or Wrong. Sane or Insane. It's all perspective." He began walking away. Shadows sprung from his arm as he grabbed hold of Angel. "Come, my dear, I have such _sights_ to show you."

"No! Stop! Let go! Don't let him take me!" shouted the winged girl. Damien's past exploits were well known throughout Tartarus, Damien even having shown videos, to show them the true ways of torture. Angel began crying but no one dared to help knowing how truly dangerous Damien could be and what he'd do to them if they even tried.

"No tears please. It's a waste of good suffering," spoke Damien as he and Angel vanished into a shadow portal.

The room became silent upon Damien leaving. There were sighs of relief since many had been holding their breaths. Then catcalls were heard as Nami, the Lord of Lust, entered the cafeteria. She picked up a tray and began to fill it with her favourite foods as all the males (and some females) stared at her. She was a truly beautiful sight and just as deadly. Katherine had found her by chance and since Nami was a former general of Occultus', she was the perfect candidate as her Lord of Lust.

Nami sat down with her fellow Lords and asked, "So, what did I miss?"

* * *

Deep below the base was a special containment facility housing several horrendous creatures that Katherine had been creating using her Horror Powers. She walked down the hallway with Rosalinda clutching to her arm in fear. The glass windows showed the creatures in artificial habitats/containment units to keep them happy and the habitats were separated from one another too. While the two girls could see the monsters, the monsters could not see them since the windows were two-way mirrors and the hallway was dark with only limited lighting. If the monsters ever saw humans, they would run amok. Katherine could not let that happen. She had plans for these creatures.

With the month-long ceasefire in effect, Katherine decided to admire her Little Zoo of Horrors.

**(The following monsters are a creation of Tanyeera)**

The creatures had once been normal animals but Katherine had used her Horror Powers on them, implanting Horrors into the animals that ended up becoming the hosts for the demons, warping them and resulting in near mindless creations since lesser Horrors were normally mindless unless they possessed a human. Of course, there were several exceptions to the rule but not many. Generally, Horrors were demons that followed their main instinct: to feed.

First off, they saw what appeared to be normal, extremely cute little bunnies, peacefully hopping around and grooming themselves. Then… "Release the wolves!" Katherine called.

Five snarling, slavering wolves were released into the bunnies' habitat. One wolf tried rather unwisely, to snap at a bunny's fluffy tail. It fell away with a horrible, gurgling yelp, pawing at the twisted, ruined remains of its snout and eyes which were simply… not there anymore. These bunnies apparently had miniature black holes concealed in their fluffy behinds. The unlucky wolf died within moments of poking its snout at the bunny.

Now the other wolves were warier, but with the scent of blood in the air, the bunnies were paying far closer attention to their prey. Within moments, their ears had pricked up, and then started to rotate as their eyes glowed eerie red. Gradually, the copter-ears lifted the bunnies right off the ground to reveal tiny, gaping, sucker-like mouths all over the bunnies' bellies. The mouths screeching, they flew right at the wolves, clamping firmly on to them before claws emerged from their backs and started to stab and slash through the wolves' thick fur. Their tails too, did major damage, sucking off huge chunks of the wolves' anatomy as their eyes shot laser beams which scorched through fur and flesh alike.

When it was all over, only bits and pieces of blood and skeleton remained of the wolves. The Hek Bunnies had gone back to peacefully hopping around and grooming themselves. They looked very full, and very satisfied.

The second creature she had named a Wyrmdeer. It had the body of a snake, the head and horns of a gazelle, and night-dark wings as sharp as scything razor-blades. A forked tongue flicked from its mouth as it lowered its head and swished its horns menacingly. When on the ground like this, it could use its wings as extra appendages to slice its enemies to ribbons.

The next creature they passed was huge, bigger than an elephant! Apart from that though, it didn't look too scary… a large elephant like body topped by an eyeless, earless, basically featureless giant grapefruit of a head with five lines radiating like a star from what would have been the centre of its face… had it had one. But then the creature roared and the terrifying truth was revealed. Its head opened up, splitting from the five lines to reveal that those had actually been lips… and the entire head was nothing more than a gigantic maw, filled with pink wetness and rows upon rows of very pointy teeth. Katherine called this one 'Chomper'.

After that they saw Jab-Slashity, creature that looked a bit like a centaur, except its lower half looked bulkier, more like a bull than a horse. Plus its upper half was more like a praying mantis. Hungrily clicking its mandibles, it had three pairs of fore-appendages all together. The first pair, near its chest, looked very like insect legs, very pointy ones which the creature would jab occasionally for emphasis. The second pair, which was a bit lower, looked like scythes. And the third pair, squarely in the middle of its bull and insectoid halves, was a pair of long, muscular human arms, which could have come from any human bodybuilder. These were balled into fists at the moment, and looked like they had longer range than the above four appendages, possibly so the creature could grab its prey and bring it up close for the jabbers and scythes to get to work.

Another creature was smoke headed, horse-bodied and human legged creature. Lightning crackled from its face and eyeballs of all shapes, sizes and colours rolled within it. Katherine had named it "Spark-Eyes".

Next there was a legless elephant made all of vines and ludicrously big and bright flowers with eight thick purple tentacles sprouting from its ears. The tentacles lifted the elephant right off the ground and made hilarious plopping and sucking sounds as they slowly "walked" away. That was Charmer.

There were some other random creatures like eight-armed foxes with machine guns, lethally poisonous giant snakes with rainbow afros, and carnivorous bright yellow ducks which made a squeaking sound instead of a quack.

Rosalinda suspected that they were once rubber bath toys, but she didn't hang around to find out, not after seeing what they did to the dancing pig with peacock feathers that one time when it accidentally got into their habitat.

There was something that would be called a 'Bull-Frog'. It looked like a Minotaur with frog's legs and its horns were as long as swords. Its tongue flicked menacingly in and out, coiling with uncanny life as if it was only too eager to grab someone and skewer him on one of the horns.

Katherine's favorites in this macabre zoo were the feline-based creatures. Those had been fun to create.

One of those monsters was an elephant-sized cat-like creature of bristling fur and gleaming fangs. Its ears were long and pointed, more like horns than ears at all and all three of its tails lashed with angry restlessness. Spikes sprouted from the end of each tail and a pair of skinny, claw-like appendages sprouted from the cat-creature's sides, raking and grasping at the air, seeming to seek human flesh, while on its back was a terrible gaping slash which opened and closed exactly like a mouth. It was Katherine's 'Darling'.

She liked the dragon based ones the least, due to her hatred of Draco but power was a primary factor if the previous creatures had been an indication. In one of the containment units something that vaguely resembled a dragon except for its red eyes, mandibles, extra claws and the tiny living _human_ heads growing out of its hide like some diseased pimple infection. The heads screeched, revealing their sharp little fangs as they strained towards the main dragon's head and what it was devouring. She had simply named this one 'Ugly'.

She'd been a little kinder to the next one though, called 'Dancer'. It had head, neck, tail, and wings of a dragon, but the body and legs of a giant spider, its first four limbs ending in human feet, while its back four in human hands. This one had a special ability to continuously lay eggs that would plop into the coils of its waiting tail and then handed over to its hind-hands to throw. When these eggs smashed, they released a clear, gelatinous substance that at first seemed harmless, however, turned out to be extremely flammable to the dark fires this creature spewed. At the end of its attack, everything would look like it had been dipped in liquid nitrogen, shattering at the slightest contact. 'Dancer' delighted in dancing among its victims, using its fore-feet to kick and smash everything apart.

Passing one of the windows, Katherine was wondering what she'd been thinking including a dog as one of her experiments. It looked somewhat like a long lean greyhound the size of a pony, and with a pony's hooves and haunches too. Also, it had not one, not two, but _ten_ thin whip-like tails, each of them more than thrice its body length with things that looked uncomfortably like stretched out human hands attached to their ends. The dog's face and snout looked oversized, fat and grotesque next to the almost emaciated leanness of the rest of its body, more like the head of a bulldog than a greyhound. The reason for such was revealed as it opened its hideous mouth to reveal no teeth but a tongue that momentarily lashed at the air, much like a frog's tongue questing for an insect.

Now she remembered… this creature happened to be the fastest monster in the entire menagerie. Furthermore, its additional limbs made it very good at snatching people. She had named it 'Fetch'.

Sam the Spider-Monkey was just something she made for fun. It was vaguely spider-like, was thrice the height of a man, had eight legs ending in hairy gorilla hands that knuckled along just as if they were on a real gorilla, and sixteen shorter appendages curled up under its belly. Some of these appendages ended in humanoid hands that nonetheless flexed oddly, as though they had an extra joint. Other appendages included pincers, blades, lobster or crab-like claws, thin, needle-like tubes and other, even more weirdly shaped things that had no name.

Katherine and Rosalinda then stopped in front of a window with a sign that said 'Sniffy'.

Roughly twice the size of a horse, it resembled a peacock: a nightmare peacock. Its torso was longer and thicker than a normal peacock's so that a person could ride it, and it was four-legged.

Or, more accurately, its forepaws were scaled and clawed like a dragon's while its rear paws had the powerfully bunched muscles of a hare's hind legs.

The creature's neck was as long and graceful as a normal peacock's, but its head was barely more than a long quivering snout, like a baby elephant's trunk, and two disturbingly human eyes the size of grapefruits perched on that snout.

Most terrifying of all was where a normal peacock should have had a beautiful fan of colourful tail feathers. The fan was still there alright, but instead of feathers, this creature had a multitude of writhing, swaying tails growing from its rear, each tail exceedingly long and whippy, yet width-wise, the size of mere walnuts. They were disturbing of course, but at first glance, not that dangerous. They were merely the monstrous equivalent of a cat swishing its tail. That was, until you noticed that each "tail" opened into an eternally, voraciously gaping mouth at its end... and peering down the mouth one saw rings and rings of needle-sharp teeth.

Katherine's grin widened. The collection of Horror Creatures was immense and as soon as the Finals began, she would unleash them upon the city and the world to cause chaos, mayhem and absolute terror on all the wretched and weak humans. Her creations were hungry and she could only oblige them. Rosalinda shuddered as she saw her mistress' smile, knowing it was nothing good. It reminded her briefly of Damien's smile before…

"Mistress, can we leave, please?" Rosalinda begged. Katherine cast her a look.

"Are you frightened? Tell me the truth," said Katherine. Rosalinda tried to speak but the fear had found her voice and stopped it. She decided to nod her head repeatedly. Katherine sighed. She wanted to look at her 'Zoo' some more but then Rosalinda was her most precious pet so she obeyed the request, reluctantly. "Let's go. I think there's a bubble bath with our names on it."

Rosalinda beamed as the two walked towards the exit.

* * *

"Please…please let me go…" Angel begged from her place, bound to the bed. She was naked with the exception of a pair of panties and had many welts from the whippings and dried candle wax on certain spots on her body. Damien hovered over her, licking his lips. He touched her soft feathery wings with a grin. His shirt was removed revealing his lean, muscular physique. All he had on were his pants. She shuddered at the sensation. She was covered in sweat and her eyes were wet with tears from her crying. Her throat was hoarse and dry from screaming so long.

"Oh…but we're just about ready for the best part," he said, pouting. He mounted her. His hand slithered up her leg before he tugged at the panties. "Ready?"

"No…" she sobbed.

Damien heard someone clearing their throat and turned his eyes towards the door. It was open and leaning against the frame was Nami the Lobster Orphenoch in human form. She was formerly one of Occultus' generals but now served as one of Katherine's Lords of Sin. She was the Lord of Lust which was an appropriate title due to her unique talents of seduction.

"Having fun, Damien?" she questioned, smirking with a raised eyebrow.

"Very much so, Nami," answered the Lord of Wrath.

"Please! Help me!" shouted Angel. Damien slapped her roughly, leaving a large handprint on her face.

"Silence while your betters are talking," warned Damien. He turned back to Nami and stood up stepping towards his fellow Lord of Sin. Damien stood massively above Nami, his 6 and a half foot body overshadowing her 5 foot 10 frame. "Care to join us?"

Damien had many different relationships with the different Lords of Sin. With Slade he was polite and civil since the masked man was one of the few beings in the Multiverse he had respect for. Madame Rouge despised him. She had prided herself on having one of the most twisted personalities in the world but Damien quickly showed her how truly twisted a person could be. He and Psimon both longed for knowledge, though Damien wished to use his knowledge for other purposes. He was civil with Sylar, as they both had similar natures, longing for more power and never satisfied with what they had. He didn't like Plasmus all too much. And lastly was Nami, with whom he shared a powerful sexual relationship with.

Nami softly traced circles around Damien's exposed chest. "Perhaps…" she said seductively. Damien grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her face up to his, kissing her passionately. When he released her she looked at him with lust filled eyes. "Where should we start?"

Angel's eyes widened in horror. Nami wasn't going to help her…she was going to join in! "No…please don't…" she cried. Nami quickly stripped off her leather jacket and jeans, leaving her in only her bikini top and G-string panties. She quickly sat on the bed and slowly and seductively crawled toward the bound villainess. Damien walked around her, standing by her head.

He bent down and forced her to look at him. "Now then my little pet…" Shadows began swirling around Damien as his eyes turned blood red and his teeth became razor sharp. "**I want you to scream!**" he roared as he descended upon her.

* * *

"Mama, are you okay?" Cathy asked with deep concern in her voice. Neko looked towards her adopted daughter.

"I'm okay," Neko answered, half-lying, "Just a bit confused."

"Because Kenzaki likes you?" Cathy questioned. The mutant girl was pretty observant about these things. Slade had taught her that much in the past.

"Kinda," Neko nodded.

"And you like him too?" Cathy asked, "But you also like mommy."

"Koneko-chan," Neko decided to ask, "Do you like living here in the Tower?" She wanted to change the subject for now. She really couldn't deal with the whole issue between herself, Rose and Kenzaki at the moment.

"At first, no," Cathy replied honestly, "I mean, I was taught that they were our enemies and that I would have to fight them any chance I got. But now…" She wasn't sure what to say. The arrangement had been trying for her too. She had been forced to re-evaluate her opinion of the Titans due to certain events, namely Katherine being psychotic. "But now…it feels…it feels like home."

Neko smiled as she ruffled her daughter's hair. "It feels like home to me too. I have my brother here, and you and Rose…" '_Of course how long I'll have that for any longer with Kenzaki in the picture is beyond me._' She decided to ask, "So, should I say yes to Kenzaki's proposal?"

Cathy blinked and said, "I guess, mama, that you have to decide that for yourself."

Neko frowned at her daughter, "Ugh, you're no help at all."

"If it means anything, I still love you," Cathy said as she hugged Neko.

"And I love you too," Neko replied. A light bulb lit up in her head and then she got an idea. "I think I finally found a solution for this." Or what she hoped was a solution and just in time too as the door opened to reveal Kenzaki.

"Hey," Kenzaki greeted. Neko stood up as Cathy took a step back. "So…you kinda ran off when I asked you out. Are you okay now?"

Neko rolled her eyes. A lot of people have been asking if she was 'OK'. She sighed and answered, "Hai, I am. So, what happened with you and Rose?"

"We had an argument about you," Kenzaki answered. Neko frowned. She didn't want the two people she'd come to care for fighting. "So, if you say no, I'll understand and-"

"Yes."

"OK, well I'll leave you-" he blinked and paused before continuing, "Wait, what was that?"

"I said yes, I'll go out with you," Neko smiled.

A wide smile was about to crack on Kenzaki's face, but he kept calm. Best to keep his excitement caged up until he was back on the GaroLiner.

"But…" Neko added, "On ONE condition."

"You name it!"

"Rose gets to come along."

Kenzaki's jaw dropped as he gawked at her.

* * *

"You're going to Arizona?" Jinx asked her fiancé who was busy packing up a duffle bag. "For a month? Why?" After all that had happened a few weeks ago, he was going to leave.

"There's a one month ceasefire between the Knights," Draco explained as he took out some folded clothes and put them into his bag. "We can't attack each other until it's up."

"Correction," Jinx said, "You CAN'T use your powers against each other. That doesn't mean Copycat or ARMS won't try anything without their powers."

"At some point they'll be tempted but they won't risk it," Draco retorted.

"You don't know that!" Jinx shot back.

Draco gave her a look. "Copycat's obsessed with beating me and taking the Power for herself. She won't risk getting herself disqualified. As insane as she is, she's not stupid."

"Still, it doesn't explain why you're leaving," Jinx pouted.

Draco explained, "The Kamen Riders have a secret base in Arizona. I'm going to train there for a month."

"You can just train here!" Jinx nearly pleaded, "And well you can't leave! What about your sister?" Neko had been kidnapped by Katherine and nearly lost her life. "Without you, she might be exposed to danger."

Saying Draco wasn't worried about Neko would be a lie. This was his sister's good half and she needed to be protected. Saeji was still adamant in finishing her off to save the world but Draco would not allow it. However… "I think she's in good hands," he said, thinking of Kenzaki, "And she can take care of herself better now. She's more powerful."

Jinx tried to make another argument using Neko but found she couldn't. "Crap…" she muttered. "I just don't want you to leave me for a month!"

"I'll be back," he assured her, walking over to hug her. Jinx hugged him back. "I won't be long."

"Please…I don't want you to leave me alone…" Jinx, as strong as she was, was afraid to be abandoned by the people she loved. Her parents had been the first and it'd been years since she felt like this.

Draco didn't want to leave her either. They were engaged and they were soul mates. It wouldn't be right. Yet, he needed to prepare himself for the Finals which would be taking place in a month. He couldn't waste time. Still…there was another alternative.

"You could come with me," he said and Jinx's eyes sparkled before she tackled him to the ground and began kissing him like mad. '_Maybe I should let her come along more often,' _he thought, enjoying the attention_._

A vision invaded his mind, and he was seeing Jinx, bent over and him behind her thrusting into her, making love to her…He blushed and stomped down that image before he began to kiss her back.

Minutes later, that vision would come true…

* * *

For the past few weeks, Pluto had been studying all of Changeling's alien forms. He even wanted to study the watch. However, the latter was met with objections from Shadow who wanted the data secret. Pluto stated that he could keep the data safe but despite years of working together, Shadow lacked faith in Pluto and with good reason too.

There was the incident where he'd blown up the school, forcing them to temporarily transfer to other schools. Then there was the time he'd mutated the vegetables at the science fair and gotten banned from any subsequent contests of the same nature. There was also the time he'd caused a mass evacuation of their dorm due to him playing his DOOM game at FULL BLAST with GIANT speakers he'd connected to the computer. His experiments and inventions had also had lasting negative effects on Shadow's opinion of Pluto and they would not change. The only inventions Pluto ever got right were small in number and even so Shadow's full faith had not been restored. Shadow wondered himself why he put up with Pluto for so long.

Currently, Pluto was standing outside with a speed gun. A black and blue blur zipped past in front of him and the gun caught it. He looked at the numbers in amazement, shouting, "Woah, THAT is FAST!"

"Is it?" Changeling asked as he zipped up to Pluto in his Kineceleran form. The visor slid up and the blue skinned, green eyed alien look at the meter. "Woah! I never knew!"

Pluto was impressed with Changeling's alien forms and how effective they were compared to his animal forms. Still, Changeling was also training himself harder. He knew he couldn't totally rely on the watch since after 10 minutes it would just change him back and would need to recharge for the next time it was used. Still, it had been fun to use all those forms.

"Having fun, boys?" Blackfire asked as she floated towards her betrothed and friend. Currently, Blackfire was taking a break from ruling. After numerous attempts on her life by rebels who didn't want an 'abomination' to rule them, she decided to leave the planet for safety. It seemed cowardly, but Pluto reasoned that she and Starfire were the last in their family line. She corrected him by saying Ryand'r too was part of that line. Yet, they hadn't found any sign of him or any clues that he was even…

Shadow was working on it. Luckily, the Pretender remains that Pluto had kept could give Shadow clues. He hated it when renegade Deathtrons tried to restart conflict like this again. Hadn't the past taught them anything that this was all a waste of time? Guess not.

"Don't we always?" Pluto grinned. He still kept his coat but the clothes underneath were the Tamaranean clothes he'd altered to suit his liking. Blackfire looked good in purple but he couldn't see himself wearing the colour, no offense.

At first the citizens of Tamaran had gaped at him as he walked through the cities. He was the only human and well humans were thought to be weak by a lot of races. Well, Yoshiyuki Takada was anything but weak as he'd proven alongside Robin during the X'Handal tournament. He completely decimated the opposition who wanted to prove themselves worthy of Blackfire, but unlike the Dog Knight they just craved for her power. They didn't love the beautiful woman who'd snatched his heart and tamed him.

Takada also made an impression and gained a reputation on Tamaran for the explosions coming from his lab. Blackfire actually lost her temper and sent guards to drag him out of his lab to be punished. He'd run from them even with Blackfire tailing him. Well, she was mad, of course. He'd blown up a good portion of the palace that one time and it took a long time to fix.

Then, there were the rebels and coups and Pluto put himself in charge to expose the masterminds. He may not look it, but Pluto was as good as a detective as Robin. He had the brains, and nose, despite lacking proper common sense. Still the masterminds, their subordinates and allies had been exposed and punished for treachery. Pluto felt they deserved more than just banishment but still his lover's word was law.

Changeling's transformation timed out and Blackfire smiled. She grabbed Pluto's arm and said to the green one, "Can I borrow him for a bit?"

"Sure," Changeling nodded and watched as Blackfire pulled Pluto with her to the air. Pluto could fly with the Power of the Rooster. The rules never stated they couldn't use their power indefinitely. Just that they couldn't use them against another Knight or else they'd pay the consequences.

"I want to meet your mother," said Blackfire to Pluto, putting it bluntly.

"But, you've met," Pluto recalled.

Blackfire elaborated, "I mean actually meet. Not through a communicator and not when she was in a coma, but in person. In the flesh." She wanted to get to know her betrothed's mother better.

"But she likes you already," Pluto replied. "That's enough, right?"

"Puppy, listen to me," Blackfire said, grabbing him by the face and leaning him, "I want to meet your mother, in the flesh, face-to-face, and in person."

Pluto couldn't refuse his Empress, but well he had to ask, "Why the sudden interest?"

Blackfire sighed, "I just want to have something normal to happen for a change."

"Normal is relative," he retorted. Blackfire gave him an icy look. "Continue," he prompted.

"This whole deal with being the Empress of Tamaran and a superhero is kinda getting to me. I'm stressed. I just wanna relax."

"So, you want a vacation?" Pluto questioned.

"Now, you're getting it," she grinned. "So, you got this one month ceasefire going on. Why don't we go and see your mom?"

"But what about the others?" Pluto asked, "And I need to train too."

"You can train there," Blackfire countered, "I mean Smart Brain has that Danger Room, right?"

Pluto couldn't argue with that. The training would be worth it, "But, what about Cyborg? He got his legs blasted off last time. He might need me for maintenance."

"They've done alright before they met you," Blackfire reasoned. "And there's Fixit." She wrapped her arms around his neck, coming closer so that the tips of their noses were touching, "Please…let's go…"

"I don't know," Pluto said nervously. Usually he'd caved by now, "I mean with this deal about Copycat and the Horrors…I just don't feel right with leaving everybody that long."

Blackfire sighed and compromised, "How about a week or two?"

"8 days," Pluto haggled.

"12."

"9."

"10."

"Deal," both said at the same time. They would be away for 10 days and then come back. It sounded short, but it was enough for Blackfire.

"X'Hal, you're good at haggling," she purred. He liked hearing her purr. It was ironic that he, a Dog Knight, would fall for a girl coming from a race that descended from felines.

"Hey, I had a pretty tight budget even with the Snake paying me," Pluto argued. "I had to haggle."

Blackfire giggled and kissed him before grabbing his arm and flying towards the Tower to pack up their things.

"Am I gonna get some nookie?" Pluto asked hopefully. Blackfire laughed.

"You'll see."

A ghostly figure faded into view. It was Changeling in his Ectonurite form and he'd seen and heard everything. He spoke, "Man, Plutes is so whipped." He snickered before fading away.

* * *

"You're going to Planet Death?" Raven questioned, "For a month?"

Planet Death was actually an immense planet-sized space station where all the Deathtrons lived since the destruction of their home world millions of years ago. Now, it had its own artificially generated atmosphere that could simulate weather, day and night.

"Yes, and I want you to come with me," Shadowcobra offered.

"But why?" Raven asked. "Wait, is it because of this ceasefire and now you're going on vacation?"

"Not a vacation," Shadow responded. "There are some things I need to take care of in the Secret Police's Headquarters. It's been ages since I was there and my superiors must be interested to know what I've been doing."

"Didn't you go on a special sabbatical?" Raven asked. "I mean you left them for a reason."

"But I'm still Commander of the Special Division and even though I've been here on Earth, I'm still given news about their activity." His father had been helpful enough to do it for him. The Special Division, even without him, had been running smoothly.

"So, you're going to be working for them for a month?" asked Raven.

"And don't forget that I'll be training," Shadow added.

Raven looked hesitant, "I don't know. I mean we did stay a month on Neo Azarath and looked at what happened. I don't feel like being caught by surprise."

"Then stay," he said. "I'm not forcing you to go. I can go alone and-"

"Remember our vows?" she reminded. "I'm not leaving you alone on another planet. So, I'm coming along, whether you like it or not."

Shadow smiled. "Oh, that's just what I wanted to hear. Raven, you may find that you'll like Planet Death."

"With a name like that, I don't see why not," Raven responded cynically. Shadow laughed. Oh, he so loved her dry wit. "Do I have to wear that symbol?" She was referring to the demonic purple emblem of the Deathtrons. She hadn't liked the way it looked. It looked evil.

"Well, since you're my wife, then you must," Shadow said with a bit of regret. "Be grateful you didn't get branded with one." Shadows' hand went to his shoulder where the Deathtron tattoo was, reminding him of his allegiance and the path he'd chosen long ago.

"Did it really hurt?" she asked.

"I endured. No different from that tattoo on your lower back, which I _love_ to see," he grinned.

"Pervert," she muttered, cheeks turning pink. He pulled her into his arms and he nuzzled her hair. "Hey!"

"We have time before we need to leave. Why not one for the road?" he asked, licking her earlobe. She shuddered. How did he get so good in making her aroused? Was it his empathic ability? His hand found its way down her body to her thigh and he lifted it up. He wasn't wearing his gloves so he was able to feel the warm exposed skin. The skin-tight leotard did nothing to hide her curves and her amazing legs. Her body was amazing and he'd explored every inch of it countless time and it appeared that he would be doing so again.

He carried her to the bed and laid her on top of it before looking down at her. He then captured her lips with little protest. She moaned as his hands cupped her breasts. So warn and soft. He had loved the feeling of making love to her.

Let's leave them alone, for now, alright?

* * *

"I should've killed her when I had the chance," Katherine muttered. She was sitting in a bathtub with Rosalinda. Her personal slave girl was scrubbing her back.

"Who?" Rosalinda asked.

"Blondie," Katherine replied. "If I knew killing her would land me that Wish automatically, I would've done it sooner."

"You'll get your chance," said Rosalinda, pressing her chest against her mistresses' back. It would appear that Rosalinda had changed a bit. She wasn't so timid, at least when around Katherine. "You'll get your wish."

Katherine smiled at Rosalinda's words. Sure, Rosalinda was a substitute for Rose which her weaker half had stolen from her, but she would never trade the girl in for anything. Despite being the Living Gate, she still had a bit of her heart. Remnants of her weaker half or maybe there was still a connection between them aside from them sharing the same life.

She'd temporarily died after the debacle at Paris and now she only had 5 lives left. She remembered seeing Rosalinda crying over her body before crying tears of joy at her revival.

She sensed something amongst the Lords. Damien was planning something with Nami. Despite her respect for the Lord of Wrath, she didn't trust him one bit. She didn't trust any of the Lords fully, except for Slade. Plasmus, however, well he was just a useful pawn to her plans. He was loyal to her since she'd allowed him to retain his human form while awake. She did have to reprogram his mind since his human side was a timid coward compared to the monster that was Plasmus.

The only promise she gave Sylar that assured his loyalty was that he was hungry for power. With the copy of Cerebro's plans and programming, she was able to track down any new mutant signatures and when one was detected, Sylar would go on the hunt. The media was already littered with news of murders where the bodies had their brains scooped out from the skulls. Sylar was a messy eater and devoured the brains savagely, absorbing the power of their late owners. Eventually, he would grow too powerful and cocky so like Damien, Katherine was keeping a careful watch on the man.

Psimon and Madame Rouge were another thing. The French shape-shifter was devious, and well, Psimon was only after knowledge. Both could still be swayed away from her so they too needed to be watched.

Nami was someone she'd found by chance one day. She remembered it like it was yesterday…

* * *

_Bored, Katherine ventured into the local red light district. She saw many prostitutes and illegal establishment but the police had little power over the district. There were metas and mutant girls working as hookers and many men were interested in having one for the night. Katherine had been tempted too. She even ventured into a local strip club for the heck of it. She had a fake ID and was able to get in._

_She watched as scantily clad sluts strutted on stage, removing what little clothing they had on for money. It disgusted her but also aroused her. Despite having Rosalinda as a bed warmer, maybe having another girl wouldn't be so bad._

_She watched as girls dressed as nurses, cops, school girls and any sort of fantasy stripped but found nothing that interested her, and then **she** came along._

_There was Nami, in a bikini and doing a pole dance. She watched as Occultus' former general grinded herself against the pole, gyrated her body, and gave the perverted customers a show as she teased them. A few were even masturbating at the sight of Nami. Typical perverts._

_They watched as Nami removed her bikini and continued dancing for them. She gave them all coy looks and when it was all over, the true fun began._

_The girls weren't just dancers, but also prostitutes. At the end of the show, there would be an auction and each girl would go with one of the men for a night of pleasure. Katherine was tempted to make a bid but satisfied herself with just watching._

_Nami eventually went to a man willing to pay two grand for a night with her. Katherine discreetly followed after them._

_There was this cheap hotel which was used for one-night stands or for the local prostitutes to service their clients. Katherine stalked them like a cat. She watched as Nami and her client entered a room after he'd fumbled with the keys. She got a fat guy who looked to be in his 40's and possibly married by the ring on his finger. Problems at home? Wife not doing it for him._

_Katherine sent one of her horrors in, hiding in the shadows, and watched through its eyes as Nami did her job, giving the man the best night of his life…and his last…_

_After nearly two hours of sex, the man was exhausted. Nami straddled the man who smiled at him. "That…was…amazing," he panted._

_"Good," Nami grinned before she morphed into her Orphenoch form, much to his horror. "And goodnight!"_

_She killed him by stabbing his heart with her rapier. His body turned grey and crumbled to ash, like many victims killed by Orphenochs. Nami got off the bed and resumed human form. She dressed herself back up and picked up the guy's wallet to only find a few hundred bucks. She scowled but took the bills and stuffed them into her pocket before tossing the wallet away._

_She heard applause and turned towards the window to see Katherine sitting on the window sill. Nami was about to react and attack when Katherine said, "I like your style. How about you leave the dirty dancing and whoring for something better? Like something that matched your previous rank?"_

* * *

Nami had given Katherine a look that told the Cat Knight she was interested and so Nami became the Lord of Lust.

Nami later met with Damien and both had started a sort of sexual relationship and Katherine didn't like it.

Katherine turned around, grinning at Rosalinda. She purred, "I'm hungry," before she dove into the water. Rosalinda looked perplexed but then let out a gasp and moan. The water splashed as Rosalinda shouted out, "Mistress!"

Katherine got up from the water and grinned before placing kisses up Rosalinda's torso. She stopped at her collar bone and began sucking. Rosalinda clutched to Katherine and groaned in pleasure, grinding her body against her mistress.

Katherine got to Rosalinda's ear and began nibbling, whispering, "Now the real fun begins."

Rosalinda gasped and then screamed in pleasure as soapy water splashed around while she thrashed in Katherine's loving clutches.

"Ooh, MISTRESS!"

* * *

Kenzaki had already decided where he was going to take Neko on their first date together. It was a local sushi place that served sushi via conveyer belt with small plates. Each plate denoted its price so a person could be careful of how much they could spend. He thought it would be a nice place for just the two of them. And it would have been, had it been just the two of them. Neko was currently seated between Rose and Kenzaki, oblivious to the glares the two were giving each other.

Ever heard the expression 'two's a company, and three's a crowd'? You could use that expression in reference to this situation.

"Isn't this great?" Neko asked as she grabbed a plate and started eating some sushi. "Ken-kun, what's your favourite kind of sushi?"

"My personal favourite is the Dynamite Roll," Kenzaki told Neko.

"Oh look! Here comes some," she pointed out. Kenzaki began to reach for it, but Rose reached over quickly and grabbed it before Kenzaki could. He turned and glared at her. "Don't worry Ken-kun, here comes another one," said Neko, trying to soothe the situation. Kenzaki reached for it, but once again Rose beat him to it. He glared at her and was truly tempted to start yelling at her. However, he felt Neko's hand on his shoulder. "Here, Ken-kun. Try some of the tuna," she suggested as she held the fish between her chopsticks. "Say 'ah'!" she said cutely. Kenzaki opened his mouth and she popped the sushi into his mouth. Rose began to get infuriated but Neko calmed her down before they got thrown out for causing trouble.

"So, Neko, you like anything special here?" Kenzaki asked.

Neko was about to answer when Rose picked up a piece of sushi and held it up to Neko. "Neko, say 'ah'," Rose offered. Neko opened her mouth and Rose popped the piece in. watching as Neko chewed. "Is it good?"

"Hai," Neko replied. "It's my favourite. Eel! Arigato, Rosey-chan."

Rose smiled and looked towards Kenzaki slyly who glowered.

From this point onwards, whenever Kenzaki tried to ask Neko something about herself, Rose would interfere, cutting Kenzaki off. She even stole any sushi that he liked, much to his frustration.

As Neko was dipping a piece of sushi into some soy sauce, the small saucer tipped over and spilt the sauce all over her outfit. She stood up quickly, saying, "I'm going to clean this up. I'll be back in a second." She went towards the bathroom quickly, leaving Kenzaki and Rose alone, which was a big mistake.

"What's the big idea?" growled Kenzaki. "I was just trying to get to know her!" He was glaring at Rose who was glaring back with full force.

"So you can steal her away? Fat chance!" Rose snapped.

"Neko actually wanted you to be here. She wanted us to have a good time."

Rose crossed her arms. "Looks like that isn't happening anytime soon with _you_ around. You're the third-wheel here, not me."

"You know what, I'm outta here. Hope you're happy, Rose," growled Kenzaki as he stood up and stormed out, leaving some money for the girls to pay.

Neko arrived right after Kenzaki left. "Where did Ken-kun go?" asked Neko, slightly sad that her friend was gone.

"Oh, I guess he just had something better to do," said Rose, sounding satisfied.

* * *

Kenzaki was walking away with his hands in his pockets, grumbling angrily under his breath. "That bitch…"

'_You should've smacked her!_' shouted Buraki in encouragement.

"If I did, I'd lose any chance with Neko."

Okami snorted. '_With that other girl around, I doubt it._'

"Thanks for the pep-talk," replied Kenzaki.

'_But, seriously, this is a difficult situation_,' spoke Byakko. '_And a bit unusual. You are fighting over a girl with another girl._'

"My life has been anything but normal," replied Kenzaki. He looked up when he began hearing screaming, running toward the source, he found a group of people being attacked by an Imagin, the Octopus Imagin. "Now that's something I can take out my anger on!"

'_I'll help! It's been a while since I've had any fun,_' said Buraki.

"Fine," said Kenzaki as a crimson streak appeared in his hair. He pressed the crimson buckle on his belt. "Henshin!"

"**SAVAGE FORM!**"

Garoh's Plat Form armour appeared before additional armour, coloured in red, appeared and snapped on. The shoulders had ornaments resembling dragon wings and his chestplate looked like a dragon's head. A red mask resembling a dragon slid down his faceplate and snapped on.

"**Everything burns. Let me light the fire!" **proclaimed Garoh. As he said this, he threw a ball of fire at the Imagin, causing it to stagger backwards. Garoh walked toward the creature. He assembled the Gasher so that it looked roughly like a shotgun. He took aim and blasted the Imagin with twin blasts of fire, once again causing it to stagger backwards. He let the Imagin charge at him, before Garoh dodged and blasted it in the back.

Neko was looking for Kenzaki when she saw the battle. She recognized the Rider to be Garoh and the creature he was fighting to be an Imagin. She was tempted to help and was ready to transform when Gekiryuken told her, "Just leave him be."

"But," she tried to protest.

"We'll help when we really need to. For now, we watch."

Neko was reluctant but sighed and nodded in agreement. Best to let Garoh handle this one alone. It would be a blow to his pride if a girl helped him out right now. The Imagin didn't look all that strong anyway from the way Garoh was wailing on him.

Garoh then positioned the Shotgun-Gasher at point blank range at the Imagin. He fired, burning the Imagin. "**Now, time to end this…**" He swiped his Rider Pass over his belt.

"**FULL CHARGE!**"

Crimson energy and flames charged up in the Gasher. "**Savage Burst!**" shouted Garoh as a powerful burst of crimson fire exploded at the Imagin. The Imagin was engulfed and completely incinerated by the fire and exploded, leaving nothing.

"**Now that's what I call roasted octopus**," laughed Garoh.

* * *

Later that night, Neko had decided to get some fresh air and headed for the rocks on the edge of the island. When she arrived she saw Kenzaki at the shore of the island, sitting on a rock as he looked out towards the bay and the city. The moon reflected on the surface of the water as he rested his chin in his hand. He heard someone approaching and turned to see Neko before turning back to the moon. "You know that only Pluto howls at the moon in this Tower, right? Are you gonna start doing it too since you're a wolf?" asked Neko, trying to get his attention. However, he didn't turn to face her, keeping his eyes glued on the moon.

"I'm a Wolf Rider, not an actual wolf. Sure I have some of the heightened senses but that's about it," said Kenzaki. Neko laughed a little. She walked up and sat next to him, her legs dangling over the edge of the rock.

"Sorry about Rose's behaviour," Neko apologized, "She can be a little possessive at times."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Kenzaki said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"So, now that she's not here and we're alone…mind telling me why you decided to ask me out?" Neko asked curiously.

"Well, I realized that even though I like you, I don't know all that much about you," admitted Kenzaki.

"So you wanted to get to know me better, is that it?"

"Pretty much."

Neko took a deep breath before she began. "I'm half a person, grew up in a rich family, practiced martial arts since I can remember, my dad died when I was four, I used to be jealous of my brother, was pretty much a bad girl when I was whole, I like cats, my daughter Cathy, and my favorite color is red."

"Anything else I should know?"

Neko shook her head. "Maybe some time later." She paused. "So, you know a bit about me, what about you? Or…are you ready to tell me your life story?"

Kenzaki looked back up at the moon. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"If I didn't I wouldn't have asked, would I?"

Like Neko, Kenzaki took a deep breath. "Well, my parents were doctors. When I was 10, I suffered from an accident that gave me this." He removed his glove to reveal the metal claw. "That same accident killed my little brother. When I was 12…well, you know what happened that day. Afterward I met with Gou, trained in GekiJyu Wolf-Ken, became GekiViolet, then Gou was killed by Gog, I became Garoh and became a full time bounty hunter, meeting up with my other Imagin partners. I like quiet nights like this one. I enjoy heavy metal music and my favorite color is silver."

When Kenzaki had spoken of his family fate, Neko had a look of guilt on her face. Kenzaki didn't blame her for it anymore. Instead, he knew the culprit to be the evil which was now manifested into Katherine. Still…it didn't make her feel any better. She still had nightmares about the incident and had tried to block it out with little success.

After the talking, Neko said, "I can't betray Rose. She needs me and so does Cathy." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, "But that doesn't mean I don't care about you. Goodnight," she said before getting up and going back towards the Tower.

'_It's better than nothing,'_ thought Kenzaki.

Neko stopped in mid-step and turned on her heels. "Hey, you mind teaching me some of those moves from that Wolf-Ken of yours? You totally kicked butt!" Suddenly, Neko lost her footing and was about to fall over into the water. She flailed her arms about, yelling. Kenzaki acted quickly. He got up and leapt towards her, grasping Neko around her waist. There faces were very close. "Um...cats like me always land on their feet," she said jokingly.

"I didn't want you to get wet," said Kenzaki. Neko blushed.

"Um…you can pull me up now," she said, blushing deeply.

"Right, sorry," said Kenzaki, blushing slightly as he helped Neko back up.

"Um…well…I gotta go," said Neko quickly. "Goodnight!" she shouted as she teleported.

As Kenzaki stood there, one of his Imagin decided to disturb his peace.

'_You should've kissed her!_' complained Buraki. '_You blew a pretty good chance!_'

"Urusai" growled Kenzaki. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about kissing her. He just never got the chance to.

To Be Continued…

* * *

**ED Sequence**

_We see in the bottom corner a small cliff with Ryuki, Ichijyo, and Takada sitting by a fire with their bikes parked nearby. They are overlooking Jump city and the night sky is above them. Suddenly, Jinx appears, snuggling Ryuki's side. She becomes a silhouette as faces from Ryuki's past and present appear in the sky. After it is done, Raven appears next to Ichijyo before she too becomes a silhouette as faces from his past and present slide past. Finally, Blackfire's appears next to Takada and becomes a silhouette as faces from his past and present slide through the sky. Finally, the images of Dragonzer, Cerberus, and Genosnaker appear as the sun begins to rise in the sky._

ZK Chromedragozoid: I'd like to thank my friends Shadow Element 13 and Tanyeera for their help on this chap. Without them, this chapter wouldn't have been able to be completed.


	98. PT098: The Finals

_**OP Sequence (Training Montage)**_

_Neko and Kenzaki are practicing JyuKen, sparring with one another, as Rose watches with a bitter look on her face. She is jealous at what she sees. Neko finally unleashes her own Gekiwaza, Nyao Nyao Dan (Meow-Meow Bullet), in the form of a giant cat which claws at Kenzaki and sends him falling. Kenzaki gives her a thumb's up._

_Megami is doing speed training as she runs through an obstacle course. Her reflexes are being tested as she quickly dodges several obstacles that pop up at a moment's notice. She reached a road block in the form of a wall but runs up it before running down the other side. She even runs on water with ease as Ekelo watches with a smile under his mask._

_Eri is fighting against numerous training droids using her light energy bolts that smash into them and blows them up. Jericho watches but instead of wearing a smile, he looks worried, as Eri looks completely focused and obsessed. In her mind were definitely thoughts of revenge against Copycat. She then decided to go up close and personal, using martial art stances and strikes derived from the swan._

_Ichijyo is going through 'the Gauntlet' as he battles 99 other Deathtrons alone with only his powers and no armor. In the monitor room, Raven watches. She wears a tight black full bodysuit with a dark blue cloak that had the hood pulled up. On her chest is the Deathtron emblem. Beside her are Deathtron technicians as they monitor Ichijyo's status as he defeats his opponents._

_Grant is shooting at numerous targets with a pair of guns at hand. The targets are all holographic and look like the other Knights. He seems to like shooting at Copycat's holographic representations, wearing a gleeful smile as he kills them. He shoots a barrage at the holograms and 'kills' them with sadistic joy._

_Katherine is doing drills with her tonfa, standing in one place as she spins the tonfa around repeatedly. She then switches to doing a complex kata with her tonfa as Rosalinda watches. Damien comes to watch as well, much to Rosalinda's discomfort, and comments on how much Katherine has improved. He even suggests that Nami herself spar with Katherine. Minutes later, Nami and Katherine spar and Katherine gain the upper hand by copying and countering all of Nami's moves, handing her a humiliating defeat. Rosalinda applauds as Nami limps towards Damien and Katherine grins in triumph._

_Ryuki is sparring with Kamen Rider Amazon in the forest. As a Rider who lived in the forest since he was a baby, Amazon was able to use the terrain to his advantage. Draco is wearing a variant of Kamen Rider Ichigo and Nigo's suit. It is a black jacket with a red chestplate, high collars, matching black pants, red gloves and boots, and also wearing a scarf around his neck. Ryuki then decides to use the Keyblade to strike at Amazon as they leap through the trees, trading blows. Before sparring with Amazon, he'd sparred with Kamen Rider X and Stronger. Later, he would spar with Riderman and V3. Jinx is watching Ryuki through a monitor while she stands between Ichigo and Nigo._

_Takada is going through the Danger Room located under Smart Brain Tokyo, pushing his invulnerability to the limits as he allows the weapons to strike him. Up in the monitor room is Blackfire and Prof. Murata who are monitoring his status and progress. Blackfire flinches as she watches Takada take a hard hit in the head but is relieved when he shrugs it off and moves onwards. The Danger Room level has been brought up to "ARE YOU NUTS!" meaning Takada is going through something that sane Operatives would never dare to do. Being invulnerable has its perks, it seems, and also his nanotech enhancements are playing a key role as he morph his arms into cannon and fires orbs of electrical energy at the flamethrowers, shorting them out and blowing them up._

_For an entire month, the Zodiac Knights train themselves, preparing themselves for the Finals as Libra watches from his viewing mirror. So far, none of the Knights had violated the ceasefire rule and were still eligible for the Finals. His 4 Symbols remain vigilant, watching over Terra in secret, and protecting her from harm. There hadn't been an attempt on her life yet, except by villains, but nothing requiring their involvement. They were the sacred guardians and defenders of the Avatar, Tara Markov, and would die to protect her._

_The montage ends with the emblems of the Knights: Dragon, Snake, Dog, Aquarius, Rabbit, Taurus, Cat and Virgo appear on cards that turn from facedown to face up on the screen._

_**ZKD: LOST PARADISE**_

* * *

Part 98: The Finals Commence!

Warren sat in the lotus position in a room that appeared similar to a library, except it was also filled with various mystical objects. Standing beside him was Dr. Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme. "Well, Warren. Do you think you are ready to face this Damien you seem so obsessed with defeating?" asked Dr. Strange.

"Probably not," admitted Warren. "He has powers far beyond that of my own, even after my training with you and the JSA. I mean, statistically speaking, there's a 90 percent chance that I'm gonna die in this fight." He paused. "However…" He held out his hand and a strange mask took form. "If I break the seal and unlock the powers that were locked away in this mask…I may be able to fight him on equal footing."

"But by doing that…"

"Then my chances of survival drop from 10 percent to nearly 0.1 percent. Meaning that this mask is gonna have to be my trump card."

Dr. Strange placed a hand on Warren's shoulder. "Throughout your training, you have always had your family on your mind. Use that to your advantage. That is something you have that Damien could never have."

"I understand." He stood up and shook Dr. Strange's hand. "I wanna thank you, Doc, for everything."

"It's no problem, Warren."

Warren pulled out a cell phone and quickly dialed a number. He placed it to his ear and spoke, "Ant, it's time. You pick him up, I'm going on ahead…after I say goodbye to a few more people." He hung up as a shadow portal opened in front of him. "See ya, Doc. It's been fun." Warren then stepped into the portal and vanished.

* * *

A month had passed quickly. The Zodiac Knights, both good and evil, had been training themselves hard in preparation for the final battle amongst them. In the End there can be only One and it would appear that the time was nigh. Only one of them would be the victor and gain that wish.

Meanwhile, in an apartment, 4 young men were lived together doing their own thing. The youngest, appearing in his mid teens, blonde and wearing a white T-shirt with black knee length shorts, was sitting close to the TV watching an anime about giant robots that could transform into vehicles. His golden eyes were totally focused on the green. He had slightly sharper canines than one would have normally and whisker marks on his cheeks. "Wow! Awesome!"

Sitting on the sofa, trying to read, was an older boy with short green hair that was parted in the centre and wearing glasses over his blue eyes. He wore a green buttoned down shirt with brown slacks and had a book in hand. He didn't seem to have any trouble with his reading since he was wearing earplugs connected to an MP3 player clipped to his right breast pocket. He was totally focused with his book, the music drowning out any outside noise.

In the kitchen, a boy with long red hair and red eyes, slightly older than the green haired one, was preparing lunch. He wore a red long sleeved shirt with blue jeans and over his clothing he had on an apron. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail and one of his bangs covered over one eye. He was currently stirring the soup which from the looks of it appeared to be very tasty.

Coming out of the bathroom, with a towel around his waist with tanned skin and a very muscular frame, was a young man in his early twenties. His eyes were brown and he was drying his short blue hair with an extra towel. He said to the youngest, "Bobby, sit farther away from the television. You'll hurt your eyes."

The youngest, Bobby, frowned and retorted, "But, Joseph! This is the best part! I wanna see it up close!"

"Don't make me turn off that TV, young man!" Joseph warned and Bobby stuck his tongue out in response. Joseph looked ready to go through with his warning as he picked up the TV but a calm voice spoke.

"Let him be," said the glasses wearing boy. "As soon as this show ends he'll be off to sleep. It's almost over anyway." He had removed one of the earplugs.

Joseph gave him a look and said, "I'm just trying to exercise my right as leader here, Shawn."

"Being a leader means respecting ones subordinates, Joseph," Shawn smiled, not taking his eyes off the book.

Joseph sighed as the one in the kitchen, called, "Hey, stews ready!" he called. "I think it's my best yet!"

"That's what you said the last time, Ray," reminded Shawn.

Ray frowned, "Oh, just try it. It won't kill you."

"The last batch nearly did," Shawn muttered.

"What was that, you turtle?" growled Ray.

"Nothing," Shawn said quickly. "Let's eat."

Bobby turned off the TV, "Yay! Food!"

Joseph groaned, messaging his temples, "I wonder how we each of us represent Master Libra in the first place."

The four sat at the dining table as stew was served in front of them. They ate together. The youngest ate quickly as the calm one, Shawn, ate politely. Joseph was taking noisy slurps as Ray ate with good manners.

"We've been here for a month, haven't we?" Ray said, trying to strike conversation.

"It seems like it," Shawn replied. "Time sure flies. The Avatar is still safe thanks to us."

"But for how long?" Joseph said grimly. "She puts herself in danger along with her friends. Just yesterday she nearly got hurt fighting one of those villains."

"Oh, she got out of it just fine and fought back, hard," Shawn reminded. "And she has that armor of hers to protect her."

"Still, it worries me. How are we supposed to protect someone without revealing who we are?" Joseph questioned in frustration. "And why does the Avatar have to be someone that puts herself in danger?"

"I may be the wise, but even I don't know how destiny works. It's a mystery."

"But you have to admit her friends are cute," stated Ray, "Especially the redhead. Too bad she's taken, though."

"Must you flirt with every pretty girl?" Joseph glowered.

"Hey, I can't help it that girls are attracted to me," said Ray. "I'm man-pretty."

Shawn mouthed, "Man-pretty?" and Joseph gave him a look with a bewildered shrug. Ray sure had an ego.

"All done!" Bobby said quickly and then left the table.

"Wash your bowl!" Joseph called. Bobby turned back and ran towards the table, picking up the bowl and taking it to the kitchen sink to wash. "He's such a child."

"He's our youngest," said Shawn. "It must be all that sugar and anime he watches all the time."

"It's a wonder his brain still works with all that junk," Joseph retorted. "So, who's going on patrol this time?"

"All of us, as usual, just like yesterday, and the day before that," Shawn said.

"And the day before that. We have to always keep watching. Her identity has been compromised so we need to keep her safe from those who wish to harm her," said Ray, being serious.

Joseph nodded in agreement, "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Ryuki looked himself in the bathroom mirror holding a pair of scissors and a bottle of hair dye. His hair had grown out again and needed a trim. His hair always grew fast until it reached down to his waist. The dye had also faded, restoring his natural red hair color. He wasn't sure if he wanted to cut and re-dye it.

"Need help?" Jinx offered as she hugged him from behind.

"Oh, Jinxy-chan!" he smiled as he looked at his reflection in the mirror to see Jinx standing behind him.

"Are you sure you wanna cut and dye it again?" she purred, taking a strand of his red hair. "I missed this color."

"I did like the change," Ryuki reasoned. "But I'm not sure now."

"Yeah, with black hair and red bangs, you look like your dad," Jinx blurted out. It wasn't a big deal for him. His dad was gone, true, but it was a long time ago and he shouldn't be mourning that long.

"Okaasan said the same thing too," said Ryuki. "So, do you think I should cut and dye my hair?"

"No! I like it like this! Don't change it again!"

Ryuki laughed, "Alright…" He put the dye and scissors down. Jinx let go and sighed. "What's wrong?"

"It's been a whole month and we're back here," she began, "but now you have to go."

"It's time, Jinxy-chan," he said solemnly. "The end is already near and I have to go."

"Just…promise me you'll be careful, OK?" she pled. "Please?"

Ryuki turned around and pulled her into an embrace. She could hear the beating of his hair and feel his warmth. The warmth she loved so much.

"I will," he assured her, "I'm going to win and end this all once and for all."

"But…what will you wish for?" she asked.

Ryuki hadn't really thought about what he'd do with the wish once he got it. "We'll see when the time comes," he told her. That was all he could say right now since he hadn't even made a decision yet regarding the wish. Terra was the Avatar and she needed to be kept safe. "Just promise me that you all will keep Terra safe."

"We will," Jinx promised. "She's our friend. We're not going to let some cheaters get her on our watch."

"Good," he smiled. "I love you."

"Love you too."

He leaned down as she stood on her toes, pressing their lips together in a deep kiss. His eyes snapped open when he heard the ringing sound. He pulled away from Jinx and took the deck out from his pocket. "Well, here I go," he said in finality. There was no turning back. Jinx took a step back as she watched him stand in front of the mirror, with the deck held out in front of the reflection. His belt formed and he called out, "Henshin!"

* * *

"OK, I'm ready! I'm ready!" Takada said to himself as he hopped from foot to foot. 4 years had come down to this. This was when it would all end. He had to be ready. He reached into his pocket and took out his Dog Deck. "Alright, this is where it ends. I'm gonna win this."

"You're pretty confident," said Blackfire as she stood beside him.

"Why shouldn't I?" he grinned. "I'm immortal, invulnerable, and have kick-ass powers! I got this thing in the bag!" He was lying to himself. The other Knights would be just as powerful, even more so than he. Despite all his power, all they had to do was break his deck and it would be all over.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, a frown on her beautiful features.

"Huh?"

"Why are you doing this?" she repeated. "Your mom is out of her coma. I know why your sister is doing this but what about you?" She knew Venus wanted to restore Joey to true life and not needing a Gigai anymore, but Blackfire wondered what Takada was after. He didn't need to fight.

"I'm doing this," he began, pausing for a second, "I'm doing this for Tamaran."

She blinked.

"I'm still working on restoring the planet back to a tropical paradise and I'm not even close to succeeding," he said with a little regret in his voice.

"But, Puppy!" she protested, "You're doing great!"

"One small forest isn't enough! I'm still far from success. I win this and then I'll wish for Tamaran to get its forests and jungles back!"

Blackfire was silenced by his words. She knew he could be obsessive, even with his work, but his conviction was so strong. It seemed that he wouldn't let anything stop him. At first it was admirable but it frightened her. "What about the others? Are you going to destroy their dreams too?"

Takada became silence once more. He was about to say more when he heard the ringing in his ears. Blackfire knew that look.

"It's time, right? For real?" she asked. He nodded. "Good luck, OK?"

Takada went towards the mirror, his Zodiac Deck in hand, and held it out in front of him. He said one word, "Henshin," as the belt was summoned around his waist.

* * *

"Do you want to go through with this, for real, even after all that's happened?" Raven asked her husband as they stood in the middle of his green house. He was tending to his roses, occasionally answering her questions.

"Yes," Ichijyo said as he checked for weeds. "Especially after all that has happened. It's something that we know would happen one day."

"But they're your friends," said Raven. "Your best friends. Not to mention your sister is in this too."

"I know, which is why I have to do this," Ichijyo said, "Better defeated by me and live than face the others and die."

ARMS and Copycat were the only evil Knights left and were both very dangerous, the latter more than the former. Copycat, he'd sensed, had grown stronger in power and she was the Living Gate. If she won she would wish for…Ichijyo didn't even want to think of what she would wish for but there was no doubt that it would horrible. She had the mind and heart of a Horror and Horrors were pure evil to the soul, if they had any.

"So, now all of them are your enemies, is that it?" she asked.

"It was a pact we made, a long time ago," Ichijyo said. "It was inevitable. We knew it from the start. There was nothing that could change it." He stared at the blue and red roses, colors which reminded him of his Takada and Ryuki, respectively. "In the End there can be only One. Once this starts, we become enemies." He heard her leave and he sighed. "Forgive me, Raven." The ringing invaded his ears. "Goodbye." He took out his deck and summoned his belt along the way. He stood before his reflection, holding the Snake Deck out. "Henshin."

* * *

"Looks like it's time," said Neko. "It's been an entire month."

"It feels like yesterday, though," Gekiryuken stated.

"I know," Neko agreed. She was alone in her room, dressed and ready. The call could come at anytime so she had to be ready for it. "Is it normal to be a little scared?"

"This tournament, as you say, puts all your dreams and even your life at risk. It's only normal to be scared."

"The funny thing is I'm not afraid for my life. I'm more afraid of leaving everyone I care for behind," she admitted.

"You didn't tell them, did you?" Gekiryuken asked. Neko shook her head. "Why?"

"I didn't want to say goodbye," she confessed. "If I did, they may think I won't come back."

"That's foolish!" Gekiryuken yelled. "You should tell them you'll be leaving!"

"I'm not good with goodbyes, Geki-chan. When I left home to go after Ryu-chan, I didn't tell mama. This won't be any different."

"But these are people that care about you!" Gekiryuken protested. "You must tell them!"

Neko's eyes closed as she heard the ringing. "It's too late now. It's time."

"O-Ojou-sama!"

Suddenly, her door slid open and Rose, Cathy and Kenzaki came running inside. "Wait a damn moment, Neko!" shouted Kenzaki. Neko was surprised.

"Mama, you can't leave!" Cathy shouted. "Please, don't go!"

"We're you really serious of going without telling us?" Rose looked cross.

"So, you know," Neko said. It was a statement, not a question.

"Well, with three other Knights here and two others in Titans East, word travels fast," commented Kenzaki. "You're just going to run off without saying anything? Not even a goodbye?"

Neko kept silent.

"Say something!"

She muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"I'm not good with goodbyes!" she snapped. "I'm just…not good with saying goodbye."

"Why?" Cathy asked.

"When papa…" She paused. "I had to say goodbye to him and then I started forgetting a bit about him. I don't want to say goodbye." She wiped a tear away, "I don't want to forget."

"Oh…Neko…" Rose approached her, "Saying goodbye doesn't mean you have to forget."

"It does for me. Goodbye is not a word I particularly like," she said sadly.

"Well, how about good luck?" Kenzaki smiled.

"So, we really can't come?" Cathy asked.

"Knights only," confirmed Neko. "The Deck is like your Pass. No access granted without it." The ringing was starting to hurt her ears. "I really need to get going." She approached her mirror but was being held back as Cathy grabbed her hand.

"But-!" Cathy tried to protest, "But I don't want you to go, mama! It's dangerous!"

She knew what Cathy meant. Copycat would be there. "I know, but I have to. I need to face her."

"Just, be careful, OK?" Rose requested.

"And kick her ass!" grinned Kenzaki in encouragement.

Neko smiled before ruffling Cathy's hair. Her adopted daughter and the two people she loved dearly. She gave them a salute before turning towards the mirror, shouting, "Gekiryu Henshin!"

* * *

Katherine was dressed to kill, which was what she was planning to do at the Finals. She wore a black leather jacket with a demon's face stitched to the back, a black tank top with a blood red skull, tight black shorts with fishnet stockings, knee high boots with steel toes, cut off gloves with spikes on the knuckles, a spiked collar and her hair down. "I make this look good," she grinned. "How do I look?" she asked Rosalinda.

"Mistress, you're going now?" asked Rosalinda.

"I am," Katherine answered. "And anyone who stands in my way will fall." She heard applause and turned towards the door to see Damien.

"Those are really beautiful words you spouted," he complimented. She doubted the words were sincere. She didn't trust Damien. He was only around because of his power which she needed for her plan. She suspected that he was plotting something behind her back but she didn't have any proof. If he did anything to alter her plan in anyway, she would kill him before he could blink.

"What do you want?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Oh, can't a friend just stop by and wish you good luck?" he asked (nearly) innocently.

Katherine scoffed, "Us? Friends? Since when?"

"Oh, I'm hurt," he said as he entered. Rosalinda ran to hide behind her mistress. "Aw, don't be scared of little old me."

"What do you want, Damien-dono?" she asked.

"Chaos, disorder, utter mayhem, a harem of women to rape and torture, people burnt at the stake," he listed, "Take your pick. Maybe you should specify."

Katherine hated it when he was being cryptic. She also hated it that he was hiding things from her. "Wishing me luck? You don't believe in luck."

"Maybe I just wanted to say something before you take your leave," said Damien, sitting on the bed. "You are going to enter this final tournament, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't have been fighting for 4 long years now if I wasn't, would I" she retorted.

"Now that's that clever wit I so adore," he chuckled before teleporting to so that he was standing right in front of her. "You're so cute that I could just kiss you."

Katherine took 5 steps back with Rosalinda, saying, "The kissing booth is closed to you, Damien-dono." She didn't want to be anywhere near those lips. "Go kiss Nami and can you please stay away from the other female members? It took me weeks to erase the trauma you caused on Angel and Cheshire."

"Oh, I was just having fun. You now how we demons love to hear girls scream."

Katherine hated to admit it, but she did take a sick pleasure in making Rosalinda scream, but she never did tie the girl up against her will, unlike the Lord of Wrath. "I may be a demon, but I'm not exactly like you. What you consider fun is not the same as I."

"You just like to eat. Why don't you eat brains like Sylar?" Damien scoffed.

"I prefer hearts to brains. More protein," she licked her lips.

"Well, I was wondering something," Damien began, "When you're away, who will be in charge?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Katherine retorted. "Slade-sama."

"You're leaving us to follow him?" Damien looked aghast.

"I respect him, not to mention trust him more than I will ever trust _you_."

Damien looked ready to explode and show Katherine why he deserved the name of Wrath but calmed down. Her powers and his were at equal strength and he couldn't unseal his true power without leaving himself open to an attack. Those 10 Celestial Weapons Katherine wielded now after devouring Yoshido were powerful, especially the 10th one dubbed Maoh. Maoh meant Demon King and its manifestation earned it that name. She had tried it out once and liked the destructive power it held. Too bad it was limited to six and now she had only 5 Maohs left at her disposal. Still…it wouldn't kill him, but it would hurt like hell for him.

"And, I hope you don't go near Rosalinda for some fun," Katherine warned. "If you want then kidnap some whores from the place I found Nami. Better yet, just have fun with Nami. For the life of me, which I cannot fathom, she actually likes you."

"Oh, capital idea," Damien grinned, giving Rosalinda a wink which caused her to shrink behind Katherine. "Well, ta-ta for now, Kitty-Kat. And good luck." '_You'll need it._' He walked out of the room.

"Mistress…" Rosalinda said worriedly.

"I know I shouldn't leave you with him around, but at least Slade-sama can keep you safe. Slade-sama knows what to do when I leave. My pets are hungry and I have every intention of feeding them…the world." Her little Zoo of Horrors…those horrendous creatures…were ready. She was planning on letting them loose on the city. That wasn't good. She spun around and kissed Rosalinda deeply. Rosalinda kissed her beloved mistress back with just as much passion, paying her back for the months of kindness she had shown her. Katherine pulled back, licking her lips as her crimson eyes shone. "Yummy…" She heard the ringing and went towards her mirror. She held out her Cat Deck with her lips curled into a malevolent smile, calling out, "Henshin…" with a purr in her voice.

* * *

Grant was in front of his mirror, ready, with his deck out. "Henshin!" he called out. His eyes were set on the prize. No one would stop him from regaining his birthright, not even Copycat. He would earn his father's respect and power!

* * *

Eri and Megami stood side by side, their decks held out in front of them facing their reflections in the window with their belts on. The other Titans East stood behind them, watching.

"Henshin!" the two girls called in unison.

* * *

"_EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON!"_

"_EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DOG!"_

"_EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC SNAKE!"_

"_EMPOWERMENT OF AQUARIUS!"_

"_EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC CAT!"_

"_EMPOWERMENT OF TAURUS!"_

"_EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC RABBIT!"_

"_EMPOWERMENT OF VIRGO!"_

Libra watched through his viewing mirror as all 8 Zodiac Knights transformed simultaneously. As soon as they entered their mirrors and rode the tunnels with their Knightriders, they would be automatically taken to a designated spot in the Celestial Realm where the Final would take place. His entire attention was on the Dragon, Cat and Aquarius Knights. They were his son and daughters. Correction, they were his son and the two halves of his daughter. The Yin half of his daughter may be evil but still exhibited kindness towards a single girl. Maybe there was hope for the Living Gate.

Ever since he knew about it, he'd tried to find a way to help his daughter avoid her fate. As soon as she'd been born and was found out to be the vessel that housed the Living Gate, she'd been sentences to death despite being an innocent child. He and his wife, the current clan heads, had objected strongly and the elders of the clan had no power if he had anything to say about it. Their clan was supposed to be open minded, but when something like a living demonic gate was born, it had to be slain. It was hypocritical! It was against everything they stood by.

"So, they are coming?" Fuji asked as he stood next to Libra.

"Yes, they are," nodded Libra. "Shouldn't we bring Terra here, just to keep her safe?"

"The Avatar? She may be the vessel of the Power but she is still mortal. Mortals aren't permitted here."

"But the Knights are?" Libra asked. Is just seemed to unfair.

"You know the rules. The higher ups still aren't happy with you always breaking them."

"Too bad they still need me."

"Don't be too confident, my friend. You're still replaceable in their eyes."

Libra sighed. The higher ups were the deities, the actual Zodiac that battled in the beginning before the Zodiac War was created. They would be watching, but only 8 would be happy to see their Knights fighting…the 8 remaining Knights. Libra wasn't counted since he was the judge and had to wait till only one Knight remained so that he himself would battle him or her. It a rule even he couldn't break.

"Hopefully, the 4 Symbols can keep her safe until the War is over," said Fuji.

"I hope so too, but this man worries me," Libra said as the image of the Knights vanished from the mirror before being replaced by Damien. "This…demon has a lot of power, almost like a god. He has the power to destroy the world and yet hasn't made his move. Like Copycat, he also knows the identity of the Avatar."

"You think he will attack?" Fuji questioned.

"From the look in his eyes, I don't doubt he would. Copycat's forces with him in it may be too much for even Earth's heroes. My 4 Symbols must aid them to protect Terra."

"I agree," Fuji nodded.

"They've arrived," said Libra. "Fuji-sama, please watch the mirror and keep me posted." He tapped his staff on the floor and a portal appeared beneath his feet. "To the Celestial Forest! Hayaku!"

The portal created a pillar of light which enveloped Libra and transported him to his destination, the Celestial Forest.

* * *

8 Knightriders, each a different color, arrived in a grassy clearing from 8 different portals. They were colored red (Draco), blue (Pluto), purple (Shadowcobra), pink (Moon), white (Venus), green (ARMS), black (Copycat) and silver (Ryukendo).

Despite all being in their default normal modes, Shadowcobra, Pluto and Draco's armors had changed after the one month ceasefire. Shadowcobra's torso armor was black with purple trimmings and patterns. His symbol was still that of a cobra but he also wore a small Deathtron symbol on his helmet.

Draco's armor was now black along with his bodysuit. His gauntlets, boots and chestplate were all red. His dragon symbol was still silver and his visor remained with green eyes. His ensemble now included a red scarf worn around his neck that hung down to his stomach.

Pluto's black torso armor, gauntlets, helmet, and boots were now blue, but a lighter shade than his bodysuit which looked nearly black. The chestplate and visor were still silver.

All three of them also had their Excel Modes activated, shown by the streams on their sleeves and legs.

Copycat's helmet included a hockey mask, the same mask worn by her Contract Beast Psychorogue. Whether this was a statement announcing the state of her mind or was just a statement of fashion was unknown. Maybe she was just trying to intimidate the competition. It worked for Jason Voorhees, didn't it? She had Excel Streams too, showing she was in her Excel Mode as well.

ARMS, Venus and Moon's armors all still looked the same. It was the person beneath them that had changed. Venus' eyes were completely focused on Copycat. She wanted to make the evil Cat Knight pay for taking Joey's life and reducing him to reliance on a Gigai, a faux body, in order to stay corporeal. It wasn't fair of him and Copycat was using his powers which she'd stole, mocking him.

ARMS looked around. He wanted to prove that he was more than just a trigger-happy lunatic. He had power and he knew how to use it. It was his birthright! Power and the pride of his father! So what if Copycat was his apprentice? Shouldn't the first born son have his rights too?

Moon saw her brother. She remembered his warning. He wanted her out so she wouldn't risk her life so frivolously. She wasn't like him. She wasn't a warrior like him. She wasn't trained to kill like him. She was his sister, his only sister, and she didn't want to lose him like he lost Misha.

"So do you know where we are?" Moon asked, breaking the silence.

"Hey, the tunnels led us here," Copycat answered. "Maybe this is the spot where the Finals are being held."

"You'd want to fight now, wouldn't you?" hissed Venus.

"That's what we are here for," Copycat retorted. "I bet you really want a crack at me, don't you? You wanna avenge your little Joey?"

Venus' hand was already on her rapier's handle and she was about to draw when she felt her brother's hand on hers. He shook his head. She pulled away from him.

"Come on," ARMS grumbled, "When are we supposed to start this thing?" He hadn't been a Knight as long as the others. Heck, he was relatively new compared to the rest.

"Be patient, Grant," Copycat advised. "It's a virtue."

"Like you're one to talk!" snorted Ryukendo. "You don't have any virtues."

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" Copycat replied, removing her helmet. "If you got something to say, say it to my face."

Ryukendo removed her own helmet, glaring full force at her demonic mirror image, "Oh, something is going to be in your face."

The two identical girls glared at one another before turning away. They couldn't stomach looking at each other. Katherine saw Neko as weak and Katherine reminded Neko of all the horrible things she'd done to everyone, especially Kenzaki.

A pillar of light came down from the sky and when it dispersed there stood Libra in all his holy glory. "Welcome, Zodiac Knights, to the Finals of the Zodiac War," he spoke. He'd been practicing this speech for years now, "This is your final destination. Only one of you will be victorious and earn the rights to the Prize, the Power, the Wish."

ARMS grinned at hearing this. He was going to blow the competition away.

"There are strict rules in this tournament so you best heed them well," Libra advised. "Now, are there any questions?" No one made a motion.

Gekiryuken said to Ryukendo, "Ojou-sama, there's something familiar about that god. It's like I know him."

Ryukendo was wondering what Gekiryuken meant by that but couldn't question as Libra began speaking again.

"This tournament has strict rules and if you violate any of them, you will be stripped of your powers and your memories of them. I've witnessed you all fighting up until now and I am impressed by your tenacity," his eyes went over towards the Knights allied with the Titans, "Some more so than others." He continued, "Now, you are currently in the Celestial Realm, a place that mortals cannot set foot on. You all, however, are an exception, since you represent the very Zodiacs. The Animals and the Signs chose you to be their champions. Do not disappoint them like all the others." Venus bristled at the words. Joey actually died because of this war.

"I have a question," Copycat raised up her arm.

"Speak," Libra allowed.

"When does the fighting start? Isn't that we are here for?"

The rest, who'd already removed their own helmets, were wondering the same thing. Ryukendo snorted, "Didn't you want to be patient?"

"Even I got limits, my weaker half," hissed Copycat.

Libra answered, "The fighting will start soon, I assure you. You've waited this long. What's wrong with waiting a few more minutes to set everything up?"

* * *

Damien was walking through the many hallways of Tartarus' HQ with Nami by his side. "Have any of the others given you their answer?" asked Damien.

"Well, no. Apparently they are more afraid of Copycat than of you…" said Nami. She looked at Damien, expecting to see anger or a scowl on his face, but instead, she just saw him smiling.

"No matter, this just makes things more interesting. All that remains now are the opposition. The Teen Titans will be our biggest concern…at first. If I can reach the blonde girl, my victory is assured." His smile grew. He gabbed Nami by the waist and pulled her close. "Shall we have some fun, my dear?"

"Your room or mine?" she asked with a coy smile as the shadows enveloped them.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Jump City…

As soon as the Knights had left, Tartarus made its move. Monsters, hideous monsters, were set loose with Slade leading them through the city, attacking innocent people. Anyone unlucky enough to be caught was instantly ravaged to death.

The monsters were from Copycat's private zoo and were causing mayhem, chaos and destruction. The mammoth-sized Chomper was eating people by the mouthful, typically biting them in half before swallowing. His partner in crime was Kat's Darling, who like most felines, tended to play with her food before eating it. And nicely complimenting the voracious duo was the dragon-spider Dancer, who delighted in freezing and smashing apart every supposedly 'safe' refuge the people could think to hide behind. The police came to fight them off but they were no match for the Hek Bunnies, who not only outnumbered, but outmatched their forces with superior speed, agility, aerial capability, and that certain killer instinct Horrors were renowned for. Very little was left of any who encountered the Bunnies… some bloody remains, a charred skull and broken bits of bone… that was all.

The other monsters were mostly rampaging about at will, wreaking havoc according to their natures. Both Jab-Slashity and Sam the Spider Monkey were leaving people as quivering masses of ripped up flesh, Bull-Frog and Spark-eyes were respectively, skewering and electrocuting anything that moved, and Charmer lured people right into the teeth of Ugly's many heads.

The foxes gunned down anything in sight and Fetch was working with the squeaky ducks to bring them prey and simply watch the results. Sniffy was a one-monster whirlwind of destruction, bounding here, there and everywhere, sometimes simply picking people up to toss them in the air, other times hanging on to them as a snack for its tails.

Slade watched as his apprentice's creations wreaked havoc. These were but a few of them as many others had been dispatched to other areas in the city and even other cities in the world to cause as much destruction and mayhem as they possibly could. It was this wanton destruction that made waking up early all the worthwhile. This was what he lived for. These monsters, these Horror-Beasts, were the pride and joy of his beloved apprentice.

Of course, even in the best laid plans there was a monkey-wrench…a monkey-wrench made up of several super-powered teens known as the Teen Titans.

"Slade! Stop right there!" Robin shouted, clad in his armor as soon as he saw the monsters. Any other Titan who had some sort of upgrade had already activated them. Raven and Starfire were armed with their Scythe of Light and Starblade respectively. Cyborg had combined with his T-Car with Changeling by his side twisting his DNA Morpher's ring to select a proper form. The others with Rider systems had already armored up. Starfire looked especially horrified at the mutilated bodies of innocent people. This reminded her of the carnage the Gordanians caused a long time ago. Raven was furious as were others and Beast Boy paled a little as he saw the monsters.

"Well now, Titans," Slade smirked under his mask. "What a nice surprise…"

"Papa Slade, stop this!" ALPHA shouted. "Please!" Slade, despite all that'd happened, was still her grandpa and she loved him.

"Daddy! You shouldn't be doing this!" Ravager shouted, begging him. "This is just like what happened with Trigon! You can't let yourself be manipulated!"

Slade laughed. "Manipulated? I'm doing this of my own free will, my dear daughter. Copycat…she has a plan…to rid this world and many other worlds of life and recreate it in her own image." His single eye flashed with dark power.

"He's possessed," Raven observed.

"Not possessed," Slade answered. "Liberated. Like most of the other Lords, we have a demon in us." He tapped his head. "A seed of evil, giving us power." Dark flames engulfed his hands, "LIKE THIS!" He sent jets of flames from his hands towards the Titans. Instantly, a wall of stone rose up to block the flames of darkness. Slade stopped and Terra dropped the wall.

"Henshin!" Slade called, snapping the OMEGA Phone to the belt, activating the OMEGA system to cover himself in the black armor. The gold streams glowed and his visor flashed once the change was complete. He commanded, "Horror-Beasts! Finish them!"

"TITANS GO!" Robin commanded and they all charged towards the demonic mutant beasts. Robin was paying his attention towards Slade. "Slade's all mine."

Up upon a rooftop stood four mysterious armored figures. Their suits of armor were all identical looking. They had wing-like shoulders and helmets with visors that had 6 slits to enable them to see. The only thing that set them apart was their colors and symbols. The one leading them wore blue and had an emblem resembling a dragon on his chest.

"Gou, shouldn't we help them? The Avatar is down there," stated the one in black armor and wearing a tortoise emblem.

"She's not in mortal danger so there's no need, Shin," the leader. Seiryuu no Gou said to Genbu no Shin.

"But I'm bored!" whined the white armored one with a tiger emblem. He was about to jump off but Gou grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, lemme go! Lemme go!"

"Gai, don't be foolish!" scolded Gou. Byakko no Gai was childish and impatient. He wanted so much to fight.

"But she could get hurt!" Gai shouted.

"He's right, as much as I hate to admit it," Suzaku no Rei said, speaking his mind. His armor was mainly red with a phoenix emblem.

"We're her secret guardians, emphasis on 'secret'," Gou reminded.

"True, but I don't think discretion is going to help us right now with all these hideous creatures on the loose. Innocents are being hurt."

Gou was silent. He was leader but he felt more like a parent trying to keep his kids in line.

"Your call, Gou," said Shin.

"Spread out," he ordered. "Help the wounded find safety and take out these creatures! I'll stay to keep an eye on the Avatar!"

The other Symbols nodded and then flew off in orbs of their respective colors.

Gou bit his lower lip, "I hope I'm not making a huge error…"

Upon another rooftop stood Damien and Nami, as well as several other members of Tartarus, but not the entire organization. "Is it not beautiful, my dear?" asked Damien as he held out a hand toward the city, overjoyed at its destruction. "This…this is what I seek. Pointless destruction and mayhem…" He held out both arms and began laughing. "April sweet is coming in…" Damien's forces charged forward. "So let the feast of fools begin!"

* * *

Copycat was sitting against a tree, admiring her helmet which she was holding in her hands lazily. ARMS wasn't too far away and was holstering and drawing out his gun repeatedly, obviously practicing his drawing speed.

The six Knights on the side of good were grouped together, talking. They also had their helmets off.

"So, from this point onwards, we're now enemies," said Shadowcobra firmly.

"Just remember," Venus frowned, "The Cat is mine."

"That's not up to us to decide," Pluto stated, worriedly. "Libra is the one that sets up the pairings. I don't think we can argue with a god."

"Hmph," Venus huffed.

"Ichi, if we were to fight what would you do?" asked Moon towards her little brother, Shadowcobra.

"I promise not to hurt you too badly," he answered, his masked eyes went towards Draco, "But I have a different target in mind."

Draco was looking at his communicator, which was giving him static. He was unable to communicate with the other Titans back on Earth from the looks of it. "Kuso," he cursed.

"What's wrong?" Ryukendo asked.

"I'm trying to let Jinx and the others know we're okay, but I'm not getting anything here," he answered.

"We're in another realm," Shadowcobra told him. "So don't bother trying to contact anyone on the outside. We can't reach out to them and vice versa."

"I'm just worried," Draco said under his breath. The visions he had the last few days had been nightmares and he feared that they would come true. He was grasping and pulling at his scarf.

"They'll be fine," Shadowcobra said, trying to be reassuring. Of course, he was concerned too. He'd left Raven under not so good conditions. They hadn't even kissed.

Libra returned holding out 8 cards. He said to the Knights, "These cards shall reveal to you the identity of your opponents and the location of your battle zone. As soon as you receive these cards, they will instantly transport you to where you will fight!" He tossed the cards to them and they caught them expertly.

Copycat grinned as she saw her card. It depicted the symbol for Aquarius. Ryukendo was looking back at her too, glaring. Her card depicted the Cat symbol. The cards depicted a flame on the top right corner.

Pluto and Venus exchanged looks as their eyes focused on each other. Pluto's card had the symbol for Virgo on it and Venus got the symbol for the Dog. On the top right corner was the picture of a tornado.

Draco's card depicted the symbol for Rabbit and Moon's card depicted his emblem. The picture on the top right corner looked like a teardrop.

Finally, Shadowcobra's card depicted Taurus as ARMS' card depicted the Snake, both with a picture looking like a rock on the top right corner.

There were 4 battle zones: Fire, Water, Air and Earth and each of the zones were ruled by said element. The Knights were required to fight using the terrain to their advantage. If they lost an advantage, then it was just their bad luck.

They were instantly transported to the locations.

* * *

**Water Zone**

Draco didn't like this. As much as he'd gotten over his fear of water, he still didn't like it that much. Both he and Moon stood upon a small island in the middle of a large body of water. Was it the ocean and one in the Celestial Realm?

Moon put on her helmet and looked towards Draco who was putting his own on and tightening his scarf.

* * *

**Earth Zone**

The sun was too bright for Shadowcobra's taste and the heat was less that comfortable for the armored Vampangel. He found himself in the desert and no doubt ARMS was somewhere in this desert too. He just had to find the gun wielding Knight of Taurus.

ARMS, meanwhile, was using the terrain to his advantage. He was keeping out of sight so that he could take the Snake Knight by surprise and finish him off quickly.

* * *

**Air Zone**

Pluto and Venus nearly fell out of the sky as they were transported into the sky and stood upon two floating platforms. Luckily, both were fliers so they were at home in the air. Looking down, Pluto couldn't help but be a little unnerved by the height. It was a LONG drop. Venus didn't look all that worried. She just put on her helmet and motioned for her brother to start fighting.

* * *

**Fire Zone**

Copycat and Ryukendo stood across from each other. The place they had been transported to look like Hell but it couldn't be, could it? The ground was charcoal black and there were active volcanoes everywhere, with smoke coming out of them. Flames also surrounded them.

Copycat put on her helmet as did the wielder of Gekiryuken. She drew a card, her Fire Vent, and was ready to activate it to become Fire Ryukendo in order to gain some sort of tactical advantage in this zone.

* * *

Libra had transported the Knights to the Air, Fire, Earth and Water Zones. Once a winner was determined, they would be transported back to this clearing and the losers would be transported safely to Earth. He almost regretted taking them from their responsibilities on Earth. The world was in danger and they were up here fighting in a tournament. But, this tournament was something that determined the fate of the world so many times before. The winner could wish for great salvation or ruin, or even make a selfish wish. So far, there had been no lasting damage from the other Wars. Still…

Libra shouted, reaching into their minds to give them the command, "BEGIN!"

In the End there can be only One; they must fight in order to survive!

* * *

**Water Zone**

Moon was the first to make her move and fired at Draco with her Moonbeams. Instantly, the Dragon Knight countered by forming a shield of flames which blocked the beams. The beams continued to collide with his barricade, doing little to no damage to him.

Moon switched strategies and tapped into her Zodiac Power. She blurred and then completely vanished from her spot. In a split second, Draco was struck in the face and fell to the ground, kicking up sand.

"I just had to get the one that was fast," Draco grumbled as he pushed himself back to his feet. He looked around to try and find his opponent but unfortunately for him when Moon moved at super speed she could become nearly invisible to the naked eye.

Moon ran across the water and did a hairpin turn before running back towards the island, her eyes trained on the Dragon Knight. Despite his reflexes and powers, there was no way he could move as fast as she. She felt confident and when she one she would get his powers. She felt a little ashamed of thinking such things but this was a tournament so only one of them could win.

Moon ran and then slugged him across the face, causing him to stagger. She repeated this process again and attacked him continuously with super fast and powerful strikes that could break a wall. Simple physics, really. Multiply the force of her hits by her velocity and strong momentum could be built up for bone crushing hits.

Draco was unable to strike at her when she moved at such speed and had been slugged nearly 20 times.

POW!

OK, NOW it was already 20 times. His visor was slightly cracked but he was still conscious.

'_Hey, you're getting beaten up by a girl here!_' Ifrit yelled. '_Let me take over!_'

"Chigau!" Draco denied.

'_OK, fine! But why not even things up? Use Clock Up._'

Draco stared at his Excel Watch. "Of course!"

Moon was running towards him to deal another hit but heard the words, "CLOCK UP!" Her eyes widened and she stopped on the island and Draco had vanished.

"Uh-oh," Moon muttered. She had forgotten about Clock Up. She felt a hit in the side and was slammed against the single palm tree.

"CLOCK OVER!"

Draco stood before her, his faceplate close to hers.

"Now things are going to be fair," he said to her.

In the blink of an eye, Moon vanished, running from him. Shaking his head, he initiated the Clock Up system once more.

"CLOCK UP!"

Both Knights ran across the water at super speed. He reached her and started trading blows with the Rabbit Knight who was returning his hits with equal speed and ferocity. However, Moon had not had the same sort of training and experience as Draco who seemed to be more driven than she was.

Their strikes caused the water to splash violently as they created shockwaves on the water. At the speed they were moving, they were able to move across the surface like it was a solid surface and not sink. Truly an amazing battle.

Moon pushed away from Draco and ran off to make some distance. The Dragon Knight had other ideas as he covered his hands in a cold blue aura before slamming them down on the water. The Power of Ice which he carried took effect and froze the entire ocean. Moon could see the ice 'chasing' after her as the cold wave spread out. She was losing water fast so she jumped off and did a back flip, landing on the now slippery surface. Unlike water, running on ice was a bit troublesome for her since it was slippery.

"CLOCK OVER!"

Draco skated along the surface of the water. He'd created blades under his soles to act as makeshift skates and was using them to approach Moon. Moon stood up both her knees were wobbly as she tried to maintain her balance.

"This is not good," she mumbled.

Draco squatted down as he slid towards her and stuck his leg out, tripping her. She fell on her front. Luckily, the helmet was hard. "Hey, no fair!" she complained.

"All's fair in love and war!" he retorted before skating around.

Moon got on her feet and then spun around in place. Faster and faster she spun into she created her own tornado. It was sucking everything in. Draco's eyes widened as he felt himself being pulled into the vortex. In order to stop himself from being pulled in, he froze his feet to the icy surface, sticking him there. He was waiting, hoping Moon would stop. She couldn't keep it up this long, could she?

And he was right because after a quarter hour of spinning, the tornado was slowly dying and Moon was slowly down her spinning. Apparently, she couldn't keep it up for long and fell on her butt, dizzy. "Urg…I don't feel so good."

Striking her now would guarantee a win but it wasn't honorable so Draco waited for her to recover. 5 minutes later, she was back to her feet.

"Alright, no more Little Miss Nice Bunny!" she huffed. She drew a card and dropped it into a slot that was on her right boot. "Strike Vent!" A pair of gauntlets resembling oversized rabbit paws appeared on her arms. She pounded them together. "Now, this is gonna be awesome!"

"You can barely run on ice, y'know?" Draco reminded.

"You just caught me off guard," Moon retorted. "Now that I know we'll be fighting on ice, I think I'll do the same as you. Call in some skates. Raika!"

Draco looked perplexed. "Raika?"

As soon as Moon called them, a pair of ice skates appeared on her feet. "Raika is a Celestial Weapon only Celestials can summon. Since my mother is an angel, that means I can access them too. Lucky, huh?" She narrowed her eyes and shouted, "And I can use them with my speed too!" She vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Kuso," Draco muttered before being thrown backwards by a powerful punch to the face, breaking the ice holding him in place and sending him sliding across the slippery surface. Moon faded back into view, gliding beside him and giggling before she kicked him in the head, sending him spinning on the ice.

"Now this is gonna be easy!" Moon laughed.

Draco decided to do something to switch the advantage back to himself. Calling on his heat powers he engulfed his hands in fire and slammed the palms down on the ice. The effects were instantaneous as the ice started to melt. He was keeping himself suspended via telekinesis. He then flew upwards and blasted at the rest of the ice. Moon, seeing the ice disappear, banished the Raika skates and jumped off the ice to land on the water, kicking up her legs to run across the surface and continues running. Draco watched as she went back to the island and he flew to meet with her on their battle ground.

He touched down and both stood on the surface of the island, glaring at one another.

"So, neither of us is giving up, I see," she commented.

"It seems that way," he shrugged.

"Ryuki," she spoke, calling him by his given name, "Why are you in this tournament?"

His answer was automatic, "To protect the people I love. What about you."

"The same," she replied, "I want to protect Ichi's happiness."

"He's already happy," he spoke. "He's happily married now, to Raven."

"And I'm glad," Moon smiled. "You do know why he became a Knight in the first place, right?" Draco nodded. "So, you know why I can't give up."

"The same as myself," Draco replied. "I won't lose. There's something I need to do."

"Well then…" Moon sighed. "Let's see you back it up." She ran at him.

"CLOCK UP!"

Draco charged at Moon, roaring before jumping upwards. He shouted out, collecting his aura into his legs, "DRAGON RIDER KICK!"

He dropped down towards Moon who could only watch as he plummeted back down with both legs outstretched. A flaming aura, in the shape of a dragon, engulfed him and he smashed right into her, crushing her to the sandy floor of the island, kicking up sand as he did.

Both feet had hit the deck in her belt and it'd shattered. She'd lost. Her armor shattered as her Zodiac Powers passed from her to Draco.

* * *

**Fire Zone**

Ryukendo had assumed her Fire Mode, dubbed Fire Ryukendo, and was using Fire Kong who was in his Cannon Pack Mode to shoot at the Copycats around her. As soon as the match had started, Copycat used the Power of Aries to duplicate herself and become an army. Some of them even morphed into giant demonic cats courtesy of the Power of the Monkey.

The Battle Zone, which was in the middle of a field of volcanoes, had a lot of smoke to provide cover for a fighter like Copycat. It was like her style to launch a surprise attack, ambushing her prey. Just like a cat.

The fireballs Fire Ryukendo was shooting easily obliterated the clones. They were nothing but weak copies compared to the original, which was probably hiding out somewhere to attack Ryukendo from behind.

She was right. Copycat stood behind a pillar of solid molten rock and leered at her target. She summoned her weapon, "Kurogane," and her cannon formed. She aimed and fired a flaming cannonball directly at Ryukendo's back.

Ryukendo sensed the attack coming and spun around, slicing the flaming cannonball in half and allowing the two halves to fly past her. She then launched a counter attack and fired a barrage of fireballs at the direction the cannonball had come from. The smoke was getting in the way and she couldn't properly make out her target. "Damn, where is she hiding?"

"Right here!" Copycat shouted as she came down with a really large serrated blade. Ryukendo raised up Gekiryuken to block the blade and Copycat touched down to stare eye-to-eye with her weaker half. "Like it? It's called the Ranma Sword."

Ryukendo didn't know where Copycat got that kind of weapon and didn't care. What she did care was taking Copycat down once and for all. Her cannons activated and fired two fireballs which slammed into Copycat's gut, sending her flying. Copycat, like a cat, landed on her feet and banished her sword.

"Pick!" Copycat shouted and threw her fist. In the place of it was an extending column with a spinning drill at the front. It sped towards Ryukendo whose eyes widened at seeing this. She leapt out of the way, narrowly dodging the drill. The weapon vanished as Copycat pouted.

"Come on! You're not making this fun!"

Fire Kong detached from Ryukendo and howled. The robotic armored gorilla pounded his chest and charged at Copycat. It was about to throw its fist at her when she called out, "Fuudou!" A large armor plated arm rose up from the ground and grabbed Fire Kong in its hand. It then threw Fire Kong back towards Ryukendo who jumped aside before she was flattened.

"And that was only 3," Copycat purred. "I got 7 more I can't wait to show you!"

* * *

**Earth Zone**

Shadowcobra's invisibility was useless in this situation as ARMS' visor was able to detect him. Therefore, he was going to fight ARMS face to face without the use of his Zodiac Powers. ARMS' primary power, magnetism, was also useless here…

A red heat beam flew past Shadowcobra's head, narrowly missing him. It blew up a rock formation.

Of course, ARMS did have the Power of Heat Beam Eyes he'd gained from the Pig Knight and a collection of deadly projectile weapons.

Shadowcobra caught sight of ARMS and charged at him. The Taurus Knight, armed with his Giga Cannons, began to fire at the Snake Knight who was running through the barrage of energy blast, batting them away with his own dark energy. ARMS was also shooting at Shadowcobra with his eyebeams but even that didn't slow Shadowcobra down.

Shadowcobra, when he got in range, jumped up and performed a tornado kick to ARMS' head, knocking the Giga Cannons off. ARMS got back to his feet and hurled his fist at Shadowcobra who blocked it before throwing his palm into ARMS' chest, causing him to stumble. Shadowcobra then threw several punches into ARMS's chest, stomach and face. He used a roundhouse kick to send ARMS tumbling to the ground.

"You're not even worth my time here," Shadowcobra said mockingly, looking down on ARMS.

ARMS clenched his fists and growled. Copycat had said the same thing to him before and he hated it. Enraged, he got back to his feet and grabbed his gun. He aimed it at Shadowcobra and shot him several times in the chest, sending sparks flying. Shadowcobra didn't even have time to launch a proper counter attack as bullets rained down on him. ARMS grinned sadistically as he watched Shadowcobra stagger backwards and grunting in pain from the shots. Now he was going to gain some respect.

When he stopped, Shadowcobra was on his knees with a smoking chestplate ARMS marched towards him and kicked him hard in the face. Shadowcobra was on his back and ARMS put his foot down on his chest, pinning him down. He aimed his gun at Shadowcobra's face and asked, "Any last words?"

Shadowcobra replied, "Be careful of stampeding rhinos."

ARMS stared in confusion before Shadowcobra phased into the ground. ARMS looked around and heard two words:

"Add Vent!"

And then he heard a loud bellow before he was struck in the side by something with the force of a tank. It was Metalceros. Shadowcobra stood next to his secondary Zodiac Beast, sneering at ARMS.

"This is how it ends," Shadowcobra hissed.

"Shoot Vent!"

"No it isn't!" ARMS roared, holding his Giga Launcher. He fired a missile at the two and Metalceros was sent flying by the explosion. Shadowcobra landed not too far away on his feet but he'd taken the brunt of the explosion judging by his cracked chest armor. He looked to see ARMS preparing his finishing attack. Shadowcobra drew a card and slid it into his staff.

ARMS had drawn his Final Vent card and Gigataurus stood in front of him, ready to help him finish the job. He looked to see Shadowcobra who was just standing there. "Perfect," ARMS grinned as he prepared his own attack. "End of the-"

"DARKHOLE CRUSH!" Shadowcobra roared as he jumped up and delivered a powerful drill kick that smashed into Gigataurus. Genocide, who'd been standing behind ARMS, formed a vortex in its stomach which sucked in the robotic minotaur, much to ARMS' shock and rage.

"NO!" ARMS roared. He blasted at Genocide with his eyebeams, trying to salvage a victory. Alas, it was already over for him.

"Final Vent!"

Genocide broke up into its component monsters and Genosnaker answered. It burrowed under the ground and dug its way up to stand behind its master. Shadowcobra leapt up and did a back flip before being launched towards ARMS via acid and venom.

"GENOCIDE CRASH!"

ARMS stood his ground and started to fire at Shadowcobra with his guns and eyebeams but it was already too late as Shadowcobra performed a bicycle kick which smashed into him repeatedly before hitting him in the belt and sending him flying. His armor and deck shattered in mid air before he landed on the sand.

Shadowcobra landed on his feet as two orbs of energy were absorbed into his Zodiac Crystal.

* * *

**Fire Zone**

Copycat indeed wasn't lying when she had boasted about her other weapons. Ryukendo (back in her normal mode) was trapped in a box and couldn't find her way out. She then heard Copycat shout, "Namihana!"

Copycat, who was outside, used a barbed whip to strike down on the Galiper Box, crushing it with great force. Expecting to see a defeated Ryukendo, she snarled when she saw that among the remains there was no one there.

"RYUOU RAIMEI GIRI!" Thunder Ryukendo shouted as she appeared from above and swung down with Gekiryuken, attempting to strike her opponent down with an electrified slash. Copycat rolled out of the way and launched a counter attack.

"MASSHU!" Copycat roared and a giant box with a mouth rose up under Ryukendo. Ryukendo jumped upwards before the mouth could snap shut and trap her. "You're mine! KUROGANE!" Copycat summoned her cannon and started to shoot a barrage of flaming cannonballs at Ryukendo who sliced them in half with relative ease. Frustrated, Copycat shouted, "PICK!" sending her drill at her but Ryukendo dodged the drill and ran along the column's surface before reaching Copycat and kicking her in the face. Copycat's weapon's vanished as she dropped to the ground with Ryukendo holding Gekiryuken's tip to Copycat's throat.

"It's over!" Ryukendo shouted.

"For you!" Copycat snapped before her eyes glowed. She accessed the Power of Gemini and created an illusion around Ryukendo.

* * *

**Air Zone**

"Trick Vent!"

A quartet of her brother's clones flew straight for her, swinging their swords at her. Venus, however, countered their attempts, destroying them with precise strikes and her energy blasts. Her cape had morphed into a pair of white swan wings, except that she didn't need her monster to become her cape, unlike her brother, Pluto.

Pluto really didn't want to fight his sister but he had to. He didn't want her facing Copycat for any reason. She would just get herself killed. No matter what Pluto said to her, Venus was determined to defeat Copycat to avenge Jericho's death. Despite Jericho now inhabiting a Gigai to resume his life it still wasn't enough for her. She wanted him to regain a real life and if she had to beat her brother to do so, then so be it!

Pluto and Venus locked blades in the air after exchanging blows in the air. Their eyes were focused on one another behind their visors and neither one was letting up. Such a battle would be expected from Draco and Copycat but not of Pluto and Venus. These siblings had cared for one another since the unfortunate accident that robbed their father's life and put their mother in a coma. Now, they were forced to battle as fate decreed.

Fate was such an unfair bitch.

Pluto kneed Venus in the stomach. If words weren't going to reach her then he would have to beat her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and dived, taking her along for the ride.

Venus screamed, "Onii-chan! What are you doing!"

"Taking us both down together!" he shouted back. He hoped he could scare her into giving up.

"I'm not going to chicken out!" she protested, struggling. "Let me go! Let me go right now!" She reached for her deck and drew a card. She slid it into her rapier. "Add Vent!"

Whitewing the giant swan swooped down and bashed Pluto away with its wing. Pluto flipped through the air before righting himself to see Venus floating across from her. She was being as stubborn as he was. Other times he would be proud but now…now he was worried.

"Let's end this," she said, gripping her rapier.

"Gladly," Pluto agreed.

The two siblings nodded before flying straight for each other. They had their swords pointed forwards and playing a variant of Aerial Chicken. Of course, in 'Chicken', one would move out of the way but in this 'game', neither was going to.

There was a flash and the sound of cold steel striking cold steel.

The two siblings stopped flying and floated with their backs facing each other. What'd happened?

Suddenly, Venus' armor shattered and she was about to fall when Pluto caught her. Dropping down from the sky along with her armor was her deck, sliced in half. She had lost and her brother had won her powers.

* * *

**Fire Zone**

Ryukendo was standing in a place of endless darkness, "Where am I? Hello?"

"_You killed us…_"

A chill ran down her spine when she heard that voice. "What?"

Shapes began to form and come towards her. When she saw them, she froze. One of the things she shared with Katherine aside from their lives was memories and right now she was seeing every single person they had killed when they'd been whole. They looked like zombies, covered in blood, pale as ghosts and eyes a grotesque yellow color.

"_You killed us…_"

"N…No…" Ryukendo shivered as she saw them coming. "No, go away! Leave me alone!"

"_You killed us…_"

She could see Kenzaki's family in the front, leading the rest of the zombies, coming for her. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she yelled. She cowered as Kenzaki's sister, Maya, reached out and touched her chest.

In reality, it was an illusion created by Copycat and a realistic one at that. She was still in the Fire Zone, but frozen in fear from the illusion. Gekiryuken was lying on the ground, calling out to her, but she couldn't hear him.

Copycat knew Ryukendo possessed the other half of their powers. As Katherine was the Gate, Neko was the Key and the latter possessed them deep within her soul.

"Time to take them," Copycat grinned. Her eyes glowed as she placed her palm on the gem fitted in Ryukendo's chestplate. The gem glowed as Gekiryuken watched, horrified.

"Stop! Stop that!" Gekiryuken shouted but Copycat kicked him away.

"Silence!" she hissed before she continued. An orb was starting to come out and inside the orb was a literal skeleton key. "Yes, come to mama…" The key floated closer and closer into Copycat's hand and she grasped it. "YES!" Ryukendo's body collapsed and her armor vanished.

"Yes…" Copycat purred. "Yes…" She called out to the sky, "HORRORLINER! TO ME!"

A portal of darkness appeared and something came chugging out riding on railway tracks made of bones. It looked like steam locomotive but had a black demonic skull with a pair horns in the front and made of some sort of organic substance that had red eyes all over it. The wheels were covered in flames as they rode on the tracks. The train pulled along several matching train cars with it. Copycat looked down at Neko, sneering. She spat, "I don't need you anymore." She kicked Neko's body in disgust.

Copycat leapt up and entered the HorrorLiner's cockpit. She sat down on the HorrorLiner's bike, the Horror-Crusher, and took the controls, exclaiming, "We're out of here!" A dark portal formed and the HorrorLiner flew into it.

* * *

After attaining victory, Pluto, Shadowcobra, and Draco were transported onto the grassy clearing while Megami, Venus and Grant were transported away. Libra approached them saying, "Congratulations. You have won."

"So, what happened to the losers?" Pluto asked.

"They have been returned home safely," Libra answered.

"Where's Neko-chan?" Draco asked.

"If she won, she would be here," Libra answered. Suddenly, he froze. "Oh…no…" He appeared horrified.

"What's going on?" Shadowcobra asked in suspicion.

Libra didn't answer and tapped his staff. Neko's body appeared via shimmering lights and laid on the ground. Draco, horrified, shouted out her name and ran towards her. He kneeled down, cradling her body. "Neko-chan!" He shook her body. "Neko-chan!"

He couldn't hear her heartbeat or a pulse…

She was gone…

"Neko-chan?" Draco shouted out, crying, "NEKO-CHAN!"

* * *

Garoh and Ravager felt a ping in their chests. Something horrible had happened. "What…what's this feeling?" asked Ravager, unfamiliar with it. However, Garoh was all too familiar with this feeling.

The feeling of loss.

"No…No! NO!" roared Garoh as he charged full force into the army of Horror-Beasts. "I'm not going to lose her! I've lost so many people, but I won't lose her!"

* * *

The HorrorLiner returned to the human realm and Copycat jumped out of it to stand on Titans Tower. There was no one around since the Titans were off fighting her Horror-Beasts. She had finally rid herself of her weaker half and attained the Key.

Usually, if one of them died, so would the other. However, after devouring Yoshido, Copycat no longer suffered from the weakness and with the Key, she no longed needed to absorb her weaker half.

"Let it begin," she said as she looked up to the sky, "Starting with the sun." She opened her mouth and swallowed the Key. She then let out a laugh as darkness sprayed out of her body in waves.

The sky began to turn dark as darkness rolled by like clouds, blocking the sun. All over the world this was happening, shrouding the Earth in darkness.

Copycat, now covered in a dark aura, announced, "LET THE AGE OF THE HORRORS BEGIN!" A pair of dark wings resembling those belonging to a Horror unfurled from her back and she rose up, spinning around as she watched as Horrors – her Horrors - rained down from the sky. She laughed out insanely with joy. "LIGHT BEGONE AND DARKNESS COME FORTH!"

* * *

Damien watched in joy as the Earth was covered in darkness. Copycat was unaware that this was all part of Damien's plan. "A beacon of light to bring hope to a dark world," said Damien.

"What was that?" asked Nami.

"It was the last thing my mother said to me…and _him_…before she died, imbuing us with a power that would reveal itself when the world is covered in living darkness," he said. "Of course, I've turned my back on such a worthless thing as the power of was the last piece to the puzzle that I needed. When _he_ arrives, it will truly be great." He laughed into the darkness. "Yes! YES! This is what I've been waiting for! Pure darkness! Disorder and chaos reign in the streets!" He wrapped his arm around Nami's shoulders. "Look upon it, lover! This is what I have longed to see! And now, I will finally reach my goal…" Leathery bat wings unfolded behind Damien. He picked Nami up bridal style. "It's time my, dear…My dream of a dark world will come to pass!" They then flew into the panic filled streets.

To Be Continued…

* * *

**ED Sequence**

_Ryuki, Neko, Ichijyo and Takada are sitting in a train as it moves along the track. What they see out of the windows is different._

_Ryuki sees himself as Draco in his Liner Drive Form, but holding his helmet with his left hand, hanging from his fingers, and resting the Masked Rider Sword on his shoulder. The scene around him is of devastation._

_Ichijyo sees himself as Deathcobra fighting. The background is showing Misha's image being covered by darkness._

_Takada sees himself as Pluto running from the guards with Blackfire leading them as an explosion causes a fire in his lab in the Palace of Tamaran._

_Neko sees herself as Ryukendo sitting at a cliff, Gekiryuken in his Keyblade form lying by her side. She watches as the sun sets in the horizon._

_The train stops and the doors open, letting in light. As they step off, they see their friends and family welcoming them home._

* * *

Anyway, got some new OC's in this fic. These are them:

The 4 SYMBOLS are created by Libra from the Legend Cards and each possesses a quarter of his power. They also embody and represent a character trait of his. They all wear similar armor with different color schemes and emblems on their chests. Currently, they are working in secret to protect Terra.

Seiryuu no Gou (Joseph Pendragon)

He's the leader of the 4 Symbols and created by Libra to protect Terra, the Avatar. In battle he uses lightning based attacks along with a sword. He represents Libra's strategic mind and leadership qualities. He imparts his powers to Draco to aid him in the final battle. He embodies the Power of the Heavenly Dragon.

Byakko no Gai (Robert "Bobby" Clawson)

He's the 'youngest' of the 4 Symbols and created by Libra to protect Terra, the Avatar. In battle he uses his claws and has an invulnerable body. He represents Libra's selflessness since he's willing to sacrifice himself to protect others. He imparts his powers to Ryukendo to aid her in the final battle. He's the least mature of the four and seems to enjoy watching Japanese anime in which he has a large collection of DVD's. He embodies the Power of the Fierce Tiger.

Suzaku no Rei (Raymond Phoenix)

He's the 'pretty-boy' of the 4 Symbols and fiercely loyal to Libra who he sees as a father figure. His job, like the others, is to protect Terra who is the Avatar of Power. His attacks are flame based and he uses a bow as a weapon that shoots high velocity flame arrows He represents Libra's courage. Though he appears calm, he has a hidden temper. He imparts his powers to Pluto later on to aid him in the final battle. He embodies the Power of the Immortal Phoenix.

Genbu no Shin (Shawn Sheldon)

He's the calm and collected member of the 4 Symbols and like his 'brothers' was created by Libra to protect Terra. He's a defensive fighter armed with a shield and uses it to protect himself and others. He represents Libra's wisdom. He imparts his powers to Shadowcobra later on in the final battle. He embodies the Power of the Wise Tortoise.

**The 10 Star Weapons (Taken from "The Law if Ueki")**

These weapons are exclusive to Celestials and can only be attained once a Celestial reaches the appropriate "Star Level". Copycat, however, has gained these through devouring Yoshido.

1. Kurogane: A large cannon that fires an equally large cannonball to deal great damage.

2. Fuudou: A large armor plated arm rises up from the ground to protect the user like a shield. Can also be used offensively.

3. Ranma: A REALLY LARGE sword.

4. Masshu: A box-like creature with a big mouth that will chomp on the user's target.

5. Pick: An extendable column that will attack in a straight pattern. It is very fast but lacks any flexibility.

6. Raika: A pair of skates that allows the user to move at super high speeds. The only limitation is that the user is unable to jump.

7. Galiper: A box that confines the user's target, making them vulnerable to attack from any direction.

8. Namihana: Similar to Pick but it is more flexible and can be used like a whip.

9. Seiku: A pair of wings.

10. Maoh: This summons a creature that varies from user to user. The power of Maoh and how it manifests depends on the strength of the user's will. Maoh can only be used a total of 6 times.


	99. PT099: The Final Door

Part 99: The Final Door

"Neko-chan! Neko-chan!!" Ryuki cried as his armor vanished. He held her body against his own, crying a river of tears from his eyes.

She was gone. Copycat had won. However…

"Wait, if Neko's dead, then doesn't that mean Copycat is too?" Ichijyo asked in wonderment.

"They're connected by the Power of the Tiger, aren't they?" Takada questioned. "If one half dies, so does the other."

Libra cast both Ryuki and Neko a sad look before sighing. "That may be the case under normal circumstances," Libra began. "However, Copycat was able to gain immortality and now does not need Neko alive to survive."

"What did she do?" Ichijyo asked.

"She devoured Yoshido."

Ichijyo's eyes went wide with surprise and Takada shouted, "WHAT!? SHE ATE SOMEBODY!?"

"Not only does she absorb his abilities, but she's gained the immortality and powers of a god," Libra said grimly.

"You knew this…didn't you?" Ryuki growled as he looked up at Libra, eyes narrowed with anger and damp with tears. "And yet you still…"

"There are rules I need to follow-"

**POW!**

Libra was sent to the ground by Ryuki's fist. Ichijyo and Takada were shocked at seeing their friend so enraged but they should've expected it. He had been angry when Tazuka had died and now his sister was dead too. They just never thought he would hit a god.

"YOU KNEW!" Ryuki accused, "YOU KNEW BUT YET YOU STILL SENT HER TO HER DEATH!" Blue flames engulfed him and morphed him into the Ifrit Orphenoch. He let out a roar and lunged at Libra.

The Guardian of the Zodiac Knights stopped the Orphenoch in the air, entrapping him in an energy bubble, before standing up. The Ifrit Orphenoch struggled, angered. "Calm down," Libra commanded. "CALM DOWN!" he commanded more fiercely. For some reason it did work and the Ifrit Orphenoch relaxed, turning back to Ryuki. However, his eyes were still focused on Libra. "Yes, I admit that what I did was foolish. But I never expected Copycat to go this far."

"Some guardian," Ichijyo scoffed. "You couldn't even foresee this coming."

"I apologize, but right now things are becoming much worse." Libra tapped his staff and an orb of energy formed around Neko, suspending her in the air. "We must return to my home so you may see what is happening." He tapped his staff once more, teleporting them away.

* * *

Madame Rouge was fighting with Jinx. The hex-mistress was donned in her Scarab Armor in Speed Mode. Both were striking at each other. The French woman had turned her fingers into sharp claws and slashing at the armored girl. Psimon, meanwhile, was floating in the air, firing psychic shockwaves from his brain, destroying buildings. Along with the two Lords of Sin was Ternion. Plasmus had arrived with a liberated Cinderblock and Overload before the three monsters fused and become Ternion. At current, Ternion was in battle with Changeling who'd assumed his Crystalsapien form. Starfire was in a swordfight with Nami, the Lord of Lust, who'd just assumed her Orphenoch form. Blackfire soon joined in to assist using her Inzecter Armor and thus turning the battle into a violent catfight.

The city was in chaos. Survivors had been evacuated but there were many wounded and uncountable casualties because of the Horror-Beasts. The evil forces of Tartarus were immense. Not only were the Titans fighting with familiar villains, but they were also fighting against demonic Horror-Beasts and Slade's android soldiers. Not only that, the entire Earth had been shrouded in darkness as Horrors rained down from the sky. Damien stalked through the streets, looking for fresh victims and perhaps a few recruits for his harem. But in truth, he was waiting. "Come to me, Warren Smith…And let our battle shake the very Multiverse!"

Renia was using her Inzecter Armor and crystal alchemy powers to the limits and her armor had been damaged to the point that her chestpiece was cracked her helmet was gone. She still continued fighting with Terra and Blackfire's help. Starfire struck with her Starblade, slicing Horror-Beasts and Sladebots apart.

Robin and Slade were fighting each other, their armors reaching the limit of how much damage they could take. Ravager was also fighting Slade with ALPHA's assistance, wanting him to stop.

In New York, Jake Long was breathing fire on Horrors as the Ghostbusters blasted them and entrapped them. Even Spider-Man was there to land a helping hand and several local heroes as well. Rose the Huntsgirl, reformed and back in New York, was aiding Jake the best she could with her fighting skills.

In Bayville, the X-Men and the Brotherhood were working together to help the citizens escape the Horrors that were now plaguing the town. Down in the sewers, the Morlocks were being massacred by Sylar who was chopping off the top of their heads and devouring their brains.

Juniper Lee was in Orchid Bay and the darkness had eliminated the barrier, causing the monsters to become visible. She tried to keep the Horrors at bay as she instructed her brothers to help get the people and good monsters to safety. Several of the peaceful monsters had become casualties.

In Amity Park, Danny Phantom, his family, friends and allies were blasting and destroying Horrors but many more came to take the place of their fallen brethren. Masked Rider Fang arrived with the Arms Monsters and the Great Dragoon with the white armored Masked Rider Slayer as well as the Slayers.

In Tremerton Jenny was blasting at the Horrors with her weapons as Misty and the Silver Shell assisted her.

In San Francisco, the Charmed Ones were using magic to fend of the Horrors.

In Juuban the Sailor Senshi were using their own magical powers to fight the Horrors. Aiding them were some Smart Brain Masked Riders and Smartroopers that had arrived. Smart Brain's forces all over the world were assisting anyway they can.

In Fukurou, Draco's hometown, a Rider clad in armor similar to Renia's Inzecter armor, but green with red eyes, was battling a hoard of Horrors with powerful kicks, even executing an attack called, "LOCUST KICK!" He was known as Grave.

All over the world the Horrors attacked, forcing the Justice League and similar groups to stretch their forces to fight off the invasion. Honorary Titans were stuck in their home cities defending them. Every military force on the planet was also helping but with limited success by the number of Horrors and the horrendous Horror Beasts.

Makai Knights were also dispatched to take on these demons, along with Makai Priests and Priestesses with the magical know-how to send the creatures back to the abyss that spawned them.

The Kamen Riders, both all and new, were scattered all over the world as well, aiding innocent civilians and valiant heroes anyway they can. It was their duty and what they lived for. They were warriors of justice and they were the defenders of the innocent.

And on top of Titans Tower, Copycat laughed as she looked upon the destruction. Soon, all the worlds would be destroyed and engulfed by the darkness and nobody could stop her…NOBODY!

* * *

Ryuki, Takada and Ichijyo witnessed all this trough Libra's viewing mirror, absolutely horrified.

"Kami…" Ryuki breathed out.

"It's the end of the world all over again," Ichijyo muttered.

"We have to get down there!" Ryuki shouted. "The others need our help!"

"Can't you send us down there?" Takada asked.

"Copycat has closed off all portals leading here to Earth somehow," Libra said grimly. "I don't know what to do. All the Horror Gates opening had caused every other portals to disappear."

"Because those portals have become Horror Gates," Fuji added. Neko's body was lying in bed. She hadn't shown any signs of improvement or recovery but Fuji confirmed that she wasn't truly dead. Her soul was still in there but right now even he couldn't do anything.

Ryuki grabbed Fuji by his coat, "Please, there has to be a way to get down there!"

"I think there is," Libra heard and turned around to see Clockwork, the Ghost Master of Time.

"Clockwork!" Libra exclaimed.

"Time Trains are the only things that can travel back to Earth from other worlds since they use the Sands of Time as a path between these worlds," Clockwork explained. "You need a time train to return."

"A time train?" Ryuki questioned and gasped, "The ChronoLiner!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his DRA-Phone. "I can call Ant-san with this!"

"I don't think there is a need to, young Dragon Knight," said Clockwork. "It's waiting outside."

The three Knights blinked before Ryuki ran out of Libra's home. Outside, waiting for them, was the ChronoLiner, much to Draco's surprise.

"Sugoi!" Ryuki shouted out happily. He turned towards the entrance to see Libra standing with Ichijyo and Takada. "Ano…Libra-sama…?" Ryuki began. "Gomenasai for hitting you…"

Libra blinked a bit before nodding, "Apology accepted. But, for the record, if I were in your shoes I'd kick my ass too."

Ryuki blinked as Ichijyo smiled knowingly. The Snake Knight spoke, "Draco, let's go. We got a world to save."

"Again…" Takada added, approaching the Time Train. "Man, if I knew how they built one of these things…"

"Mongrel, if you were meant to mess with time travel…" Ichijyo began before shuddering, fearing the worst. "On second thought, don't even try it. I fear for the time stream if you were allowed to play around with it." The door slid open as they got close to it.

"Hey, are you insulting my intelligence?" Takada asked indignantly.

"At least I know you're not just a pretty face if you can already guess that," said Ichijyo before entering the ChronoLiner. Takada huffed before following him inside.

Ryuki turned to face Libra again. "Ano…about Neko-chan…"

"She's not dead," answered Libra. Ryuki's eyes widened. "You were going to ask about that, correct?"

"H-Hai." Ryuki asked. "Neko-chan is not dead? But she's not breathing and her heart isn't beating either."

"To be truly dead, your soul must leave the body. Copycat's actions caused trauma to her body but left her soul intact. Your sister's body is in suspended animation. Psychics tend to go into such a state, though none so severe, to heal themselves. Just because her bodily functions appear to be dead, doesn't mean they are."

Ryuki scrutinized Libra. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to trust this person. He had done a lot of things, giving out mixed signals, but all had been for the greater good. There hadn't been a time when Libra had done something with any malicious intent. There was a method to his supposed madness.

For some reason, from what he sensed from Libra, he knew he could trust him. "Just, take care of her, alright?"

"I will."

"Hasuma, let's go!" Ichijyo called from the train car's entrance.

"I'm coming!" Ryuki shouted back before turning towards Libra and bowing. "Libra-sama, when you can, help us, alright?"

"I will," nodded Libra before watching the boy go onboard the ChronoLiner. The door slid close and the time train rose on its tracks towards a portal before vanishing straight inside of it.

Fuji was leaning against the doorframe, smiling, "You missed your chance again, I see."

"Now's not the time to tell him who I really am. He's got too much on his plate."

"It's a shame you can't help him."

"Stupid rules," grumbled Libra.

"I could…turn a blind eye," Fuji offered. "And Clockwork can help."

Libra considered this for a second before shaking his head. "No. I need to take care of my daughter right now. I promised him that."

"For all it's worth, my friend," Fuji said sincerely, "Despite the circumstances, you're a great father."

"So why do I feel like a piece of spoiled sushi?" muttered Libra.

* * *

On the ChronoLiner, Ryuki was surprised to see Warren in the dining car but he was also surprised by the other man drinking a cup of strong coffee. He thought he was dreaming but the resemblance was uncanny. No, this was not a double from another dimension. It was him!

"Craig?" Ryuki asked, softly.

"Hey, kiddo," Craig waved. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"CRAIG!" Ryuki cried, lunging at the other boy, hugging him. "IT'S REALLY YOU!"

"Hey, get off me, you!" Craig growled, his eyes glowing white. Stunned, Ryuki stepped away. Craig scowl turned into a smile, "And, thanks. I missed you too."

"Wait; weren't you turned into the Orphenoch King?" Ichijyo asked. He'd read the reports regarding the mission in Zandia to take down Occultus. "So how did you get restored to human form?"

"And…you were dead," Ryuki recalled. He had killed the Orphenoch King, or so he thought.

"I wasn't dead," Mortuary answered, "And as for how I'm back in human form, why don't you ask Warren here."

Warren Smith was a hero from another dimension, a friend of Ryuki and Craig's, and fellow ChronoLiner crewmember, nodded. "Yes, it was I."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ryuki asked. He felt a little betrayed that Warren, who he'd come to accept as a good friend, had kept such a secret from him.

"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise," said Warren, shrugging. "Plus, Ant knew too."

"I should've known," muttered Ichijyo.

"Hey, I was sworn to secrecy," replied Ant. "Besides, I wanted to see a happy reunion. I wanted it to be a surprise party, but…well…"

"Now is not the time for that," said Warren. "It was a lucky thing that Clockwork led us to the Celestial Realm. There's trouble on every world in the Multiverse."

"All the Horror Gates are opened," stated Ichijyo. "We know. Libra told us."

"And we have to get back to our world, fast!" said Takada, firmly. "They need our help!"

"We'll get there, on time," assured Ant.

"So, Craig," Ryuki began, "How did Warren help you?"

* * *

_A doorway opened as Warren entered the top story of a building, the Baxter Building. With him was Craig, trapped in the form of the Orphenoch King, still in a cryostasis unit. "Hey, Reed, You in here?" called Warren._

"_Come on in, Warren. We're in the lab!" shouted a voice. Warren walked into the lab to see various pieces of medical and scientific equipment. Standing in the room, waiting for them was some of the greatest scientific minds on his world; Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, Mr. Terrific of the Justice Society of America, and Hank Pym and Tony Stark, aka Ant-Man and Iron Man respectively, of the Avengers. "Welcome to the Baxter Building Warren," greeted Reed._

"_Hey, Reed, everyone," greeted Warren. He was serious and wanted to get right to the point. "I need your help for my friend here." He then explained everything to them._

_The four geniuses looked over Craig. "We'll do our best Warren," said Mr. Terrific._

"_Thanks, everyone. I wish I could stay and help, but I gotta spend some time with my family. I've barely seen them for the past two months."_

"_It's not a problem," said Hank._

"_We'll contact you as soon as we're done," said Tony. "And we'll have a celebratory drink afterward."_

* * *

"Unfortunately, they couldn't find a way to cure Craig of the Orphenoch King," said Warren. "Afterwards, I took him to see Dr. Strange and Dr. Fate to see what magic could do. Unfortunately, it wasn't that much it could do. But we were able to get Craig back to his human form. And the big brains created a serum that could repress the Orphenoch, giving Craig control over it."

Ryuki and Takada stared. Ichijyo didn't seem to show any response except for a raised eyebrow.

Mortuary continued, "I wasn't so sure of myself though afterwards. So, Warren brought me to the Justice Society of America, and I've been working with them for the past few months."

* * *

Garoh, clad in his Emperor Form armor, tore through several Horrors with ease. They were standing between him and getting to Neko. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!!" he roared. A familiar tune filled the air as the GaroLiner ran over several Horrors. Garoh leapt up while it was still moving and grabbed hold before pulling himself inside.

As he entered his Liner, he undid his transformation. "That's exhausting…" said Kenzaki as he walked through the Liner. He arrived in the Dining Car, he was shocked at who he saw. Sitting there, being severed coffee by Shiori, was Tazuka and Saeji. The Wolf Rider glared at the Makai Knight. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"We need your Liner," said Tazuka. "Copycat has opened the Horror Gates, and we need to close them. The only way to get to each one is by Time Train at this point."

"I'm taking my Liner and going to the Celestial Realm," said Kenzaki. "I'm going to save Neko. Feel free to seal the Gates on our way there, but I'm not making any detours."

"I knew I should have killed her," said Saeji. He was shocked when he felt Kenzaki's fist slam into his jaw.

"Urusai…" he growled. "You want to use MY train." He lifted up Saeji by his shirt. "If you wish to stay on it, you'll keep your mouth shut."

"Now, gentlemen," said Tazuka. "Fighting with each other is not going to help any of us, will it? The Horrors are our enemies so why don't we sit down calmly and talk about this?"

Kenzaki snorted and let go of Saeji. "My train, my rules, got it?" Kenzaki told Saeji who glared back in contempt. "Alright, then. I'm going to set a course for the Celestial Realm." He went onto the teleporter and teleported straight into the cockpit. He opened up his Rider Pass and slipped in a ticket with the infinity symbol on it. "Hope the God's Line can take us there." He got on his bike and slipped the Pass in a slot above the gauges and between the handlebars. "Ikuze!"

The GaroLiner raced through the Horrors, crushing several of them. The automatic defenses were activated as Tsume's wolf head howled and fired a barrage of missiles in its way. The time train then flew into a portal, heading straight towards the Celestial Realm.

Back inside the cockpit, Kenzaki spoke, "Neko, I'm coming."

* * *

Libra was watching over Neko's body. She was still unresponsive and looked dead but he could still sense her spirit inside. Unfortunately, despite his powers, he could not reach her.

"Wake up, daughter," he mumbled.

There was a strange sound coming from outside his home which linked it to a time train. Only a time train could make such a noise on arrival. Casting his daughter one last look, he then walked outside.

There was a train with the design of a wolf. A hatch popped open and a youth leapt out from it, landing not too far from Libra's Japanese style home. Libra recognized him to be the boy who cared for Neko. As a father, he would have to interview this boy to see that he was worthy but as a god, he'd seen what he'd been through and the lengths he was willing to go for his daughter. He knew his daughter to be bisexual but Libra could not find a man finer than this Kenzaki Tsukuba.

Kenzaki's eyes were locked upon Libra. He could sense the Celestial had great power. The train had brought him here meaning Neko was here. He approached Libra and asked, "Where is she?"

Libra motioned towards his house, "Follow me."

* * *

"It's…so cold…" Neko shivered as she sat in the darkness, her knees against her chest as she hugged her legs. "So dark…so lonely…" Tears were falling from the corner of her eyes. "I…I deserve this…"

"_You killed us_…" she heard and she gasped. She stood up, backing away, as ghosts rose up. These were the haunting manifestations of the people killed by Copycat's hands. She remembered their faces. She remembered what they had done to her.

Gekiryuken was gone. He'd abandoned her. Everyone had abandoned her. Nobody cared about her.

"_Ojou-sama!!_"

"Nani?" she questioned as the ghosts came for her. She didn't care as they reached out to grab her.

"_Ojou-sama! Listen to me!_"

Neko covered her ears, "Go away! You're not real!" The ghosts were coming closer. "You're just an illusion!"

Suddenly, there was a flash of light as an armored figure barreled through the horde and grabbed her hand. The figure then pulled her away. The ghosts faded away but they would be back. They always came back.

"Good, we're safe here," the armored figure said. Neko recognized that voice and she recognized the armor. She was looking at Ryukendo, except that his armor was bronze and the bodysuit was black. Even the visor was pitch black. Plus, a cape hung from his back.

"Geki-chan?" she questioned.

"Yes," the Ryukendo look-a-like answered, "But in this form I am Gekiryukendo. I've come to take you back home."

Neko didn't budge and muttered, "Leave."

"What?" Gekiryukendo questioned.

"Leave me here, just go," she said in surrender. "There's nothing for me out there."

"There is!" Gekiryukendo grabbed her shoulders. "There are people out there waiting for you!"

* * *

Kenzaki was looking over Neko's prone body, worriedly. Libra stood behind him. "So, she's not dead?"

"She's in suspended animation," replied Libra. "A person only truly dies when their soul leaves the body."

Kenzaki nodded and asked, "So, why hasn't she woken up?"

"She has to want to wake up," Libra sighed. "It's like she's given up. Not even her brother could awaken her."

"But maybe I can," Kenzaki said as he placed his palm against Neko's cold cheek. "Neko…can you hear me?"

* * *

"_Neko, can you hear me?_"

Neko's head snapped up. "Who's that?"

Gekiryukendo smiled, "Someone who wants you back. Don't you recognize that voice?"

"_Come on, Neko. You have to wake up. Everyone's waiting for you._"

"That's a lie," Neko said. "Nobody wants a killer back."

"_Your brother wants you back, Rose and Cathy want you back_," Kenzaki's voice continued. "_I want you back. Neko, I need you back. Come back._"

Neko's fists were clenched and she was fighting tears. Someone needs her back? Was that true. Gekiryukendo knew Kenzaki could reach her. Well, Kenzaki or Rose.

"_Neko, I love you_."

Neko gasped when she heard those words but then the ghosts again appeared, surrounding them. Gekiryukendo summoned his sword, telling Neko, "Stand close to me! I'm going to protect you!"

Neko was still like a statue as she said, "I…I want to go back." She looked at the ghosts, "And I'm going back so all of you GO AWAY!!" She unleashed a powerful blue aura from her body that soon reformed into a blue dragon, a flaming dragon, a watery dragon and an electrifying dragon. The 4 dragons roared and attacked the ghost, sending them away.

"I want to go back," Neko said to Gekiryukendo.

"Then take my hand," he offered. "We're going home, Ojou-sama."

Neko beamed as she grasped Gekiryukendo's hand before everything turned white.

* * *

Neko sat up all of a sudden, awake, but then her lips were pressed against Kenzaki's the instant she got up. Kenzaki and Neko's eyes both widened at the sudden kiss as Libra looked, smiling. Kenzaki backed away, yelling, "Sorry! I'm sorry!"

Neko, however, wasn't angry, but was stunned instead. She touched her lips. '_That…tingled…'_ She looked towards Kenzaki who was cowering. "Kenzaki."

"Yes?" he asked fearfully.

"If you wanted to get to 'A' with me, you could've just asked," she said before getting off the bed. Kenzaki fell silent. Neko yawned and stretched. "So, what's going on?"

"The Multiverse is in danger," Libra said, getting direct.

"Well, then let's go!" Neko summoned Gekiryuken. "Are you ready, aibou?"

"I am, Ojou-sama!" Gekiryuken replied. "Henshin!"

"Hai!" Neko nodded. Kenzaki and Libra watched as she initiated her change, "Gekiryu…HENSHIN!"

This change was a lot different as her clothes turned into a skintight blue bodysuit that hugged her body. White guantlets and boots also formed. She thrust the Keyblade upwards and a blue dragon came flying out of the blade. It roared and flew around its mistress before fusing with her.

"If the enemy becomes a demon, that means I must become a god!" she announced as the armor formed. It was still the same white and gold but designed differently. Her gauntlets now had dragonhead armguards and the dragonheads on her boots were on the shins instead of the ankles. A shield formed and attached itself to her left forearm. It was blue and gold, resembling folded dragon wings, and had a white gem in the centre. The torso armor was mainly white with broad shoulders and golden trimmings. A golden dragon's head decorated her chest and the gem was on its forehead. Her helmet remained the same but had spikes at the base.

The transformation complete, she announced, "God Ryukendo! Raijin!"

Kenzaki's jaw dropped as Libra approved. Neko's God Ryukendo armor vanished by her will. She had just wanted to see what it was like, this new power.

"Ken-kun! Ikuzo!" Neko said to him before running out towards the GaroLiner.

"Gotta love that personality of hers," laughed Kenzaki as he quickly followed. Libra watched as the two young warriors boarded the train.

"Good luck," Libra said.

* * *

Onboard the GaroLiner, things were a little tense with the way Saeji was looking at Neko. There was no doubt that he was blaming all this on her existence. He was still thinking of killing her but seeing as now it would be a moot point, since Copycat was immortal now thanks to her devouring Yoshido and all, he now had to help in sealing all the Horror Gates.

"So, where to first?" asked Neko.

Kenzaki was about to answer when all of a sudden the GaroLiner rocked. "What the!?" Kenzaki yelled out.

"Horrors!" Kurenai warned.

And he was right. There were Horrors on the GaroLiner and they were rocking the train about. Unlike before, now there were nearly hundreds of them as they covered the windows.

"Oh, man!" Raion wailed. "Not good! I'm gonna get sick, dudes!"

"Oh, shut up with your whining!" exclaimed Okami.

"Can't you get control of this thing!?" Saeji yelled.

"I gotta get to the cockpit!" snapped Kenzaki, struggling to maintain his balance. "On second thought, Shiori, activate the emergency breaks!"

"Hai!" Shiori saluted before opening up a hidden panel and slamming her palm on it. "GaroLiner, emergency stop!"

"Brace yourselves and hold in your lunches! This is going to be a bumpy ride!" Kenzaki informed them as a portal formed and the time train vanished into it.

As soon as they arrived in this new world, the skies darkened by Horrors, the entire GaroLiner was derailed and fell on its side. Sparks flew as the massive vehicle slid across the ground, skidding out of control, before it smashed into a large rock formation. The Horrors were thrown off by the impact before the door opened up. The entire crew all climbed out of the wrecked vehicle.

"This is just great," muttered Saeji. "We're lost and we have no idea where we are."

"I sense a lot of dark spiritual energy," said Tazuka. "The Horrors have completely taken over this realm."

Neko shivered but Kenzaki placed a hand on her shoulder. He said, "Don't worry. All we need to do is repair the train…and not get eaten."

"Hai," Neko nodded but suddenly felt Gekiryuken tugging her. "Hey! Geki-chan!" She was being dragged by her partner and necklace. "Stop pulling!"

"It's not me, Ojou-sama!" Gekiryuken replied. "Something…something is pulling me!"

Panicking, Neko shouted, "Help!" Kenzaki and Kumiko grabbed her arms and dug their feet into the ground. Gekiryuken was still pulling. "Itai!"

Gekiryuken stopped pulling as his chain fell limp. He fell against his mistress' chest. "Thank you."

Kenzaki demanded, "What the hell was that all about?"

"I don't know but something was pulling me towards it," Gekiryuken told him. "It's leading me towards it."

Kenzaki frowned and thoughts for a second. Whatever had been pulling at Gekiryuken, it had to be something powerful. "Well, if you start dragging Neko again, I'm coming with you."

"I don't think you need to wait long," said Gekiryuken as he was being pulled again. "It's calling me again!"

"Neko, don't resist!" instructed Kenzaki.

"Okay!" Neko responded, nervously.

Kenzaki turned to the others, "Fix up the Liner and kill anything that comes too close!"

Raion saluted and Byakko bowed. Okami grunted as Buraki complained.

"Well, lead the way," Kenzaki said and followed after Neko and Gekiryuken.

* * *

Sylar had just killed another one of the Morlocks. He removed the brain and began devouring it. Torpid cowered in the corner, watching as this monster of a man killed her family.

Sylar had blood around his mouth. He wasn't always a messy eater but the amount of mutant powers he was able to find was like a buffet table. After this, he would move on to the X-Men and Brotherhood, taking their powers for himself. He looked upon the young girl with big hands and grinned. He pointed a finger at her, saying, "Hold still…"

Suddenly, out of the blue, Callisto swung down her staff at him but he heard her a mile away and sent her flying into a wall. Sylar, the Lord of Gluttony, looked upon her with a sadistic smile. "Your powers…I want them."

"Fuck you!" Callisto cursed before her mouth was frozen shut. She struggled against Sylar's telekinetic hold.

"Now, hold still," Sylar said as he pointed to her forehead. He began to use his TK to cut open her head. A bleeding cut was starting to appear and Callisto let out a muffled scream.

"DARK TORPEDO!!"

Sylar was suddenly sent flying by a bike that rammed into him at full force. Callisto stared at the armored man who'd saved her. Pluto cast a glance everywhere at the dead Morlocks and sighed. He looked towards Callisto and said, "Take the little girl and run. I'll take care of this."

Callisto was usually reluctant to accept help from an 'upperworlder', but seeing as Torpid's safety was at stake she gave him a nod and grabbed the girl's hand before running away.

Pluto was in Survivor Mode and dismounted from his bike. Sylar, from what he heard from Ryuki and Warren, was a psycho that came from another world where superhumans were still a secret from the general public. Sylar was also bonded to a Horror and the Horror allowed him to absorb powers by eating his victim's brains. Before coming here, Pluto had seen bodies missing the tops of their heads and their brains scooped out. Sylar was the culprit. He smelled of blood and death.

"So, you're one of Draco's friends," Sylar stated. He had seen Draco in armor and had seen the other Knights in action through video recordings. "Heck, you won't be so tough without that armor of yours."

Pluto reached towards his arm-mounted shield and pulled out his sword. He dismounted from his bike and walked towards Sylar. "You're going down."

"Let me help too," said a voice as a long bony spike tipped with flames flew through the air. It struck Sylar in the arm and the murderous superhuman let out a scream before pulling it out. Pluto turned and saw a young African American youth covered in bony armor with spikes on his forearms, shoulder, and horns. This was Spyke, the former X-Men and now protector of the Morlocks.

"So, who are you?" asked Pluto.

"Call me Spyke and this dude killed off nearly half of the Morlocks," Spyke glared at Sylar.

"Peh," Sylar spat. "They had it coming."

"Wanna take this guy out together?" Pluto asked.

"Dude, you don't even need to ask," said Spyke as a pair of blades came out from his wrists.

The mutant and Knight charged at the superhuman who charged right back at them. Sylar's eyes glowed yellow as a dark aura surrounded him.

* * *

Kenzaki and Neko slowly entered the cave. "I feel a weird presence in here," said Kenzaki.

"But what?" asked Neko. Her question was answered when the three of them came across a silver pedestal with a moon engraved on the base. There was a sword resting upon it.

Kenzaki slowly approached the sword, which seemed to react to his presence in the cave. "I think it's trying to tell me something…" He reached out and touched it. His body then flickered and he vanished.

"KENZAKI!" Neko screamed.

* * *

Kenzaki now stood in a dark forest. His body was incorporeal and wavering, like a ghost. "Where am I?" he asked.

"_In my domain…_" spoke a voice. Kenzaki looked ahead of him and saw a wolf, its form also wavering.

"You must be…" began Kenzaki.

"_I am Tenrou, wolf of heaven. Hear me, o one who would use me…_"

Kenzaki felt a strange tingling in his legs and looked down. "What's going on!?" he shouted. His legs were vanishing from right beneath him!

"_Cease your struggling. It does you no good…I have spoken to you many times, yet you never sought to answer…Relinquish yourself. Submit to my rule._" With each word Tenrou spoke, more of Kenzaki's body vanished, until only the right side of his face and his mouth remained.

"What did you say?" asked Kenzaki. "Submit!?" Kenzaki began to glow, his body slowly reforming. "You've got a lot of attitude. I think you forget…You're just a sword and nothing more! It's up to **me** whether I want to use you or not!" Kenzaki was now fully reformed, except something was different. His normally blue right eye was now a bright crimson, like his left eye. "So just shut the hell up and be a good dog!" Kenzaki's body then vanished from Tenrou's domain.

"_The demonic crimson eyes!? His soul and aura have awakened!_" growled Tenrou. "_He_ _is the one who will inherit the power of the Rou Youkai!_"

* * *

Kenzaki then reappeared, now holding Tenrou, in its sword form. Neko gasped at this. He'd come back seconds after he'd disappeared. She had gotten worried. She was about to speak when he said to her, "We need to get to the others. They're in danger."

Neko fell silent and nodded before both ran out of the cave.

Back at the GaroLiner, Shiori and Kumiko were busy with repairs after Byakko had gotten the GaroLiner back up on its wheels using his impressive strength. Tazuka, Saeji, Okami, Raion and Buraki were fighting with Horrors who'd come to have them for dinner, literally.

"I hate Horrors!" Saeji shouted, cleaving one in two.

Tazuka was slashing away with Tiburon, "They are as pesky as Horrors, I can give you that." Tazuka then sensed a presence of highly concentrated energy and turned towards the direction. He shouted out, "Kenzaki!"

Tazuka and Saeji looked behind themselves, surprised at what they saw. Standing there was Neko and Kenzaki, but he looked different. First off, both of his eyes were blood red and glowing. He was also smiling widely, revealing extraordinarily long and sharp canines. He was holding on to Tenrou in his left hand, resting it on his shoulder. "Great…some target practice," growled Kenzaki.

He held his blade out in front of him, the blade facing downward. He held out his Rider Pass, positioning it at the hilt of his blade. "Now, let's have some fun…" His blade began to glow. "LUNAR HENSHIN!!" roared Kenzaki as he slid his Rider Pass across the flat of the sword.

"**LUNAR FORM!**" proclaimed the Garoh Belt.

At first, nothing happened, but then the wind began to howl. Silver strands began to flow around Kenzaki. Soon, the clouds moved to reveal a large, bright full moon. The light from the moon shone down upon Kenzaki, encompassing him in the light. The silhouette of his Plat Form appeared before it glowed brightly. Neko, Saeji and Tazuka averted their eyes at the bright light.

When the light fell away, it revealed an entirely new Garoh. His chest was covered with smooth silver and black armor that didn't hinder his movements. Shoulder guards jutted outward and curved at the end. His forearms and hands were protected by silver gauntlets. He was also wearing silver boots with black trimmings. He wore a black bodysuit underneath that, with specks of silver that resembled the night sky. His helmet was also unique. It looked exactly like a ferocious wolf's head, complete with snarling fangs and dark glowing red eyes. A sliver cape cascaded from his shoulders. The only remnant of his previous forms was the Garoh Belt strapped to his waist.

Garoh threw his head back and howled into the night sky. "My fury, my honor, my blade…they shall BREAK YOU!" he roared, fueled by a sort of primal fury. He sped right past Saeji and Tazuka, who barely saw him. He was crouched low and snarling at the Horrors that stood between him and the GaroLiner. "You are all TRASH!" he roared. He leapt up. A crescent blade appeared on his right leg as he swung it at the Horrors. "Know your place!" His bladed leg slashed straight through the Horrors, destroying all of them in one mighty blow.

* * *

Damien was stalking through the ruined streets of Jump City when he saw them. Raven and Terra. Terra was without her armor as her Inzecter had been damaged. He smiled maliciously. Terra, because of the power she held within her, was his target, and Raven…The Raven of his world was gone. Taken from him before he had reached his true power. He would take this one instead. He began to make his way toward them when four figures stood in his way. "So, you are the four presences I've been sensing. You're not really what I expected." The 4 Symbols prepared to fight Damien, without saying a word. "Very well, but don't make this boring." He then charged at them.

"Get to safety!" Gou shouted as he and his fellow Symbols started their counter attack.

"Wait! We can help!" shouted Raven, getting her scythe ready.

"The safety of the Avatar has to take priority!" shouted Gou, releasing his lightning blade from its scabbard. "Now, go! Get out of here! We'll handle this demon."

Raven and Terra exchanged looks before fleeing. Raven could sense Damien's power and it was unlike her father's and Terra knew she had to live.

Gou struck with his lightning sword but Damien grabbed it. He felt the energy run through him for a second before wrenching it out of Gou's hand before stabbing him in the chest with his own weapon. Gai, horrified at seeing Gou's death became enraged. He let out a roar and let out his claws to slash at Damien. Rei prepared to fire a flaming arrow at Damien from behind. Damien, rolling his eyes, grabbed Gai by one of his wrists and spun around when Rei fired. The arrow pierced through the white clad Symbol's back and out his chest. Rei was horrified. He'd just killed his brother. In his stunned state, Damien attacked and swiftly crushed his ribs with a punch to the chest and crushed his skull with a heel kick. Shin was the only one left but instead of shaking in fear, he stood his ground. He had to. His brothers would have done the same.

He died heroically as Damien sent a blast of darkness at Shin. Shin tried to use his shield to block it but his defenses were shattered as he was completely obliterated.

Damien spat as he dusted off his clothes. "Heh, not even worth my time. Now, where are they?" He scanned the area for their energy signatures. "Oh…yes…I found you." He smiled with amusement before floating upwards and giving chase.

* * *

After repairing the GaroLiner and getting it back on track, the entire crew left the realm as quickly as possible. Now, Kenzaki stood in front of a mirror. "I need to change…" he said. "For too long I've been chasing after a man I could never catch…That changes today." Kenzaki grabbed a handful of his hair and his sword. With one quick motion, he sliced his hair clean off. He then grabbed a pair of scissors and began trimming and styling it. When he finished, his hair was short and spiky. Not as spiky as Draco's or Robin's, but still spiky.

He turned around and exited his bathroom and into his room, where he found Neko sitting on his bed. "Oh, Neko."

Neko looked at Kenzaki's hair, wearing a frown. "You cut your hair."

"Well…I thought it was time for a change," he answered. She still looked at him with a frown. "OK, what's wrong?"

"When you said you loved me…was it true?" she asked.

Kenzaki was silent for a moment. He stepped forward and sat down next to her. "Neko…I meant it. I don't know why…but I do. I love you."

* * *

Jinx, without her helmet, was being held at the throat by Madame Rouge. The sadistic former member of the Brotherhood of Evil and Copycat's Lord of Envy looked into Jinx's eyes. Jinx tried to dislodge Rouge's hand from her neck but the enhanced strength granted by her armor was not enough. She couldn't even hex Rouge as the pain and the loss of breath she was experiencing were taking their toll on her concentration.

Rouge held the girl at the top of a skyscraper. Rouge said to Jinx, "Au revoire," before letting go. Jinx's eyes went wide as she plummeted straight down to the ground but then…

"HYPER CLOCK OVER!"

There was green flash of light and a figure clad in a black bodysuit with red and silver armor caught her bridal style. Jinx looked towards him as her smile grew. "BABY!"

Hyper Draco looked towards her, his jets keeping them suspended. "Miss me?" he asked. He then flew up with her back to the top of the skyscraper to face Madame Rouge.

Madame Rouge snorted as she saw Hyper Draco. "So, you've returned after running away."

"I didn't run away," Draco retorted. There was a flash of light as the Perfect Inzecter flew through the air end ended up in his left hand. In his right hand was his Keyblade. "I just had some business to take care of."

"Whatever," spoke Madame Rouge. "You are still weak compared to me." She turned her hands into blades before throwing them at Draco. Suddenly, a white blur flew past and stopped, grabbing the blades in its fists. Jinx gasped when she saw what it was.

"No way…"

It was the Orphenoch King, and yet…different. He should be dead but here he was, alive and holding off Madame Rouge. He was still mostly white and covered in organic armor but appeared slightly slimmer than the last time she'd seen him. The cape had become a scarf and the organic armor formed torso armor, shoulder pads, boots and gloves.

"Hey, a little help here," said the 'Orphenoch King' and Jinx recognized that voice. It couldn't be.

"Mortuary?" Jinx questioned.

Madame Rouge kicked 'Mortuary' away before lunging to attack Draco.

"HYPER CLOCK UP!"

Draco's armor changed as the chestplate split open to reveal a tachyon energy fractor in the centre. His shoulder pads swung upwards as fins started to pop out from his gauntlets and boots and finally a pair of dragon wings spread out from his back. His armor released steam before he vanished in a flash of green light and Rouge hit nothing but air.

Suddenly, Rouge felt a barrage of impacts against her body. They strikes hit her simultaneously and repeatedly, breaking her bones painfully.

"HYPER CLOCK OVER!"

Draco reappeared after his Hyper Clock Up timed out and stood as Madame Rouge's body collapsed. He hadn't wanted to use such power on a human but she'd tried to kill Jinx.

Jinx looked towards the Orphenoch King, looking a little wary at his appearance before the form vanished and replaced by Craig's. She gasped and her eyes widened in shock. "CRAIG!"

"Hey, nice to see you too," Craig grinned.

"Warren brought him back," Draco informed. "Isn't it great?"

Jinx was stunned. Did Draco's friends have a habit of coming back to life or something? First it was Tazuka and now this. Jinx, of course had to ask…

"Baby, I-" Jinx began before Draco pulled her towards her, his faceplate opening, and silencing her with a kiss.

"I love you," he told her.

Jinx blinked and replied, "I love you too."

"After this let's have a big wedding," he winked but she couldn't catch it because his visor was covering his eyes.

"O...Okay," Jinx responded, bewildered by his spontaneous response. "What about her?" Jinx pointed at Madame Rouge's broken body.

Draco kept silent and said, "She can rot in hell for all I care," shocking Jinx before he said, "I have to get to the Tower, now. Go and help the others."

Jinx nodded and watched as Draco flew off towards Titans Tower. Craig resumed his Orphenoch form and said to Jinx, "Let's go! The others are going to need us!"

* * *

"COPYCAT!" Draco shouted as he landed on the roof, staring straight at Copycat who stared right back. She looked absolutely demonic now with her glowing red eyes and Horror wings.

"So, you came back to finish me off," she observed.

"Hai," Draco nodded as he slid the deck into his Masked Rider Sword. The energy from the Keyblade changed his armor to… "LINER DRIVE FORM!" He gripped both the Keyblade and Perfect Inzecter, getting into a stance. "It's over for you!"

"Let's see about that," she smirked. She shouted, "MASSHU!"

A box with a big mouth rose up from under Draco and opened up to devour him. With a slash of his Keyblade, he sliced the Masshu apart before it could close him up within it.

"GALIPER!" called Copycat as the grid of light appeared.

"HYPER CLOCK UP!" Draco called before vanishing as the box rose up. The grid and box vanished before Draco reappeared in front of Copycat. "HYPER CLOCK OVER!"

"FUUDOU!" The arm rose up and smashed into Draco, sending him flying skyward. Copycat aimed her arm up at him, shouting, "KUROGANE!!" The cannonball went flying upwards but was blocked by the sudden appearance of a Time Train. Copycat scowled as she saw it. It was the GaroLiner. That could only mean one thing…

"That bastard…" hissed Copycat as she watched the hatch in the cockpit opened. Two armored figures leapt out of it and landed on the roof, flanking Draco.

"Kenzaki-san!" Draco gasped as he saw Garoh's new appearance. "Neko-chan!" She was alive.

"Hey, sorry we're late," Garoh said. "We got a little held up on our way here."

"But better late than never," added God Ryukendo.

Copycat snorted, crossing her arms, "So, you're still alive. I thought you were dead."

"Keep on dreaming," Ryukendo retorted. "We're here to take you down and there's no force in this world that can help you."

Copycat considered her words and then let out a laugh. It was a laugh so demonic and horrendous that you would be willing to go death in order to stop listening to it. Copycat glared at them, scoffing, "You think you can beat me? The Living Gate? Now that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Give us your best shot!" Garoh challenged.

Copycat smirked. "As you wish." She looked towards the sky and raised her arms. "I CALL FORTH THE TENTH WEAPON! MAOH!" Copycat shouted and soon her dark aura formed around her before tendrils of it rose upwards above her. Garoh, Ryukendo and Draco watched as the energy began to take shape. It looked like some sort of four-legged animal with a lithe body. There was a tail and they could see a head form. When the dark energy had solidified, their eyes widened at the sight.

"Maoh is a living weapon, you see," Copycat explained, proud of her summoning, "And its power is relative to the power of the user's will. In other words, my will to devour the entire world and reshape them into my own image has given birth to THIS!"

Copycat's Maoh was a reflection of her evil, taking the form of a gigantic panther with glowing red eyes and razor sharp teeth. Its entire spine had spikes coming out of it and the tails had a sharp tip like a spear. The claws were also razor sharp and could easily gut the warriors.

"Now, attack!" she called out and her Maoh responded, pouncing at them.

"SCATTER!" Draco ordered but Garoh and Ryukendo refused.

"No, we counter!" Garoh shouted, "GEKIWAZA! RO RO DAN!"

"Hai!" Ryukendo added before shouting out, "GEKIWAZA! NYAO NYAO DAN!"

Their Fierce Ki was projected into their desired forms. For Garoh it was in the form of a wolf and for Ryukendo a giant cat due to her affinity for felines. The two animal projections let out a howl and snarl before they jumped upwards. The Maoh and the two Fierce Ki Bullets slammed into one another, causing a chain reaction. Copycat's Maoh vanished and she just floated in the air, mouth agape.

"I have…the power…of a demon and god…" she began, shaking, "HOW IS IT THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO DEFEAT MY MAOH!?"

"Your Maoh is the representation of your will to destroy," Garoh pointed out.

"But our Geki represents our will to protect," added Ryukendo.

Draco added in, shouting, "And our will to protect this world is stronger than your will to destroy it!"

Copycat stared at them and then started to shake. She began to chuckle before rearing her head back, laughing. She mocked them, "Your will…to protect? Oh, how absurd!" She looked straight at them. "Well, let's see if you can do it again! That was my second Maoh and I still have four more, plus the powers I've collected, my HorrorLiner and my other 9 Celestial Weapons!" she proclaimed. "Namihana!" Copycat lashed out her arm, sending the Namihana at Garoh.

She was slightly surprised when Garoh leapt on top of the Namihana and charged at her. "Ikuzo, ikuzo, IKUZO!!" growled Garoh. He ran right up to Copycat. He jumped off and tried to kick her.

"Neko already tried that trick on me!" shouted Copycat as she dodged the kick. However, what she didn't see coming was Garoh's clawed hand as it grasped hold of her helmet and slammed her into the ground.

"I ain't Neko," snarled Garoh.

* * *

Damien had Raven and Terra on the run. "Just what the hell are you!?" shouted Terra as she threw several rocks at Damien.

He waved his hand and the rocks stopped before falling to the ground. Damien smiled. "I am the Devil…" He held out his hand. His fingers super-extended and pinned Raven and Terra to the ground by their shoulders, causing the girls to scream in pain. "And I am here to do the Devil's work."

"What the hell do you want!?" shouted Raven. She knew he could easily kill them, but he was taking his sweet time. Why?

"I want you to pray to your God. I want you to pray that he comes to save you. I want lightning to come down and crash upon my head!" shouted Damien. He waited and nothing happened. "That's what I thought." He held out his free arm and created an orb of shadow energy. "Goodbye, Tara Markov."

**WHAM!!**

Damien recoiled as he felt a fist slam into his face, before he was sent flying by a blast of dark energy. He readied himself and looked up to see Warren, his fist out, and Deathcobra, his Geno-Blaster drawn. "Go help the girls," said Warren. "He's mine!" Warren's angel wings expanded as he flew at Damien.

Damien and Warren were fighting on equal footing, with Deathcobra providing backup, blasting at Damien. When one would through an attack, the other would block accordingly. Warren threw a punch at Damien, who caught the fist and slammed Warren in the chin with his knee. Damien looked around and saw Terra trying to make a break for it. "I think not, child!" growled Damien. He placed a palm against Warren's face and blasted him with shadow energy, causing him to scream and fall to the earth. Damien then held his arms up. "Shadows! Your master commands you to rise! Destroy the armored one! And bring the women to me!" As he said this, various shadows rose from the wreckage. Deathcobra and Raven joined forces to protect Terra, destroying the demons. Deathcobra continued to shoot at them with his Geno-Blaster, adding his energy into the gun as Raven used her Scythe of Light to slash them to pieces.

Warren stood, facing Damien and the army of demons that would no doubt lead to his death. Black blood poured down his face.

_It spins._

_The world changes._

_It turns. Each time it touches the sun and the moon…_

…_It takes a new shape._

_The one thing that does not change…_

…_Is my powerlessness._

Warren stared directly at Damien. "It's time we ended this Damien. You and me. No interferences." He removed his sunglasses and let them fall to the ground. His black eyes were filled with determination as he crushed them beneath his feet.

"You realize I'll crush you? But don't worry about the others on your world. I'll take your place and welcome Father into your plane, and then kill him again. Your universe will be mine in a matter of days."

_Sometimes, the people I care about just vanish. Leaving behind spots of blood only I can see…_

_No matter how strong I get…_

…_I can't protect them._

_The realization cuts my heart like cold steel._

_It's turning._

_If fate is a millstone…_

…_Then we are the grist._

_There is nothing we can do._

Warren looked behind them. He saw the phantoms of those he had lost. They were smiling at him, urging him on. He looked at his hand, and a strange mask appeared in his hand. It appeared to be large enough to cover the top half of his face.

_So I wish for strength._

"If I cannot protect them from the wheel…then give me a strong blade…and enough strength…To shatter fate!" As Warren said this, he placed the mask against his face. A blinding light encompassed Warren. When the light faded, Warren had changed dramatically.

His body was pitch black, shadow energy flickering off his body. His muscles were much more defined. His right arm flexed as his hand turned into a black claw. Two small spikes shot out of his forearm. Large curved spikes shot out of his shoulder. Next his left arm flexed as it too turned into a black claw. Curved spikes shot out of this shoulder as well. He seemed to have grown another foot taller. His pants looked like rags worn by a wandering nomad. He wore boots with metal shin guards. His hair was now long and pitch black, flicking with shadow energy like his body. His eyes glowed white, energy burning off them like fire. Lastly, four wings unfurled behind him, two angelic, and two demonic. A blade rested against his shoulder. It was a pitch black, large, double-edged sword, similar to a long sword and shaped like a cross.

He looked at Damien and his demons. He lifted up his free hand and made a come-hither motion. Several of Damien's demons, at least 50, charged at Warren. He lifted up his blade, and with a single slash, destroyed all 50 demons. "_Amen._"

Damien smiled at this. "So, now we get serious…" Shadows began to swirl around Damien. He let out an earth shacking roar as his body crackled with black electricity. Damien's clothes vanished. His skin turned pitch black. His white hair stood on end. He seemed to grow to at least eight feet tall. His pants looked like rags worn under metal shin guards and boots. His mouth widened, revealing his razor sharp teeth. His hands turned into claws. Curved spikes came out of his elbows. Black demonic bat wings unfurled behind him. His black eyes were now glowing. The ground around him shook and cracked under the pressure. "Then let's have some fun!"

Warren and Damien's clawed hands slammed into each other, causing the ground to crater beneath their feet. "You won't win, Damien!"

"We'll see boy!" retorted Damien as he kicked Wraith backward and summoned a large sword. He charged at Wraith and slashed his blade, but was countered by Wraith's blade. The two warriors clashed, their powers equal. Damien and Wraith slashed their blades at the same time, the force of their attack shattering the glass in the buildings around them. Both leapt backward, focusing their energy into their blades.

The two charged at each other, and slashed. There was a flash of dark light. When the light subsided, Damien and Wraith were standing back to back, their blades outstretched. All the buildings around them then collapsed. "Looks like we're equal" said Wraith.

"As it was always meant to be," said Damien.

"Next blow decides it?"

"Sounds good to me."

Damien swung around and slashed his blade at Wraith, but Wraith defended before swinging around behind Damien. He stabbed out with his blade. He looked up and was shocked at what he saw. Wraith's blade had pierced Damien's heart! His body began to turn to dust and slowly collapsed.

"Interesting…" muttered Damien as his body turned to black dust.

* * *

Blows were exchanged and sparks were sent flying as metal met metal. Ryukendo and Draco, both Keyblade users, were using their weapons to slash at Copycat who was using her twin axes to deflect their attacks. Garoh joined it so Copycat decided to even the odds and create two duplicates to engage the other two as she confronted Draco.

Draco slashed at Copycat who parried with her axes. She questioned him, "Why do you even continue fighting? Why bother?"

Draco's answer was to send her reeling with a powerful slash that shattered one of her axes before using the Perfect Inzecter to stab her shoulder. Ryukendo and Garoh easily destroyed the two duplicates.

After a prolonged battle, Copycat decided the best way to take care of these nuisances was to literally call on her 'big guns'. She shouted out, "HORRORLINER, TO ME!"

The dark and macabre tune played in the air as a dark portal form. Draco gaped at the appearance of the HorrorLiner, the train he remembered destroying with the ChronoLiner, back and at Copycat's beck and call. Copycat leapt upwards and entered the HorrorLiner's cockpit.

"You're all mine now!" Copycat, in the HorrorLiner, activated her train's weapon systems. In an instant, the additional passenger cars opened up revealing weapons resembling her Celestial Weapons in the following order:

Kurogane, Fuudou, Masshu, Pick, and Namihana. Only the other weapons like Galiper, Raika and Seiku were unavailable due to their nature as support weapons.

The ChronoLiner and GaroLiner, in response to this, appeared once more. "Let's go!" said Garoh as he leapt upwards and into the cockpit.

"Neko-chan, ikuzo," said Draco before jumping up and into the ChronoLiner's cockpit. The floating tracks of the two time trains converged with the GaroLiner in the lead. The ChronoLiner sped forward and clamped onto the rear of the GaroLiner.

Garoh was in the cockpit of the GaroLiner while Draco was manning the controls of the ChronoLiner.

The ChronoLiner and GaroLiner had combined, with the latter train in front. The two trains activated their weapons. Kulon stood on a platform, roaring at the HorrorLiner as Kin did the same, the sonic blasters in the shape of speakers releasing the shockwaves. The final car and remainder of the train, the GaroLiner Hageshi, turned into a large dragon. The ChronoLiner's weapons all sprang out.

The time trains circled each other, firing their combined ammunition. The Kurogane cannonballs and Namihana tentacles were batted away by Kulon's paws. Masshu fired missiles but they were countered by Hageshi who fired a laser stream at them, blowing them up prematurely. At the same time, Tsume was howling and firing its own barrage of missiles while the ChronoLiner fired its lasers, missiles and bombs at the enemy time train.

The HorrorLiner's Fuudou swung out to smash at the two linked up trains but the AI-controlled jet belonging to the ChronoLiner got in the way and sent it back with its own momentum.

Of course, some of the HorrorLiner's attack did break through the ChronoLiner and GaroLiner's defences, causing massive damage on either time train.

The two time trains then flew at each other, at ramming speed. The ugly face of the HorrorLiner stared at them snapping it jaws as the GaroLiner howled.

The two time trains crashed but only the HorrorLiner was destroyed as the GaroLiner plowed right through it. Copycat escaped her cockpit via teleportation.

The GaroLiner and ChronoLiner both sped away from the exploding remains of the HorrorLiner. "Now that's awesome!" cheered Garoh. However, an alarm alerted him to a possible stowaway and he turned on the display to see Copycat standing on the ChronoLiner. She had activated her Kurogane and aiming it at the cockpit.

"Oh, no you don't!" roared Garoh.

Copycat, enraged, was ready to fire when…

"WILD SHOT!"

An orb of crackling energy exploded against her chest, sending her falling. She grabbed the surface with her claws, keeping her on. Her red eyes looked up to see both Draco Liner Form and God Ryukendo staring her down. "It's over!" Ryukendo yelled, "You've lost!"

"NO I HAVEN'T!" Copycat roared as she called out, "RANMA!" Her giant sword formed and she swung it at the two Knights.

Suddenly, Garoh got in between the twins and Copycat before using Tenrou to deflect Copycat's weapon. Copycat staggered and she snarled at the three warriors. "YOU! YOU DARE STOP ME!?" Copycat snarled.

"We do!" Draco shouted before gripping the Perfect Inzecter and Masked Rider Sword tightly. He charged at Copycat.

"FUUDOU!" Copycat shouted.

"HYPER BLADE!" the Hyper Inzecter called out.

"EXTREME SLASH!" Draco called out before he slashed the Fuudou to pieces with his weapons. Copycat's eyes widened before she was slashed across the chest. She flew away to gain some distance but this attempt failed. As soon as she flew off the connected time trains, the three warriors leapt after her and grabbed her.

"HEY, LET ME GO!" she shouted, trying to shake them off. She failed and despite her strength she was unable to maintain her balance and fell on the roof of the Tower. She tumbled along its surface as did Garoh, Copycat and Draco. She picked herself up and shouted at them. "You…you all have given me nothing but trouble!!" She shouted out, "KUROGANE!" she fired a flaming cannonball but it was sliced apart by Ryukendo.

"MASSHU!"

"DYNAMIC CHOP!" Draco called out and sliced Masshu in half with his Keyblade.

"PICK!"

The trio dodged and ran at Copycat. She withdrew her Pick and tried to use another weapon, "GALIPER!"

The grid formed but the three warriors leapt upwards before the boxes could entrap them. "NAMIHANA!" Copycat commanded and lashed out with the whip but even in the air they dodged. "RANMA!" she called out, the massive sword slicing through the air but it was deflected when Draco used the turntable hilt of his Keyblade as a shield.

No…she was a god! This was not happening! They were not beating her! NO!!

"MA-" Copycat began to call on her Maoh, but…

Draco spun his turntable hilt and the red mask aligned with the blade. "FULL THROTTLE BREAK-DENSHA GIRI!" Draco shouted as he rushed at Copycat along energy tracks that carried him.

A dragon hovered above Ryukendo and roared before coming down and fusing with her sword. "KYUUKYOUKU RYUOU GIRI!" Ryukendo shouted as she swung her sword, slashing at Copycat with a flying energy blade.

A full moon appeared behind Garoh. He lifted up his blade and moved it in a circle. The moon behind him began to eclipse. He rushed at Copycat. "SHOKU GIRI!" Garoh roared as he slashed at Copycat with every bit of strength he could muster. A silver arc followed the blade, before that too slashed through the Cat Knight.

Copycat screamed as the three attacks made contact. Her armor was obliterated in an instant and she felt the energy rushing through her, ripping her apart.

"No! I am eternal! I am a god!" Katherine shouted out, not believing this to be happening. "I AM A GOD! ETERNAL!"

"You may have the powers of a god," Ryukendo began as she stabbed Gekiryuken into the ground.

"And maybe darkness is eternal," added Draco as he stabbed his Keyblade and the Perfect Inzecter into the ground.

"BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU ARE!!" the twins shouted out before they jumped upwards into the sky. Garoh followed them.

Katherine, stunned, looked to see the three warriors coming down at her with their legs extended.

"ORE-TACHI NO HISSATSU WAZA! TRIPLE RIDER KICK!!" Draco called out.

The three kicks smashed into Katherine and sent her flying. She dug her claws onto the surface to stop herself and ended up at the edge of the Tower. She picked herself up, her entire body bleeding with darkness from her wounds. Her skin was actually cracking.

She then heard Damien's voice in her head. '_It seems that our partnership has once again come to an end. No matter, I just wanted to say that I've collected my payment._'

"Pay…payment?" asked Katherine.

Another voice entered her head. '_Mistress! Please save me! Don't let him take me! I don't want to go back there!_' It was Rosalinda's!

"You…bastard…" hissed Katherine.

'_Oh, and just so you know, I'm going to take my time breaking her. You showed her so much kindness and love. I'm going to break her of that._'

"No…"

'_I've won, Katherine. From the very beginning my victory was assured. Enjoy the remainder of your life Katherine, I'll be sure to come and collect the remains…_'

Katherine was enraged as Damien's laughter rung in her ears, as well as Rosalinda's screams, before both vanished entirely.

Katherine let out a final scream of anguish before her entire body exploded in a magnificent eruption of dark energy. She ceased to exist as her entire body vanished.

They had won.

Or so they thought.

Ryukendo's knees buckles and her armor vanished before she started to collapse but then Draco caught her. "Neko-chan! Daijoubu?"

"Ojou-sama!" Gekiryuken shouted out.

Neko looked up at her brother's face after his helmet vanished. Garoh removed his own helmet too, looking at her worriedly.

"I guess I might be tired…" Neko chuckled weakly. Ryuki gasped.

"Neko-chan, your hand!" Ryuki pointed and Neko lifted up her hand. It was now translucent. She was starting to fade away. "What…what's going on?"

"Neko…" Kenzaki spoke up.

"It looks like that…" Neko said weakly as her body was fading, "That even if Katherine won't die when I die, I will still die with her death. We are still connected after all…"

Kenzaki kneeled down and looked at her face. "Neko, hold on. Just hold on…" She was starting to completely disappear. "Please…"

"Gomenasai, Garoh-chan," she said. "Tell Rose and Cathy I love them and I…"

'_I love you too , Ken-kun…Sayonara…_'

And she was gone. There was nothing left of her. Ryuki shuddered as he felt her entire weight vanish from his hold and he let out a shout, "ONEE-CHAN!!"

Kenzaki gripped his fists tightly, so tightly that they were bleeding. "NEKO!!" he roared. He felt like punching something. "I couldn't save her…WHY COULDN'T I SAVE HER!?" He lifted up his fist. Ryuki thought he was going to punch him. He felt like he deserved it, and awaited the blow, but it never came, to him at least. Ryuki looked at Kenzaki and saw that he was now bleeding from the side of his mouth. Kenzaki had just punched himself. "Ryuki…" he began, spitting out blood. "You win this war and you bring her back. Or I swear to God I will kill you myself."

* * *

The sky cleared as soon as Katherine and Neko died. With the Living Gate destroyed, the Horrors all vanished in an instant. The Horror-Beasts also started to combust after their mistress' demise. All over the world, the Horrors were starting to vanish as the light of the sun chased away the darkness.

The villains, seeing this, fled as the tide had turned. The ones who hadn't fled were either unconscious or too injured to move.

It was over and there were cheers. However, Ichijyo didn't feel like cheering as he felt something was wrong. He was feeling anguish and sorrow. He then realized where it was coming from. "Ryuki…"

Libra arrived and stood before Terra. The blonde girl looked at the Celestial in awe. He said to her, "It's time." She nodded, fully understanding what he meant before taking her hand.

Takada (having arrived via the Mirror World after defeating Sylar) and Ichijyo looked at Libra. He said to the two Knights, "You both must come too. This is important."

Seeing as there was nothing more to argue about, the two Knights approached Libra. They gave their friends and allies a single look, telling them they would be alright, before Libra tapped his staff and teleported them away.

* * *

Libra appeared on Titans Tower's roof to see a solemn sight. Ryuki was crying and Kenzaki was holding tears. The god approached the two men and said, "It's time."

"I can't," Ryuki replied. "I can't…fight anymore…" As much as he wanted to bring Neko back, he just lost the will to fight. Kenzaki even offered to take his place but Ryuki refused. He just wanted this nightmare to end.

"But the wish can only be gained by defeating the other Knights, and finally me," answered Libra. Ryuki stood up weakly, looking Libra in the eye.

"I won't…fight my friends. I'll find another way," Draco swore.

Libra sighed he then reached up to his helmet and removed it, shocking everyone when they saw Libra's face for the first time. He had short black hair that was spiky and three scars running down one eye. There were tints of red in his hair but what shocked them was his resemblance to Ryuki.

Ryuki's eyes opened as he stared. "O…otousan…?"

Libra nodded, "Yes, it's me, son."

No, it had to be a trick but Draco had the feeling that Libra was telling the truth.

Draco could only do ONE thing…

**WHAM!**

Libra was sent flying by the force of Ryuki's fist and fell to the ground, leaving a mark. Ryuki flew at Libra, his _father_, and grabbed him by the throat and pummeled him with his fist, repeatedly.

"Why? (POW!) WHY!? (POW!) _WHY!?_ (POW!) **WHY!?**" Ryuki questioned as he punched the man, repeatedly, in the face. The others stood back and watched him beating the crap out of Libra.

"Ryuki, STOP!" Terra yelled. "Stop!" Draco did and let the god go in disgust.

"I know I deserved that, son," Libra said as he got back up.

"SON!?" Takada echoed in disbelief. "HE'S YOUR DAD!?"

"This man…is not my father," Draco growled.

"I know you must hate me," Libra began, but was interrupted.

"And why shouldn't I? You pretend to be dead for the last 16 years and then just watched over us without telling us you were alive this whole time!" Ryuki shouted accusingly and hatefully. "There are so many ways I can hurt you now…Why didn't you help Tazuka, Craig, onee-chan and the others!? Why did you only help me!? What about the others!? WHY, DAMN IT!? TELL ME!?"

"Because, it was your destiny," Libra replied. Ryuki scoffed.

"To hell with destiny," Draco said. "I'm done being anyone's pawn."

"If you don't fight, you have already lost," Libra said.

"I've lost my sister," Draco reminded. "There's nothing left."

"But if you fight…you can bring her back," Libra replied. Ichijyo and Takada stepped forward.

"Can he? Really?" Ichijyo asked uncertainly.

"When he wins, the Avatar will truly awaken and the wish can be made," spoke Libra.

"Maybe you should do this," Takada began, but received a glare from Ryuki.

"And ruin another life? Forget it!" Ryuki objected.

"There's not enough time," Libra said. "You must fight and win the right to that wish."

Ryuki shook as Ichijyo and Takada exchanged glances. They both stood forward. They'd decided. "We forfeit," they both said.

Ryuki stared at his friend, "Demo…your wishes…"

"Hey, they're nothing compared to what you want right now," said Ichijyo.

"And, well, it may take years but I think I can make Tamaran green again, or whatever color the plants are," Takada shrugged.

Ryuki gaped at his friends who took out their decks and then dropped them to the floor before crushing them beneath their feet. The power flowed from them into Ryuki who was the closest Zodiac Knight. Together with the powers gained from Neko's death and Copycat's defeat, Ryuki was now the last Knight standing.

Libra watched as the Dog and Snake both relinquished their Zodiac Powers willingly. Seeing this, he dropped his staff and decided, "I too, forfeit."

"You do?" Terra asked.

"I want my daughter back and the rules never said I could not forfeit either," Libra shrugged before removing his Zodiac Deck from his belt. He then slammed his fist down on the crystal, shattering it, and letting the power flow from it and into Ryuki. Libra's armor vanished, replaced by a gold Chinese shirt with black slacks. He was now once again Kyousuke Hasuma, but he was still a god since he'd been granted more than just the Zodiac Powers.

As soon as Ryuki felt the rush of power, the Zodiac Emblems glowed on his forehead, one by one, flickering out as they switched around. Draco had truly become the champion, the One, by default.

As soon as this occurred, Terra's body glowed and she spoke in an ethereal voice. Her arms were spread as her eyes glowed brightly, like when she used her powers. The Avatar had awakened, "_You are the One_," she spoke, "_What is your wish?_"

Ryuki stood there, still surprised by the actions of those around him. Ichijyo and Takada gave him a nod as did Kenzaki. Libra stood back wearing a neutral expression.

Taking a deep breath, Ryuki said, "I wish…I wish for a new life."

To Be Concluded…

* * *

Well, that was a climax. As for some of the fights seemingly incomplete I'll just leave all that to your imagination, my fellow readers. I'd like to thank my fellow co-writer, Shadow Element 13, for his help and hard work in helping me create this chap. The next chapter will be the epilogue but before that I want to ask you readers something:

**What do you think are the effects of Draco's wish?**

Any suggestions would be much obliged. So, anyway, thanks for reading the ZKD saga but don't worry, there are still some more stories left to tell just be on the lookout for them, my friends.


	100. PT100: Epilogue, A New Life

Part 100: (The Epilogue) A New Life

**5 Years Later…**

A young man could be seen leaving a clinic which was closed for the night. His most distinctive features were his emerald green eyes and slightly messy red hair. He wore a pair of glasses over his eyes. He had on a red buttoned down shirt and black slacks. As he exited, he removed his white coat and folded it up before walking towards his vehicle, a motorcycle. There were pouches in the back so he put the folded coat into one the pouches.

He picked up a helmet and strapped it on before mounting the bike. He turned the key and gave the engine a few revs before kicking off the stand and racing through the street.

'_I can't believe it's already been 5 years_,' thought the man as he raced along traffic. His peripheral vision caught something and he slowed down before pulling over. '_What's this?_'

He could see a black van and three men dressed in black to hide themselves in plain sight who were wearing ski masks. One had a crowbar and was attempting to force the door to a jewelry store open. The lock finally broke and the three men entered.

The man witnessing this sighed as he removed his helmet. He muttered, "No matter how many things change, some things just remain the same." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an item before whispering a single word that meant a lot to a selected few, "Henshin."

Inside the jewelry store, the three burglars were quickly stuffing their bags with money from the register and breaking open the display cases. They only had a few minutes before the police showed up because as soon as they broke in, there was an alarm. Fortunately for them, there wasn't anyone else to hinder them…or so they thought.

Suddenly, one of the men fell to the ground due to an invisible force hitting him upside the head, knocking him out. The second man was also incapacitated in a similar fashion, dropping his bag and spilling some of their ill-gotten gains. The man who was still conscious, the leader, looked about with wide eyes. He was shocked to see his partners being knocked out by nothing and shouted out, "Who's there!?"

"Your worst nightmare," someone answered behind him and the lead burglar froze still.

* * *

The red-haired man with green eyes rode his bike through a gate that opened as soon as he approached it before it closed behind him. He rode through the path and stopped in front of a very large mansion. He kicked the stand down and removed the key before taking off his helmet. He wiped the sweat off his brow before going to the door. "Kami…I'm tired…" he yawned as he stretched before opening the door. "Tadaima…" As soon as he entered, he found the place dark. "Ano…where are all the lights?"

Suddenly, all the lights turned on and the man looked to see his entire family and his gang of friends standing in front of him. There was a banner, streamers and balloons hung up. The banner said: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYUKI!!"

"SURPRISE!" they all shouted, surprising him.

"Kuso," he cursed under his breath, "I forgot my birthday!" He laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.

There standing together was his parents, Emiko Narukawa Hasuma and Kyousuke Hasuma. It had taken him a whole year to finally forgive and reconcile with his father after the events of the last Zodiac War. Standing with them were his twin sisters, Neko & Kat, and his adopted brother Kyuusuke (Grave). His grandparents were also present. Among his friends were Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa & his wife Rachel Roth-Amakusa, Yoshiyuki Takada & his wife Karmen Anders-Takada, Tim Drake, Kori Anders, Garfield Logan, Victor Stone, Tara Markov, Renia, Craig Smith, Warren Smith, Tazuka Mizuki, his cousin Saeji Takuma, Ryunosuke "Ryan" Kazama, Kenzaki Tsukuba, Eri Takada, Joey Wilson, Rose Wilson, Cathy Wilson, Megami Angelina Amakusa and Ekelo.

"Minna!" he shouted as he removed his glasses, smiling.

* * *

_5 years have passed since the end of the last Zodiac War and I became the victor. 5 years ago the Mirror World was sealed. The wish I made, thanks to my friends' sacrificing their own, was for "A New Life". Of course, I wasn't thinking of the effects of such a wish but I'm glad that everything turned out so well._

_Well, I know you're all curious to know what has happened these 5 years so I'll make it quick. After all, we have cake and presents._

_My wish actually rewrote history. It reversed and erased all the damage that had happened since the beginning of the Zodiac War, thus it brought back to life the people who'd died because of it, either by circumstance, at the hands of an evil Knight or a monster. _

_Ichijyo still runs the Tokyo Branch of Smart Brain since his father hasn't retired of running the company. He has, however, become head to the Titans Academy Project. He lives in Tokyo now with Raven. They are happily married and I heard they are expecting right now. Raven's a few months pregnant._

_Takada lives on Tamaran with Karmen (Empress Blackfire) and is now her husband and rules by her side as her King. She's still the one wearing the 'pants' in the relationship believe it or not since she has a leash on him to keep him under control. Takada's work there is already complete and Tamaran has been restored to a tropical paradise. We visit sometimes._

_My sister, Kat, is still living with Slade who has retired from villainy but this may be a ruse so that the Titans might drop their guard. In his place is Kat who is now a mercenary in her own right and often clashes with the Titans. She is married to Rose. Cathy has graduated high school and is working with them._

_My other sister, Neko, lives with Kenzaki and they got married after he got her pregnant. They were both drunk and a shotgun wedding had to be held for the honor of the family. They are interdimensional bounty hunters and co-owners of the GaroLiner. They also have twins. Maya Tsukuba and Gou Tsukuba. Maya was named after Kenzaki's sister and Gou was named after Kenzaki's adopted father, the original Gou Tsukuba. They also have their own dojo that teaches JyuKen._

_I know what you're thinking. How is it possible for Neko and Kat to still exist as two people instead of one person? Blame that wish I made and the Powers of the Tiger. They were separated for too long and developed their own balance and this was the end result. At least Rose and Kenzaki are happy with this arrangement. Funny how life throws you curveballs, huh?_

_Tim and Kori are still living together in Titans Tower, along with Garfield, Victor and Tara. They now go by the name "The Titans" dropping the "Teen" from the team name. There are also Titan branches all over the world being funded by Smart Brain and they are also training a group of young heroes to become the New Teen Titans._

_Oh, Kori is still waiting for Tim to pop the question. I wonder when he'll ask her to marry him. I mean, they've been together for years and she isn't getting any younger._

_Garfield is now an actor for a revived Sci-Fi TV show. He's pretty famous. He plays the lead character who is the captain of his own crew of space heroes. _

_Victor, with backing from Smart Brain, is now working on developing cybernetic prosthetics for the general public and last month he proposed to Sarah Simms, his long time sweetheart._

_Tara got a degree in geology and is a geologist. She studies earthquake patterns. Her brother, Bryon Markov, came to visit the Tower once and we found out that she was really a princess! Can you believe it?_

_Craig is back with his team and they managed to reconcile. I'm not sure if Andrew is still with them but hopefully he's no longer the same Andrew that betrayed us. Craig and Ashleigh are now engaged._

_Warren comes and goes as he pleases, often visiting this dimension because of his friendship with me._

_Renia and my brother Kyuusuke are dating are studying the ways of magic under Rorek. They are known as the Double Locust Riders._

_Ryan is now a worldwide and Ghost Zone-wide famous rock star with Ember. They are still together and I doubt they would ever break up._

_Tazuka has finally received his degree in music and works as a music professor in Red Horse University. He may be human now, but he still has access to his old Arrancar powers._

_Eri and Joey are still dating after he was brought back to life…and he can talk now! That means he doesn't need to use telepathy though I think he still does to convey private messages to Eri._

_Megami and Ekelo are still dating too and eventually he and I were able to set our differences aside. Turns out, he hated me for being immature and idealistic but he eventually grew to respect me._

_I have many other friends whose lives have changed for the better but those are their stories. _

_Oh, and I almost forgot one very special person..._

* * *

A woman with pale skin, pink eyes, long pink hair and wearing a black dress while pushing along a stroller came towards Ryuki. She smiled before walking over and kissing him on the lips. "Happy birthday," she said.

"Thank you, Jinxy-chan," he replied.

* * *

_Jennifer got into college with me and went into design and after we graduated she went to work for my mother and draws up designs for her. She's a hit in the local Gothic scene. She also helped my grandmother in launching a series of action figures called "Knights of the Zodiac". Guess where she got that idea? We got married a few years back.  
_

_Oh, and the two babies…they're ours._

* * *

Ryuki tickled the baby in blue on the nose and it giggled. "Ryuta-chan…" he smiled before tickling the nose of the baby in pink. It grabbed his finger and began sucking. "Ryuko-chan…"

* * *

_Our son and daughter, Ryutaro and Ryuko. Born 5 months ago and they are precious to me. They are my little baby dragons and I swear to protect them with my life as Kamen Rider Draco._

* * *

"YAAHOO!!" Neko ran by as Kenzaki tried to chase after her.

"Oh, crap! She got to the chocolate!" Kenzaki yelled. "Neko, stop taking off your clothes!"

"WOOHOO!!" Kat ran by too and was being chased by Rose and Cathy.

"Mama, calm down!" Cathy yelled.

"Whose idea was it to make brownies?" asked Rose. "KAT, GET OFF THE CHANDELIER!"

Emiko sighed and looked towards her husband, "Kyo, go get the tranquilizers."

"Yes, dear," he responded.

Ryuki sighed as he held Ryutaro in his arms and Jinx held Ryuko. "Do you think we should stop this?"

Jennifer shook her head, "Nah, let's just get back to the room. Your presents were all put there, you know?"

Ryuki smiled as Ryutaro and Ryuko both giggled at the sight of the chaotic party. "Right, we need to put the twins in bed now…"

"NEKO, STOP BITING ME!" Kenzaki wailed.

"And turn on the soundproof barrier," Ryuki added.

There was an explosion.

"TAKADA!" Ichijyo shouted, covered in cake.

"I THOUGHT THOSE WERE THE NON-EXPLOSIVE ONES!" Takada responded. The two got into a fight and Karmen tried to pry them off each other with Victor helping. Rachel could only watch as she massaged her temple. Garfield was recording the whole thing via video camera.

* * *

_It was safe to say that no one else was able to enjoy the cake. Luckily, Jennifer saved two slices for the both of us. As the carnage continued downstairs and the twins slept in their crib, Jennifer and I shared cake._

* * *

"I love you, Doctor Hasuma," she said, kissing me and licking the icing off my lips.

* * *

_Oh, and I'm a doctor now. Actually, I'm a veterinarian now. I love animals so it was the perfect job for me._

* * *

**1000 Years Later…**

In New Metropolis, the Legion of Superheroes was fighting against their arch foes, the Fatal Five. Currently, the only Legionnaires fighting them were, Bouncing Boy, Phantom Girl, Lightning Lad, Timber Wolf and Saturn Girl. They were being beaten by the awesome power of these five super criminals.

Suddenly, the tide turned as a blast of flame exploded and sent the Fatal Five reeling. The blast of fire turned out to be a red armored figure and he wore a helmet to hide his identity.

"Who are you?" demanded the Emerald Empress.

"You can call me…" the mysterious armored figure introduced himself, "Zodiac Knight Draco."

* * *

Every end is a new beginning. When one chapter closes, another one opens. The Zodiac War starts again with new champions, but that's a story for another day…

**The End**

* * *

**OMAKE TIME!!**

**A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE**

Neko snuggled against the warm form next to her. It was made of warm muscle and…

Back up a second…she usually slept alone.

Neko cracked her eyes opened slightly and in a matter of seconds they snapped wide open. She was gathering information right now.

1: She was naked.

2: She was in bed.

3: Someone else was in bed with her and also naked.

4. It was Kenzaki.

So, to recap, she was naked, in bed, with Kenzaki, who was also naked…

She did the most logical thing.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!"

Kenzaki shot out of bed and yelled, "What!? Are we under attack!?" He turned to look at Neko who had pulled the blanket up to cover herself. "What the? Neko!?"

"KEN-KUN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!? GET OUT OF MY BED!" Neko roared before slugging him in the face. It didn't hurt but he was flung out of bed. Neko watched as he slammed against the far wall and slid down towards the floor. Neko moaned in mortification. Could this get any worse?

* * *

It was an awkward morning for the two bounty hunters as they ate in silence in the dining car. Neko sat across from Kenzaki, eating in silence.

Finally, Neko decided to break the ice and asked, "OK…what happened, or do I even want to know?" She then asked, "Or did you take advantage of me?" with a glare in her eyes directed at her boyfriend.

"Hey, I'm as much as a victim here as you are," Kenzaki said in defense only to receive an intense glare. He could almost tell what was going through her mind and he knew it wouldn't be pleasant. He was invulnerable, but he wasn't fond of the aspect of Neko trying her hardest to make it happen. "Neko, you know I would never take advantage of you."

"OK, does anybody remember what happened?" Neko asked. "I'm pretty much drawing a blank and I'm not sure if I want to talk with Buraki about this."

"Neither do I," agreed Kenzaki

Neko had lived with Kenzaki for about 2 years now and was now 21. She loved Kenzaki; she really did, but wasn't interested in getting intimate with him just yet. She just wasn't sure if they were ready for such a thing and now _this_ had to happen.

"I think I can clear this up," began Gekiryuken before he continued, "You both caught this A-Class Bounty and received a huge reward. You later decided to celebrate at this tavern (bar) at the King's Terminal. You both got intoxicated and…" Gekiryuken decided to get straight to the point, not wanting to tell them about how they embarrassed themselves, "You returned to Kenzaki's room, starting to take off your clothes and I do believe you consummated together from the sounds you were making." Gekiryuken had been trapped under a pile of clothing during the whole night so he could only hear.

"Oh, dear Kami…we did do it," Neko groaned, mortified. "This is all your fault, Kenzaki!"

"How is this _my_ fault?" Kenzaki retorted. Neko was giving him the 'stay quiet if you know what's good for you' glare. "You drank too. I tried to stop you."

"You should've tried harder!" Neko snapped. "I can't believe it happened like that."

"You say it like it's a bad thing," Kenzaki responded.

"I prefer to actually remember our first time! Makes it more special!" she blurted out.

Kenzaki fell silent, "Neko, I had no id-"

"URUSAI!!" Neko yelled, silencing him. "Just be quiet. I don't wanna talk about this anymore so let's pretend it never happened and move on…"

Kenzaki gave Neko one last look before sighing. "Fine…"

"Good."

* * *

"I'M WHAT!?" Neko screamed, looking at the doctor in front of her. He was a doctor that ran a clinic in the King's Terminal and he'd given them the news.

"Your test says here you are a week pregnant. Congratulations," the doctor smiled, oblivious to the girl's plight.

Neko was rubbing her belly, '_I'm really pregnant?_'

"Now, according to your information, you are a bounty hunter," the doctor spoke, reading their files. "I suggest you both take it easy for the next 9 months. You are with child and you wouldn't want to cause any complications, would you?"

* * *

"You're upset, aren't you, Ojou-sama?" Gekiryuken asked Neko.

"I'm upset because I have to temporarily retire from bounty hunting," Neko frowned.

"Well, you shouldn't be endangering yourself while you're with child," Gekiryuken advised.

"So, you think I should keep the baby?" Neko asked.

"What about you? What do you think?" Gekiryuken asked. He never could imagine his owner contemplating abortion.

"I kinda want to. Kid's a part of me and Ken-kun," Neko admitted. She'd managed to calm down a bit. The doctor told her that stress wouldn't be healthy for her baby. It still felt strange for her to be pregnant. "If I wanted someone to father my kid, I'd choose him. I just didn't want it now or like this." She'd wanted it to be special, after a wedding, and maybe during their first night together.

"We'll get through it together," Gekiryuken replied.

"Arigato, Geki-chan," Neko purred.

* * *

Later…

Kenzaki, upon receiving the news, responded the only way he could.

He fainted.

This was not going to be the worst thing that he'd have to confront. As the future father, he'd have to break the news to the parents.

* * *

Kenzaki's first stop was the Hasuma-Narukawa mansion to face Emiko Narukawa Hasuma. She couldn't be too furious, could she? Neko always spoke of how gentle the woman could be so he was safe...

Right?

* * *

"You WILL marry my daughter if you know what's good for you!" said Emiko, her hands crackling with electricity.

* * *

Kenzaki barely survived his impromptu 'electroshock therapy session' and right now was heading out of the frying pan and into the fire. Now he had to talk to Kat and it wasn't something he wanted to do. That girl had inherited Slade's fortune, was living with Rose and was still as scary as ever. Unlike Kenzaki, Kat was a mercenary for hire but not so much a villain. She did get into conflicts with other heroes due to differing methods when dealing with hostiles though.

* * *

"You will take care of my sister and my future niece or nephew. If you do anything to mess this up, no matter what you do or where you run, I will find you and you will wish you had never been born," warned Kat, speaking as coolly and casually as though discussing flower arrangement. Standing by her side was Rose, who wore an unreadable expression.

"Right, got it," said Kenzaki, trying not to say anything that would make this conversation worse.

"Good…" nodded Kat, "I'm glad we had this talk as civilized people."

"So am I…Can you call off your robot guards now?"

"Sorry, I needed to make sure you wouldn't run away…" apologized Kat. She snapped his fingers and the robots fell back.

"You talked to Emiko-sama, didn't you?" asked Kenzaki, massaging his throat.

"She is my mother as much as she is Neko-chan's," answered Kat. "So, yes, we do communicate."

"You do not need to worry, Kat," said Kenzaki as he bowed. "I will protect them (Neko and the baby) with my life."

"I hope so. By the way, how fast can you run?"

"Pretty fast, I guess. Why?"

"I just released the cats," answered Kat, like she was talking about the weather.

Kenzaki was about to say something when he heard snarling. Kenzaki looked behind Kat and saw a lion, tiger, panther, leopard and jaguar, looking at him hungrily. "I think you better run," suggested Kat and Kenzaki hastily complied.

* * *

The lights were bright and the music was loud as several young men were sitting at some bar stools while four Imagin mulled around looking for something to do. In celebration of his upcoming marriage, several of the boys managed to drag Kenzaki to a strip club. Takada and Buraki were enjoying the view and dancing with some of the waitresses while Shadow, who was goaded into coming by saying Raven, was doing the same with Neko, brooded on his stool. Ryuki was blushing brightly while trying not to look too hard at any girl, despite some of the dancers trying to catch his attention. Kenzaki and Warren were sitting together and discussing the perils of his upcoming marriage.

"So you knocked up your girlfriend," said Warren as he took a drink from his beer.

"Yep," answered Kenzaki simply, taking a swig from his beer. "She's a little pissed at me right now. She said she wanted her first time to be special, but neither of us could remember it. And now, not only am I gonna get married, I'm gonna be a dad too."

"Trust me; it's scary at first…" began Warren as he took another drink. "But my kids are the only things I've done right in my life, besides marrying Rae of course. Believe me, the first time you look into your kid's eyes, you'll realize it too."

"Thanks, Warren," said Kenzaki, as the two clinked their bottles together.

* * *

Meanwhile, Neko had been kidnapped by Jinx and Blackfire for a bachelorette party in her honor. A ladies club that they visited had everything they needed. Soon, alcohol got involved (none for the blushing bride of course) and some people were heating up.

"YEAH!! TAKE IT OFF! TAKE IT ALL OFF!!" shouted Jinx, obviously drunk.

Blackfire was lounging on her seat with a drink while Raven tried not to look obtrusive. Starfire was watching with rapt attention to the male dancers around them. Only Neko, Rose, and Kat, seemed to be the least entertained.

"Um...how much has she had to drink?" asked Neko, referring to her brother's girlfriend.

"More than you and Kenzaki had THAT night. We should probably cut her off," suggested Kumiko.

"If we can catch her," said Rose.

"True," said Kumiko. Jinx was up on stage dancing with the entertainment.

"This is similar to a something back home on Tamaran," said Starfire.

"Which usual ended with a massive orgy," added Blackfire.

"…You have some very interesting customs on Tamaran," said Kumiko.

"Orgies happen in satanic cults too, by the way," said Raven, adding her two cents.

"WHY are we talking about orgies?" whined Neko.

"Hey, you were the one who brought us to a sausage fest," said Raven.

"No, I didn't! They kidnapped me!" shouted Neko, pointing at Blackfire and Jinx. "Ugh, if I wasn't pregnant I'd be drinking right now."

"Yeah," Kat said to her double. "I can't believe you let him knock you up."

"I didn't let him," Neko responded coldly to her soul sister. "We got drunk and ended up sleeping together." She massaged her temple. "I wish I could remember. If I did maybe it would've been special."

"Heck, if the first thing I saw was him when I woke up naked in bed, I would've killed him," Kat shrugged.

"Kat, be nice," said Rose to her lover.

Kat rolled her eyes, "Neko-chan, let me explain to you about sex. Sex is just about pleasure. It's as special as you want it to be. So, your first time with him was when you were drunk and you got pregnant. Not the end of the world, really."

Neko looked at Kat, "It's…not?"

"There's still the wedding night," Kat shrugged. "I mean that will make it special, right?"

"I guess so," said Neko. Neko blushed as she remembered all the good times she'd had with Kenzaki. Her face turned beet red as she remembered Kenzaki and her naked together. She smiled a little.

* * *

Kenzaki stood there at the altar as he waited for Neko to walk down the aisle. He had help from Emiko planning the wedding, and thanked his future mother-in-law for it. Next to him stood Joey, Ryuki, Okami and Byakko, all four dressed in fancy black tuxedos. Okami, who had been like an older brother to Kenzaki when he was growing up, was Kenzaki's best man for the wedding, with Joey, Byakko and Ryuki being the groomsmen. Kenzaki looked up at the keyboard and smiled as he watched Raion give him a thumb's up while doing the final preparations. He looked into the audience and saw some familiar faces. He saw the Titans and former Knights, their allies, as well as their extended families. He looked to the back and saw Buraki hitting on one of Emiko's bodyguards. He smiled when the guard put Buraki into a headlock.

On the other side of the altar stood the bridesmaids; Eri, Kori and Jennifer with Kat being the Maid of Honor. They all wore matching black and blue dresses. Kenzaki shifted uncomfortably. He never liked wearing a suit. But here he was, about to be married, soon to be a father. Kenzaki knew Neko was the one he'd always be with since he saw her, begging for forgiveness of Copycat's past deeds. He kept looking and saw Emiko, filming the entire event. This made Kenzaki even more uncomfortable.

Then the keyboard started to play as the flower girl, one of Neko's younger cousins, came out of the back of the church. Following closely behind her were Neko and her father, Kyousuke. Kenzaki nodded at Kyousuke who nodded back. Kenzaki had been unable to talk to him since Kyosuke had business with the Celestial court. Fortunately, the man was understanding about the situation.

As they came up the aisle, memories returned. Kenzaki knew they'd be together, since that fateful night they had proclaimed their love for each other. She looked so beautiful. To Kenzaki, she was beautiful everyday, but exceptionally so on this day.

When she got to the altar, Kenzaki smiled at her, and she smiled back nervously. Kenzaki grasped hands with Neko. Kenzaki still couldn't believe that they were getting married. They turned to face the minister.

Much to their surprise, Antonitis Fenton McCrown, former Dragon Force agent, and current owner of the ChronoLiner was going to be performing the ceremony.

"Ant?" Kenzaki asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm a licensed minister so I can marry you," Ant informed, wearing priest robes. "Alright, let's get this thing started." He became serious, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Kenzaki Tsukuba, and Neko Hasuma in holy matrimony. If anyone objects to the union, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace." There was silence.

Then Ant started them on their vows. "I, Kenzaki, take you, Neko, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, for better or worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, till death do us part."

Then it was Neko's turn and she was nervous. This was her dream come true but the circumstances ruined some of the elation she'd had in her own dreams. She then recited the vows, "I, Neko, take you, Kenzaki, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, for better or worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, till death do us part."

Ant smiled widely. "Now the rings?" said Ant. A young boy, another of Neko's cousins, brought out a small pillow, with two rings on it. First, Kenzaki picked up a ring and placed it on Neko's finger. Neko then picked up the second ring and slipped it on his finger. "You may now kiss the bride."

Kenzaki gulped and looked directly at Neko. She looked absolutely stunning in her dress. Neko was also staring at him, waiting for him. She closed her eyes as he leaned forward, pulling the veil up and kissing her lips.

* * *

8 MONTHS LATER…

"I HATE YOU, KENZAKI!!" Neko screamed as she was pushing the baby out of her and squeezing Kenzaki's 'family's jewels'. "DAMN YOU, YOU BASTARD!!" Neko shrieked. "YOU PERVERT!! HENTAI!! SUKEBE!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!" In order to get her to stop screaming, she was given his hand to bite on. Thank goodness he could feel no pain.

After hours of painful labor, the babies (that's right, babies) were finally born. Neko had given birth to twins. The girl was tired but she still had the strength to hold one of her babies, a little boy with silver hair like his father's. Kenzaki was holding a little girl with hair and eyes like her mother's.

"So, what are we going to name them?" asked Neko.

"How about we name the boy Gou and the little girl Maya?" suggested Kenzaki. Maya was Kenzaki's sister's name while Gou was the name of his adopted father, the original Garoh and GekiViolet, Gou Tsukuba

Neko smiled, "I like those names. How about I give middle names to go with those?"

"Sure," Kenzaki nodded.

"For my little Gou-kun, I'll give the middle name 'Beowulf' and for my little Maya-chan, I'll give the middle name 'Catalina'," Neko said.

"Those are perfect," Kenzaki agreed.

And thus Maya Catalina Tsukuba and Gou Beowulf Tsukuba became the newest additions to Neko and Kenzaki's little family.

* * *

**Future Character Bios: **

Maya Catalina Tsukuba becomes GekiPink, wearing a pink suit with black stripes and a belt that holds her partner, the sealed Hasuma Clan Defense Style Master Gouryugun. She can channel her Fierce Ki through her hands for close range ferocious strikes or even channel it through Gouryugun to unleash her Gekiwaza: Gun Gun Bullet where she shoots her GekiBeast in the form of a Ki attack that mauls the opponent. Gouryugun becomes a gun with unlimited ammo for her to use and also comes with a short blade for close-ranged fighting. Since she uses the Cat-Ken, she can utilize several Gekiwaza based on cats. She fights alongside her twin brother, Gou (though she calls him Gao as a nickname). After transforming and before entering battle she says, "My claws are used to right all wrongs. Righteous Fury! GekiPink!"

Gou Beowulf Tsukuba becomes GekiViolet, wearing his father's old GekiViolet suit that also has a wrist brace that holds his partner, the sealed Hasuma Clan Stealth Style Master Zanryujin, which can become a battle staff for short/mid-ranged combat or a crossbow for long-ranged combat. Like his father, he can channel his Fierce Ki in the form of a wolf to attack his opponents from afar. He also knows nearly all of his father's Gekiwaza but he still has much to learn. Zanryujin, on the other hand, teaches Gou the Stealth Style technique so he emulates a wolf's cunning nature better. He fights alongside his sister. After transforming and before entering battle he says, "Excitement, my style, to the limit of my will! Iron Will! GekiViolet!" He is named after his adopted grandfather.

* * *

ZKD

Inspired by: Teen Titans and Kamen Rider Ryuki

Written by: ZK Chromedragozoid

Assistant Writers: Shadow Element 13, Jazzpha, Ten-Faced Paladin, Zombi138 and Tanyeera

Proofreading and editing: Shadow Element 13, Jazzpha, Ten-Faced Paladin, Zombi138 and Tanyeera

With special thanks to the following reviewers: Shadow Element 13, Jazzpha, Ten-Faced Paladin, Zombi138, Tanyeera, Twilight Kyuu, the Red-1, Hotshot45, Brave Kid, Heart Warrior, Kamen Rider Gaiden, Mask Rider Roy, CrystalEarth, RyoTheSaiyan, Ant Crown, StaroftheNights, Hikari Ino, Charizardag, Ryan L. Spradling, bob the builder mafia man, I am the Krow, Angel17712,Stormofrage, ayuhchan, MrRigger, Mew Megumi, Kite Lanford, cat of the shadows, Gentleman Death, warlord-xana, iron mantis, Tristar, Dr. Evans and many others I won't mention but were also great!


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